Adjei Agyei-Baah (1977-2023)
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leafless tree –
lifting a cup of nest
into the sky
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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
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English Haiku from Adjei’s haiku collection Afriku (2016)
Dedication
My pleasure for your leisure –
It’s for you, Africa –
Celebrate!
21.
country windmill
slowly blending breeze
and sunlight
そよ風と光を混ぜる風車かな
22.
village night out
the lamps of fireflies
everywhere
村の夜蛍のランプ一面に
23.
evening lull
smoke curling up
from an easy chair
暮れの凪安楽椅子の煙かな
24.
morning moon –
the lateness of the sun
in shifting
明けの月遅き太陽入れ替はる
25.
Father’s Day
all he asks for is
a pipe and easy chair
父の日にパイプと椅子を求めけり
Turkson Adu Darkwa (Ghana)
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after the storm
the homelessness
of fallen leaves
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Winner of Akita International University President’s Award, in the English section of the 5th Japan-Russia Haiku Contest, 2016
嵐過ぎ家を失ふ落葉かな
Five English Haiku
The aroma of pancakes
ascending the hills –
wolf sniffs the full moon
丘の上パンケーキの香上りくる狼は嗅ぐ満月の香を
A new day –
Trees stretch their boughs
For comfort
快適さ新しき日に枝伸ばす
My son
in my shadow
threading my footsteps
我が影の踏み跡を縫ふ息子かな
Loneliness –
Just the waning moon hangs
On the leafless tree
孤独さや枯木に掛かる欠ける月
Meteor shower –
The hoot of an owl seeps
Through my leaky roof
流星雨梟の声我が屋根に
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, one of the English haiku was 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 