Adjei Agyei-Baah (1977-2023)
Winner of Akita Chamber of Commerce and Industry President’s Award,in the English section of the 3rd Japan-Russia Haiku Contest, 2014
This is his debut haiku collection, Afriku (2016), which was commended by Nigerian Nobel Prize–winner Wole Soyinka.
Dedication
My pleasure for your leisure –
It’s for you, Africa –
Celebrate!
Five haiku from Adjei’s haiku collection Afriku
1.
old pond –
the living splash
of Bashō’s frog
(for & after Bashō)
古池や芭蕉の蛙はねる音
2.
drought –
the farmer digs
into his breath
干ばつに掘っては呼吸農夫かな
3.
roasting sun
an egret’s measured steps
in buffalo shadow
炎天下水牛の陰サギ歩む
4.
one crow dead
a thousand caws
make the funeral
カラス死ぬ千の啼き声弔いに
5.
leafless tree –
lifting a cup of nest
into the sky
裸の木巣の空杯を天に上ぐ
Turkson Adu Darkwa
after the storm
the homelessness
of fallen leaves
嵐過ぎ家を失う落葉かな
Winner of Akita International University President’s Award, in the English section of the 5th Japan-Russia Haiku Contest, 2016
Five English Haiku
Hot afternoon
A butterfly lands on the sill
Fanning its wings
暑い午後敷居の蝶や扇子かな
Autumn sky –
flags mimic the talent
of birds
秋の空鳥の才能まねる旗
Harmattan bush fire,
The river runs along
With wildlife.
ハーマタン森林火事に川流る川沿い走る野生動物 （短歌）
Sparkling dew drop,
The night awakened
By fireflies.
輝きや蛍に目覚む露滴
Imposed baptism –
The crop duster hovers over
The rice farmer
洗礼や稲田に浮かぶ除草の機
Note:
About the Japanese Short Poetry of 17 phonetic Units of 5, 7, 5 Pattern
Inspired by ten English haiku by Adjei Agyei-Baah and Turkson Adu Darkwa, Hidenori Hiruta tried to translate them into ten Japanese short poems of 5, 7, 5 pattern.
The translated poems are added to the English haiku as above.
Surprisingly, one of the English haiku by Turkson Adu Darkwa was translated into Japanese tanka （短歌） poetry of 5,7,5,7,7 pattern. This is because English is different from Japanese.
Bio:
Turkson Adu Darkwa, born on October 7, 1987, in Ghana, is a dedicated educator and accomplished poet. With a teaching career spanning both Ghana and China, he brings a global perspective to his work. Turkson’s passion for creative writing, particularly poetry, is evident in his numerous accolades. He has received prestigious awards from the Ghana Poetry Foundation and excelled in international haiku competitions, winning the English section of the 5th Japan-Russia Haiku Contest in 2016 and earning the Akita International University President Award. His haiku, including the poignant “after the storm / the homelessness / of fallen leaves” and “long afternoon / a mango hangs / on a ripe sun,” garnered recognition in the 19th Mainichi Haiku Contest in Japan. As a proud member of the Mamba, an African Haiku Magazine, and a published haiku poet in renowned international magazines like Heron’s Nest, Turkson continues to contribute to the global haiku community. Currently, he is working on his own anthology of haiku, showcasing his distinctive voice and profound observations. Beyond his literary pursuits, Turkson enjoys hiking, fishing, and shaping young minds as a teacher.
Akita International Haiku Network 
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