Haiku by Brian McSherry (6)

 

On January 25, 2013, I received an e-mail from Brian Birdsell(McSherry) after a long absence.

Hidenori –

It has been a long time since we last corresponded! Hope all is well in Akita and the world of haiku! Last year I moved up to Hirosaki to start working at Hirosaki University. The snow relentlessly falls here – good for a skier like myself, but endless shoveling.

Brian Birdsell

http://tsugarupress.com/

Here is a photo of some students at Hirosaki University, who are enjoying winter life.

  

 

Here are haiku about winter by Brian Birdsell(McSherry) with my Japanese translations too.

  

Cold conversations –

the lips of the crow

                           rustle

with the steady wind

 

お寒い会話　―

カラスの両唇

                           カサカサいう

吹き止まない風と共に

 

 

I begin to feel

the heat of my love breathing

as the stove burns out

 

感じ始める

愛のほてりが息づいているのを

ストーブが燃え尽きるとき

 

 

Midnight

                  snow falling

smudges the ink –

                    exactly

what I meant to write

 

真夜中

　　　　　　　　雪が降っている

インクをつける　―

まさに書きたいと思うこと

 

 

Completely covered

with snow

                 I climb the traverse

the last signpost gone

 

完全に覆われた

雪で

                              トラバースに登る

最後の標識がなくなっている

 

 

My morning commute –

on bike

                   my shadow shivers

on the icy path

 

朝の通勤　―

自転車で

                         影が震える

氷った道の上で

 

 

Steam swirls up –

neck deep in an outdoor bath

I greet the night snow

 

蒸気が渦巻きながら立ち込む　―

首を露天の風呂深く沈める

夜の雪に会釈する

 

 

Ceaseless north I walk

shadowless

                        without footprints –

hunted by a storm

 

止むことなく北へ歩く

影もなく

                               足跡もなく　―

嵐に追われて

 

 

In the dark morning

frost on the carps tongue –

                           the pond

now frozen over

 

暗い朝

鯉の舌に霜　―

                                        池

凍っているあたり中

 

 

The snow covered gate

swings all night

                       yet not a soul

only my writing

 

雪に覆われた門

夜通し揺れ動く

                            まだ一人もいない

ただ私が書いているだけ

 

 

Swirling in the cold

                             snow

and the voice of a swan

having lost a quill.

 

寒さの中で渦巻いている

                                      雪

そして白鳥の声

羽柄を失ってしまった

 

 

How high the snow is!

in the sun’s reflection

a farmer smiles

 

なんて雪が高いんだろう！

太陽の反射光の中で

農夫が微笑む

 

 

An erroneous life –

the fake flowers in the vase

have lost their petals

 

誤った人生　―

花瓶の中のにせの花が

花びらをなくしてしまった

 

 

Brush, ink, and some snow

I write the same poem over

                                         and over –

morning slush

 

筆、墨、そしていくらかの雪

同じ詩を書く

                                                 何度も何度も　―

朝の雪解け

 

 

Walking with my breath

too cold even for the snow –

the duck hides its beak.

 

息をハアハアついて歩く

雪にとってさえ余りにも寒い　―

あひるがくちばしを隠す

 

 

All night awake,

                                        as

the wind bends through my window

a wood thrush sings out

 

夜通し目を覚ましている、

風が窓を通って曲がり

モリツグミが大声で歌う時

 

 

The next posting ‘Haiku by Hidenori Hiruta (3)’ appears on February 23.

 

― Hidenori Hiruta