World Haiku Series 2019 (139) Haiku by Nikola Đuretić

World Haiku Series 2019 (139)

Haiku by Nikola Đuretić

 

grey rainy day

she polishes silverware

third time round

 

灰色の雨の日

彼女は銀器を磨く

3回目

 

old vendor –

bayonets and medals

eaten by rust

 

年老いた物売り

銃剣とメダル

さびて腐食している

 

don’t be sad firefly

at dawn everything fades

even stars

 

悲しいホタルにならないでください

夜明けにはすべてが消えていく

星さえ

 

jolly fellows –

in fresh roadside snow

only piss trails

 

陽気な仲間

新鮮な道端の雪に

小便の跡のみ

 

late autumn –

origami crane left behind

on the window sill

 

晩秋

置き去りにされた折り鶴

窓枠に

 

a lilac tree –

invisible throughout winter

suddenly blooming

 

ライラックの木

冬の間は見えない

突然咲く

 

winter morn

walking the dog

and his silence

 

冬の朝

犬を連れて散歩をしている

そして彼の沈黙

 

old photo

is this youngster

my late father?

 

古い写真

この若者は

私の亡き父？

 

end of summer –

and how to describe

all this sadness?!

 

夏の終わり

そして説明する方法

このすべての悲しみを？！

 

my shadow

even under the moonlight

is but a shadow

 

私の影

月明かりの下でさえ

単なる影にすぎない

 

— Translated by Hidenori Hiruta

 

 

Short Biography : Nikola Đuretić

Born in Osijek (Croatia) in 1949. Graduated at Zagreb University (English Language and Lit. as well as Comparative Lit.)

Worked in publishing and for more than twenty years in London as a Senior Producer for the BBC.

Thus far he published thirty books of prose, poetry, essays and feuilleton, of which eight are collections of haiku.

His work has been included into numerous anthologies.

For his literary work he received many awards of which several for haiku (Honourable mention at 16th HIA Haiku Contest, Runner up at International Haiku Contest “Vladimir Devide”, Commendations at Romanian and Polish International Haiku Competitions, Merit Award ITO EN Oi Ocha, etc.).

For his contribution to Croatian culture he was awarded the highest state order for culture in 1998.

A member of Croatian Writers’ Association, he lives in Zagreb (Croatia).