Adjei Agyei-Baah (1977-2023)
＊＊＊
leafless tree –
lifting a cup of nest
into the sky
＊＊＊
裸の木巣の空杯を天に上ぐ
＊＊＊
Winner of Akita Chamber of Commerce and Industry President’s Award,
in the English section of the 3rd Japan-Russia Haiku Contest, 2014
English Haiku from Adjei’s haiku collection Afriku (2016)
＊＊＊
Dedication
＊＊＊
My pleasure for your leisure –
It’s for you, Africa –
Celebrate!
16.
pavement beggars –
on his lips
the footprints of harmattan
物乞ひやマーハタンの跡唇に
17.
dawn rivalry –
a muezzin
and a rooster
夜が明けるライバル二人現れるムエジンの声雄鶏の声
18.
mama’s soup –
trying to adjust
to my wife’s
ママと妻ママのスープの妻の味
19.
end of the month
that pleasant smell
of payday
月末は楽しい気分給料日
20.
stillness –
vibrating the silence
the woodpecker’s knock
静けさを啄木鳥の音震はせる
Turkson Adu Darkwa (Ghana)
＊＊＊
after the storm
the homelessness
of fallen leaves
＊＊＊
Winner of Akita International University President’s Award, in the English section of the 5th Japan-Russia Haiku Contest, 2016
嵐過ぎ家を失う落葉かな
Five English Haiku
Tug of war –
The haul versus
Net-pulling fishermen.
綱引きや網引く漁師戦ひに
fire safety –
all the cake candles i
intend to blow
火の用心ケーキの蝋燭消すつもり
counting days
to a thanksgiving feast:
pumpkin pie
指を折る感謝祭まで後いくつ宴の目玉パンプキンパイ
Bamboo flute,
The cicada adds its voice
To the melody of spring.
春の曲竹のフルート蝉の声
Ballet snow –
coolness draws bench lovers
even closer
バレエ雪恋人同士より近く
Note: Short Japanese 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 translated them literally into ten Japanese short poems first of all.
As a result, the interpretative Japanese poems of 5, 7, 5 pattern are added to the English haiku as above. Some of them might be haiku（俳句）, and others senryū（川柳).
Surprisingly, two of the English haiku were interpreted 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 