Five English Haiku
(1)
gigantic tree
a leaf falls from
morn till eve
巨大な木
朝から晩まで葉が落ちる
(2)
a gust of wind
the camel’s footsteps
become invisible
突風
ラクダの足音
姿が見えなくなる
(3)
long life
man’s pursuit
lifelong
First published by Haiku Foundation
長寿
人間の追求
生涯
(4)
sex equality
making women’s room
bigger than men’s
First published by Haiku Foundation
男女平等
女性用トイレを
男性用より大きくすること
(5)
new generation
I’m indistinguishable
from a human
新世代
人間と見分けがつかない
Two Japanese Haiga/Haiku
はなよめやてにもつはこをあけるとき
五月雨や葉たえず揺れる風なしで
Two Chinese Haiku
山泉本悠闲
何必奔泻山下去
人间添波澜
the spring water
is originally calm and
peaceful up there, then why
should you cascade down
the mountains, sending
ripples through the
human world?
This haiku is inspired by a poem written by Bai Juyi, a Chinese poet of Tang Dynasty.
あの高みにある湧き水は
本来は静かで穏やかなもの
それなのに
なぜ山を駆け下り
人の世に波紋を広げるのか
雾锁洞庭湖
往日孤峰水上浮
如今觅无踪
when
Dongting Lake
is shrouded in fog
the lonely hill, which
used to float upon
the water, I now
fail to locate
The second line of this haiku is inspired by a poem written by Zhang Yue, a Chinese poet of Tang Dynasty.
洞庭湖が
霧に包まれると
かつて水面に浮かんでいた
あの寂しげな丘の所在が
わからなくなる
－Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta
Chen Xiaoou’s Brief Bio
Chen Xiaoou is a haiku lover and poet living in Kunming, China. His haiku poems appeared over 320 times on international journals, including USA’s Haiku Foundation, UK’s Japan Society, Australia’s Haiku Xpressions and Japan’s Asahi Shimbun. Four of Xiaoou’s poems were selected as The Haiku of the Week on Japan Society. Most importantly, he feels proud that he has had the opportunities of sharing his English haiku, Chinese Haiku and simple Japanese haiga with haiku lovers 57 times on Akita International Haiku Network, totally over 600 pieces.
Xiaoou is the only haiku poet from China who writes for Akita International Haiku Network, Australian Haiku Society and Canada’s Daily Haiga ever since the establishment of these organizations.
Moreover Xiaoou has given 15 lectures on haiku, three of which were at universities in his city. In his lectures he provided an introduction to the history of haiku and shared his experience of writing this short verse. These offered his friends and the audience a chance to encounter and help them understand the charm of the art of haiku which originated in Japan and has spread to most parts of the world.
Chen Xiaoou is a member of World Haiku Association, which is headquartered in Japan.
