Here is an e-mail from Chen-ou Liu in Canada.
Dear Mr. Hidenori Hiruta
I came across your website while looking for the haiku written in different languages. I was amazed by your efforts in spreading a love for Japanese short form poetry. I wish you success in all your endeavors.
And I would like to submit the following poems for your consideration for publication on the Akita International HST Network. I shall be pleased if you translate some that appeal you much.
Warm Regards
Chen-ou Liu
First of all, let me take up a brief bio of Chen-ou Liu:
Chen-ou Liu was born in Taiwan and emigrated to Canada in 2002. He lives in Ajax, a suburb of Toronto, where he has been struggling with a life in transition and translation.
Chen-ou is a contributing writer for Rust+Moth and Haijinx. His poetry has been published and anthologized worldwide. His tanka have been honored with awards, including the Saigyo Awards for Tanka 2009 (honorable mention) and the 2009 San Francisco International Haiku, Senryu, Tanka, and Rengay Competition (tanka third place).
For more information about Chen-ou’s writing career, please read An Interview with Chen-ou Liu by Robert D. Wilson
(accessed at http://simplyhaiku.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/interview-with-chen/).
And read more of his poetry at his website,
Poetry in the Moment (http://chenouliu.blogspot.com/).
All the best,
Chen-ou Liu
Next I present some of his senryu with my Japanese translation.
Here are the 2nd set of my senryu (asked by you and sent on Saturday, October 30, 2010)
I kneel
before the stone cross; a fly
wringing its hands
跪く
石の十字架の前で；ハエが一匹
両手をこすりながら
again, he waits
in line to buy Super 7…
new moon
再び、彼は待つ
スーパー７を買うために列に並んで．．．
新月
guests long gone…
debating over the price
of the gift
お客さんたちはとっくに去った．．．
値段を議論しながら
その贈り物の
subway station…
all ears are covered
with headphone sets
地下鉄の駅．．．
耳がみんな覆われている
ヘッドホン装置で
her thigh prints
on the waiting room sofa
two watermelons
彼女のももの跡
待合室のソファに
二つの西瓜
Buffet King at dusk
enough on your plate
yes, divorced and broke
たそがれのブッフェ・キング
あなたの皿の上は十分
そう、離婚と破局
an eagle’s
shadow circles me…
chicken dinner?
鷲
影が私の周りを回る．．．
鶏の夕食？
catwalk models…
rows of middle-aged men
sit quietly
キャットウォークの模型．．．
横に並んだ何列もの中高年の男たち
静かに座っている
rewriting poems all day
a voice sounds like my own
yelling, Enough!
終日詩を書き直している
自分の声のような声が聞こえる
「十分！」 と大声をあげている
from hymn to hymn
the Sunday sermon takes
the shape of her face
賛美歌から賛美歌へ
日曜のお説教は取る
彼女の顔の形を
The next posting ‘Haiku by Oprica Padeanu, Romania (1) on July 21.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku Network 