John McDonald in Edinburgh writes haiku in Scots, one of the two languages native to Scotland as well as in English.
Last year John presented me with his three scots haiku books, whose titles are ‘THE THROU-GAUN CHIEL ‘, ‘FUME O PEAT REEK’‘, and ‘TUIM TIN TASSIE’.
He has a web-page of Scots haiku http://zenspeug.blogspot.com which he tries to update daily, and from which I post some of his scots haiku in the website today.
They are written in September, 2006, telling us a lot about the autumn season in Scotland. They are interpreted with my Japanese translations too.
freens oxter an pairt –
in the lift
soothboond geese
friends hug and part –
in the sky
southbound geese
友との別れ：
抱擁す雁別れ行く南空へ
Houyou su kari wakareyuku nankuu e
a trail o tuim
chessie huils
a trail of empty
chestnut shells
森中に実のない栗殻道をなす
Mori juu ni mi no nai kuri gara michi o nasu
leaves fawin
…the bonsai
leaves falling
…the bonsai
我が部屋の盆栽見舞う落葉かな
Waga heya no bonsai mimau ochiba kana
yin hauf sea-maws
yin hauf craws
one half seagulls
one half crows
カモメ対カラスの試合サッカー場
Kamome tai karasu no shiai sakkaa jou
an umwhile bummer
chacks ilka fuchsia bell
a late bee
checks each fuchsia bell
秋の蜂フクシアの花冠調べたり
Aki no hachi fukushia no kakan shirabetari
brucken shanks
blawn intae a neuk
aye flourishin
broken stalks
blown into a corner
still blossoming
茎折れる吹かれし角に咲いている
Kuki oreru fukareshi kado ni saiteiru
Haly Mass
aneath leaf umberellaes
speuggies
beneath leaf umbrellas
sparrows
葉の傘の聖なるミサや雀たち
Ha no kasa no sei naru misa ya suzume tachi
reid stour –
throuch the vinyaird
the rosary hums
through the vineyard
the rosary drones
赤き塵バラ園の雄バチぶどう園へ
Akaki chiri bara en no obachi budou en e
pilgrimers staun
umberellaes taigilt
pilgrims stand
umbrellas tangled
雨の中巡礼者立ち傘からむ
Ame no naka junreisha tachi kasa karamu
cluds rowe awa –
craw bangs up frae
a perk o yella gowans
crow rises from
a field of buttercups
行雲やキンポウゲの野でカラス鳴く
Kouun ya kinpouge no no de karasu naku
on’s carebed
he skews roon
hearkens tae the bell-ringers
he turns to listen
to the bell-ringers
病床で鳴鐘人に向き変える
Byoushou de meishounin ni muki kaeru
on a lanesome roddin
a hinmaist breer
autumn
on a lonesome path
a last dog-rose
秋寂の道に花咲くイヌバラや
Suujaku no michi ni hana saku inubara ya
a deep puil
fisher…makar
gazing into
a deep pool
fisherman…poet
深き池見つめる漁師詩人かな
Fukaki ike mitsumeru ryousi sijin kana
nicht vaig –
aheid o me,
cat’s een an sterns
ahead of me,
cat’s eyes and stars
夜の旅猫の目と星前方に
Yoru no tabi neko no me to hoshi zenpou ni
frae the winnock
a hairst efternuin –
ma sheddae liggs on the bed
an autumn afternoon –
my shadow lies on the bed
秋の午後ベッドに映る我が影や
Aki no gogo beddo ni utsuru waga kage ya
straiks o yalla
…mair nor yestreen
amongst the trees’ green
streaks of yellow
…more than yesterday
今日の木や黄色い縞の多くなり
Kyou no ki ya kiiroi shima no ooku nari
rife fir pouin –
a rantin wunter
elder-berries
ready for picking –
a merry winter
ニワトコが摘まれる冬の楽しけり
Niwatoko no tsumareru fuyu no tanoshikeri
the-day
a rairin frae the
quate treen o simmer
a roaring from the
silent trees of summer
今日の日や夏の木々からうなり声
Kyouno hi ya natsu no kigi kara unarigoe
The next posting ‘Haiku by Narayanan Raghunathan in India (2)’ appears on October 23.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku Network 