Haiku beyond Earth「天上俳句会」Haiku by Mark Hage

Haiku by Mark Hage (USA)

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This is forever –

A soccer pitch, boys running

The wind at their back

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サッカーは永遠なりやグランドで少年走り背中には風

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HAIKU to Akita’s “Haiku Beyond Earth”

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Young lovers strolling

Her hand opens, he takes it…

Their stride unbroken

散歩する若き恋人手を広げ彼は握って歩調は続く

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I count the dark hours

The old tower clock chiming –

Suddenly, bird song

古き塔鳴り出す時計暗闇に数える時間囀り聞こゆ

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Silence and embers…

Wind knocking at a window

Our cat at the door

静寂に燃える残り火幽かなり窓に風音玄関に猫

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This is forever –

A soccer pitch, boys running

The wind at their back

サッカーは永遠なりやグランドで少年走り背中には風

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Last week’s bold bouquet…

Petals pooling on the floor

A crack in the vase

先週の奇抜なブーケ書き留める床に花びら花瓶にはひび

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A Jewish Pharaoh

The well of mercy bombed

Gazans drink the sea

慈悲の井戸ユダヤのファラオ爆撃すガザの人々海水を飲む

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The last sprigs of thyme

Cradled in calloused hands

Autumn leaves in flame

最後なるタイムの小枝硬き手にしかと抱かれ炎の秋葉

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Note: Short Japanese Poetry of 17 phonetic Units of 5, 7, 5 Pattern

Inspired by seven English haiku by Mark Hage, Hidenori Hiruta translated them literally into seven Japanese short poems first of all.

Surprisingly, all 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. 

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Message:

Dear friends:

My name is Mark Hage, and I live in Montpelier, Vermont (USA). 

I am 68 years old, a former teacher of the humanities. For the past 30 years I have worked as a union advocate with the Vermont-National Education Association. 

I’m married with two grown children. This haiku submission is dedicated to the suffering children of Gaza.

Thank you.