World Haiku Series 2019 (9) Haiku by Andrei Sannikov

World Haiku Series 2019 (9)

Haiku by Andrei Sannikov

 

In the dirty cement

Of a colony prison yard

Sleeps a Dali bee.

 

コロニーの刑務所の汚れたセメントの中で

ダリの蜂が眠る

 

A little boy’s footprint

Ran over by the ant

Without shaking dust.

 

小さな男の子の足跡がアリのそばを駆け抜けた

ホコリをたてないで

 

The window bars here

Checkered pattern on the page

Of letter from prison.

 

窓のここで禁ずる

刑務所からの手紙のページに市松模様

 

Hare under mountain

Catching with his ears the sun

Coming into sea

 

山の下のウサギ

耳で太陽をとらえ海に入る

 

Pain. Quiets at night

The little hand of my son

Stroking father-like

 

苦痛。夜の安静

息子の小さな手が父親のように撫でる

 

The drop fell

And an eternal ant

Was born in amber

 

滴が落ちた

そして、不滅のアリが琥珀色で生まれた

 

All is immovable

Only the eye of the guard

Flickers in the peephole

 

あらゆる物が動かない

看守の目だけがのぞき穴でちらっと盗み見る

 

Coming to the limit

You will discover

That pain has no end

 

限界に近づいて

あなたには分かるでしょう

その痛みには終わりがないことが

 

Don’t discuss with idiots

Taste of dew or its color

Don’t offend them

 

馬鹿者と話し合うな

露の味や色について

彼らを怒らすな

 

Boulder near forest

Eternally waits in moss

For you to get tired

 

森の近くの巨石

苔の中で永遠に待つ

あなたが疲れるのを

 

— Translated by Hidenori Hiruta

 

 

BIO:

 

My name is Andrei Sannikov. I was born in Minsk, Belarus in 1954. I’m a career diplomat who became an oppositionist when the country was hijacked by a tyrant. I always was fascinated by haiku but never tried to write it myself until I was thrown in jail for political reasons. Amnesty International recognized me as a prisoner of conscience. In prison I literally discovered the magic force of haiku that helped me to survive and preserve my sanity.

Ten haiku of mine were sent to the World Haiku Series 2019. All of them were written in prison.

 

Here are seven photos presented by Mr. Andrei Sannikov, which will inspire you to write haiku.

Please feel free to write your haiku in the comment column.