World Haiku Series 2022 (50) Haiku by Jim Kacian

Haiku by Jim Kacian

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new year’s eve

the future begins

again

大晦日

未来が始まる

また

by the edge

of an empty sea

youth

空の海の端に

若者

a night-lit bridge—

the oarsman’s shadow rows

across the bricks

夜に照らされる橋

漕ぎ手の影が漕ぐ

レンガを越えて

chance encounter —

halfway through 

you light new candles

偶然の出会い

途中で

あなたは新しいキャンドルに火を灯す

the oldest thing is right now

最も古いものは今です

noonday heat a lizard gone into its shadow

真昼の暑さ、トカゲが影に隠れた

walking in the rain our stories run together

雨の中を歩く、私たちの物語が一緒に進む

on the drop cloth last year’s green

ドロップ上で生地は昨年のグリーン

a saint in godless country middle age

神無き国の聖人　中年

Siberia just like my mind after all

結局シベリアは私の心と同じ

－Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta

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Brief Bio:

Jim Kacian is founder and president of The Haiku Foundation, founder and owner of Red Moon Press, editor-in-chief of Haiku in English: The First Hundred Years, author of a score of books of haiku and editor of dozens more. He is currently working on an anecdotal history of haiku in the West.

Comment

Inspired by fine works of haiku and photo by Jim Kacian, Hidenori Hiruta introduces some Japanese Haiku (Japanese/English) from HI (Haiku International) magazine issued by HIA (HAIKU INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION).

初明り戦をひとつ終えし国

(hatsu-akari  ikusa o hitotsu  oe-shi kuni)

The dawn of a New Year

a country

with one war ended

月野　ぽぽな

TSUKINO Popona

HI 2012 No.100

短夜の午前0時のチェックイン

(mijika-yo no  gozen reiji no  chekku in)

A short night

checking in a hotel

at 12:00 am

松井　貴子

MATSUI Takako

HI 2012 No.100

歩みゆく携帯電話去年今年

(ayumiyuku  keitai-denwa  kozo kotoshi)

Walking

with my cell phone

last year and this one, too

奥山　俊子

OKUYAMA Toshiko

HI 2012 No.100

書き初めのあれこれ迷う余白かな

(kakizome no  arekore mayou  yohaku kana)

Wondering about

my New Year’s calligraphy

a blank space

久保田　悦子

KUBOTA Etsuko

HI 2012 No.100

元旦や金地に躍る龍の文字

(gantan ya  kinji ni odoru  ryū no moji)

On the golden paper

the character for dragon springs to life

it’s the year of the dragon

栄　女

SHIGEJO

HI 2012 No.100

年の瀬の月一星も従へず

(toshi no se no tsuki  issei mo  shitagae zu)

at the end of the year

the moon refusing to

accompany only one star

杉山　やよひ

SUGIYAMA Yayoi

HI 2012 No.100

東雲や竜眼宿す初日の出

(shinonome ya  ryūgan yadosu  hatsuhi no de)

New Year’s sun

glinting in the dragon eye

sublime cloud

杉田　柚子

SUGITA Yuzu

HI 2012 No.100

年あらたあといくつある命かな

(toshi arata  ato ikutsu aru  inochi kana)

A new year

how many years after

my life

余　庵

YOAN

HI 2012 No.100

初夢や宇宙の渚駆け巡る

(hatsuyume ya  uchū no nagisa  kakemeguru)

I’m running around the space front

in the first dream

of the New Year

白　童

HAKUDŌ

HI 2012 No.100

初夢や龍の背に乗り天翔る

(hatsu yume ya  ryū no se ni nori  amagakeru)

First dream –

on the back of a dragon

in the heavens

蛭田　秀法

HIRUTA Hidenori

HI 2012 No.100