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)
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Dedication
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My pleasure for your leisure –
It’s for you, Africa –
Celebrate!
26.
a pause
in my dream
mosquito bite
蚊に刺され一時停止の夢となる
27.
a leaf falls
into its shadow
onto itself
一枚の影に落ちる葉影消える
28.
harmattan winds …
crossing the border
with leaves
葉と共に国境越えるハーマタン
29.
just a moment –
distant lightning connects
sky and earth
一瞬や天地を結ぶ稲光
30.
distant thunder
the peal of one valley
transferred to the next
遠雷や谷から谷へ移り行く
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
嵐過ぎ家を失ふ落葉かな
***
Five English Haiku
Spring sky –
The popcorn is bouncing
Against the ceiling of the lid
春の空目掛けて弾むポップコーン
Heatwave,
A cold bottled beer
Sweating
熱波浴び冷たきビール汗まみれ
Don’t fly, little crow
The sun is up above, there,
Roasting the sky.
子烏よ飛ぶのはおよし空の上とても熱くて焼かれて終ふ
After the flame,
The embers glow like autumn leaves,
Yearning to rise again.
残り火や紅葉のごと燃え上がる
Long afternoon
A mango hangs
on a ripe sun
長き午後マンゴー懸かる熟日に
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 