On August 1, 1689, Basho visited Kisakata （象潟）, Akita Prefecture （秋田県）, Northern Honshu, on his journey.
Basho wrote about Kisakata in his travel diary The Narrow Road to Oku, 『おくのほそ道 (Oku no Hosomichi 』 as follows:
江山水陸の風光数を尽くして、今象潟に方寸を責。酒田の湊より東北の方、山を越、磯を伝ひ、いさごをふみて其際十里、日影やゝかたぶく比、汐風真砂を吹上、雨朦朧として鳥海の山かくる。闇中に莫作して「雨も又奇也」 とせば、雨後の晴色又頼母敷と、あまの苫屋に膝をいれて、雨の晴を待。其朝天能霽れて、朝日花やかにさし出る程に、象潟に舟をうかぶ。
先能因島に舟をよせて、三年幽居の跡をとぶらひ、むかふの岸に舟をあがれば、「花の上こぐ」とよまれし桜の老木、西行法師の記念をのこす。
Here is a painting of Kisakata in those days.
Photo courtesy; as per original copyright at:
http://www.touhoku.com/0a-03-kisakata.htm
Donald Keene translated this section into English as follows:
After having seen so many splendid views of both land and sea, I could think of nothing now but Kisakata. We journeyed to the northeast from the port of Sakata, climbing over hills, following along the shore, plodding through the sand, a distance of about twenty miles in all. As the sun was sinking in the sky a breeze from the sea stirred up the sand, and a misty rain started to fall, obscuring Chokai Mountain. We groped ahead in the darkness. I felt sure that if Kisakata was exquisite in the rain, it would prove no less wonderful when it cleared. We squeezed into a fisherman’s thatch-covered hut and waited for the rain to stop.
The next morning the weather cleared beautifully. When the morning sun rose in all its splendor, we took a boat out on the lagoon of Kisakata. We put in first at Noin Island, where we visited the remains of the hut in which Noin lived in seclusion for three years. On the opposite shore, when we landed from our boat, we saw the old cherry tree that stands as a memento of Saigyo.
In fact, there were 99 small islands and 88 lagoons in Kisakata in those days and the people enjoyed beautiful sceneries or fishing by boat around the islands.
However, on July 10, 1804, a big earthquake occurred in Kisakata about 105 years after Basho’s visit there. The earthquake caused upheaval of ground by 2.4 meters. As a result, the lagoons were changed into dry land.
Now most of those lagoons have turned into rice fields or residential areas, but there are the remains of those days left there.
You can see such remains as the Noin Island, the boat-tying stone, or small islands in the article Basho’s Stay in Kisakata (1) at the site : http://akitahaiku.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/
Here is a photo of present-day Kisakata, 200 years after the earthquake, which was exhibited at Kisakata Local Museum in Nikaho-city, in June , 2004.（にかほ市象潟郷土資料館企画展２００４年６月）.
As posted already above, Donald Keene, the ex- member of the President’s Advisory Board at Akita International University(AIU)（国際教養大学）, kindly contributed part of his English translation for Matsuo Basho’s travel diary The Narrow Road to Oku, 『おくのほそ道 (Oku no Hosomichi 』 to our network.
This is because AIU President Mineo Nakajima (中嶋嶺雄) asked Donald Keene for his permission for us to use part of his translation.
Kirby Record, a professor at AIU, teaching as director of English for Academic Purposes, also contributed his haiku to us.
Haiku by K. Record
On the Earthquake
Villages of rubble 瓦礫の村々
Everything washed away 何もかも流される
But the still-blue sky しかし静かで青い空
Clutched in the hand 手でしっかりとつかんでいる
Of a child, floating face down—
子供の手に、顔を下にして浮かんでいる―
Her favorite doll 彼女の大好きな人形
Yukari Sakamoto （阪本縁）, a graduate from AIU, wrote haiku on the earthquake.
なごり雪大地が動き沈黙す
Unseasonable snow
In silence
While the earth quakes
水仙が顔を差し出すがれきの山
Blooming daffodils
Alongside
A heap of debris
Susan Smela, who studied at AIU in 2010, is now a student at Beloit College in Wisconsin, USA.
On March 25, 2011, Susan sent me an e-mail , saying that they all heard about the huge earthquake in America, and many of them are raising money to help Japan.
Susan also said that she introduced haiga in America, and that she was able to hold a haiga meeting with students from her university (Beloit College in Wisconsin) and teach some basics of haiga and haiku.
It was a great time and the copies she made from my book really helped illustrate what she was talking about. They did some practices, then went in a circle, with 3 people writing one line of a haiku and the 4th person drawing a haiga-style picture.
Here are some photos Susan’s friend took from the meeting.
Yasushi Sato （佐藤康）, a member of Akita International Haiku Network, contributed his haiku to us.
大地震に無慈悲の限り春の雪
spring snow
mercilessly falling on
earthquake-devastated towns
大津波言葉空しく春寒し
so devastating tsunami
any words powerless
spring relentlessly cold
Junko Masuda （桝田純子）, a member of Akita International Haiku Network, contributed her haiku to us too.
復興の未来信じて花ひらく
sakura sakura bloom
believing in the future
Tohoku region
Last of all, let me post my haiku.
舟止めは夢のまた夢ねぶの花
tying a boat
i cannot even dream
mimosa blossoms
The next posting ‘Haiku about the Great East Japan Earthquake (4)’ appears on May 21.
― Hidenori Hiruta
The Akita Association of English Studies (AAES)（秋田英語英文学会）, was established in 1954 at Akita University（秋田大学） in Northern Honshu, Japan, aimed at promoting deeper understanding and further studies on the cultural backgrounds of English as the international language, and at providing chances to share and exchange information and ideas on English and English education for the members who are interested in these fields.
AAES President, professor Akira Murakami at Akita University（秋田大学教授村上東会長）, gave a symposium titled “俳句 and Haiku : The short forms of literature and English Education”, on November 27, 2010, at Akita University.
The participants also enjoyed writing haiku in English and selected their favorite haiku each other. The prizes were awarded for the two best haiku.
Here I refer to the points taken up in the symposium, and post haiku written by some of the participants there.
First of all, here is a notice about the symposium in Japanese.
As the notice shows, Professor Emma TAMAIANU-MORITA, Ph.D. at Akita University gave a lecture, whose title is “Why ‘Less’ is Not ‘More’ in Foreign Language Teaching: Some Reflections from a Linguist’s Perspective.”
Secondly, I report the main points taken up by three presenters in the symposium.
1 Haiku in English
a) Differences between haiku in Japanese and in English
b) “17 syllables” question
c) Seasonal words (kigo 季語)
d) International Haiku （国際俳句）
and
Professor David McMurray at the International University of Kagoshima
（マクマレイ・デビッド鹿児島国際大学教授）
2 Haiku in English education
a) The Haiku in the school textbook ‘Sunshine’
by Emeritus professor Minoru Kono at Akita University
（幸野稔秋田大学名誉教授）
b) Haiku and haiga by junior high school students in Akita
c) Haiku by senior high school students in Akita
d) Haiku by students at Akita International University (AIU)（国際教養大学）
3 Haiku contests
a) Earthday Haiku Contest
b) AIU Haiku Contest
4 Haiku ― its future in English education
Viewpoints by Dr. Akito Arima, President of Haiku International
Association（有馬朗人国際俳句交流協会会長）
Last of all, I post haiku written by some of the participants after the symposium.
Hidenori Hiruta 蛭田 秀法
Old bookworm
ponders between lines… 雪国や行間に住む本の虫
snow country
(prize-winning from Akita International Haiku Network)
Yasushi Sato 佐藤 康
With shorter days
Moslems hurriedly walking 短日や祈りに急ぐ回教徒
to go to pray
(prize-winning from Akita Association of English Studies)
Neko Murakami 村上 猫
A sunny day nap
Bombardment of ginkgo nuts 銀杏の音に目覚める猫の夢
Wakes up the kitty
Minoru Kono 幸野 稔
Indian summer –
A one-year old boy 小春日や小(ち)さき手を振る一歳児
Waving to me.
Peter Hook (Anonymous) ピーター・フック（匿名）
Autumn rain
The roof of the on-sen 空覗く温泉の屋根秋の雨
Open to the sky
Anonymous 作者不明
[今朝、小春日和の中、バラの木を見て]
Sleek on the stems
Thorns of roses バラのとげ健(けな)げに小春陽(ひ)を映す
In the hazy sunlight
Seisaku Chiba 千葉 星作
how soon by blizzards
Akita will be blanketed あきたんぼ[秋田んぼ]
stay tuned! ふぶきの毛布ぐぐと来い！
Happy Sun
A peninsula
Set off a skyrocket
One’s love for one’s Country
Masanori Watanabe （渡邉政徳）
Practicing an interview
A student tells her dream
Glowing with hope
Anonymous
Sarah, My Dog
You Bring Me the
Joy of Living
“Banana Man” Peter Hook
Spring wind –
Kids on bikes
Scattering laughter
Anonymous 作者不明
Thin ice
Cleaning Japanese radishes 薄氷大根洗う木漏れ日に
Sunlight through the trees
Lazy Cat MURAKAMI
Nowhere to lay eggs
Two dragonflies disappear 赤とんぼ稲なき田より飛び去りぬ
Paddies without rice
Junko Masuda 桝田 純子
Winter sun beam
has come into the shrine 幸せを祈る本堂冬日さす
praying happiness
Katsuhiro Adachi 安達 勝裕
Since then
I’ve never cured あの時から癒えぬままの私の心
My mind
T. NIMURE 二牟礼 勉
A hurried man
through colored leaves 帰路急ぐ紅葉の中陽を浴びて
in the sun
Yoshiyuki Sugawara 菅原 芳行
The partner in the crime
happened to close the door; 共犯者ドアを閉めたら逃げられず
locked in the room.
Anonymous 作者不明
My love fall
has run away まちわびた秋足早にすぎさりて
so fast
Ayako Watanabe（渡部アヤ子）
Happy four-leaf clover
Shines in my hands
With gratitude to Prof. Saibyo
Ueno Murakami
“Fly”
Bat away your fear,
Your anxiety playground,
On dragonflies wings.
Miyake Yoshimi
Stopt driving
On the way to lunch
Red burning Taiheizan
Anonymous
Secrets heard
From your eyes, deep inside
Obsessed by memories
Anonymous
Shining Star
Light in the black
Comes to heart
Anonymous
The king of drink
superb and sparkling
splendid juice
Anonymous
Fallen leaves
Here, there, and everywhere
Under a clear sky
Anonymous
How powerful
A new –born grandson
could curve the disease
It is rare to write haiku in a symposium, but the participants at the symposium found it very interesting and exciting to write and share haiku with each other, and to exchange comments among them.
In my opinion, writing haiku is helpful to express ourselves and to learn how and what to express, and at last makes it easier for us to speak in communicative situations in our daily lives too.
Haiku could be a good topic in our conversation, about which we easily talk with each other.
In other words, haiku could help us gain a better mutual understanding beyond the gaps of cultures.
We sincerely hope that you will get more interested in writing haiku, and that you will contribute your haiku to our network.
The next posting ‘Haiku by Seisaku Chiba in Japan’ appears on January 22.
― Hidenori Hiruta
On the third day, we refer to the first experiences the moon rabbit had.
What a wonderful experience it is to see the first sunrise of the New Year!
Secondly, the rabbits enjoy the poetry recitation, sharing international haiku with each other.
Claire Gardien (France) クレイア・ガーディアン（フランス）
two thousand eleven ２０１１年
beginning to count the days 日のカウントが始まる
of the rabbit year 兎年の
icycles circle つららが取り囲む
the mahonnia’s ひいらぎなんてんの
green leaves 緑の葉
and, そして、
“crimson crystallised rosehips” 深紅色の結晶のバラの実を
Taro Kunugi (Japan) 功刀太郎 （日本）
like pellets
sparrows blown across orchards 木枯らしやゴミのごと雀飛ばされて
wintry gust
mountains
hastily brushed white 初雪はひと刷け白し山々を
the first snow
Rona Laban (USA) ロナ・ラバン（アメリカ）
Life is a journey 人生は旅
old cat sleeping on futon 老猫が布団の上で眠っている
road in the distance 道遠し
Fall 秋
smoke rising above 煙が立ちのぼっている
red leaves falling to the ground 赤い葉が地面に落ちる
black dog by my side 私のそばには黒い犬
Patricia Lidia (Romania) パトリシア・リデア（ルーマニア）
fairytales おとぎ話を聞く
in front of the stove - ストーブの前で
childhood memories 子供の頃の思い出
on a rabbit’s back 兎の背に乗って
hopping in New Year - 新年に跳んでいる
new resolutions 新しい抱負が
Chen-ou Liu (Canada) 劉鎮歐（カナダ）
New Year’s Eve
a white rabbit falls 大晦日夢にあらはる白兎
into my dream
(Note: 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit, which is said to be fortunate)
注：２０１１年は兎年で、幸運であると言われている。
New Year’s morning
standing before the mirror 元旦の鏡に映るは我なりや
it’s me, and yet …
Wayne Malcolm (USA) ウエイン・マルコム（アメリカ）
”Hooves” 足音
Hallowed Christmas Eve 聖なるクリスマスイブ
Rumbling sound of shoppers’ hooves 買い物客の騒音
Or, St. Nick’s reindeer それとも、聖ニコラスのトナカイの音か
“On the Job with St. Nick” 聖ニコラスと一緒の仕事で
Jolly jovial, 陽気な、陽気な、そんな魂が
Plumb soul brings bags of presents プレゼントの袋を持ってくる
Leave milk and cookies ミルクとクッキーを置いて行く
“The Hope” 希望
I am dreaming of 純白なクリスマスを夢見ている
Christmas white and pure for ALL 全ての人のための
Peace amongst US all 私たち全ての人のために平和を
Junko Masuda (Japan) 桝田純子 (日本)
one more dream
getting bigger またひとつ夢ふくらんで年明ける
new year’s day
pray for God
best friend’s miracle 神様に友の奇跡を祈る元旦(あさ)
of recovery
Helen McCarthy (UK) ヘレン・マカーシイ（イギリス）
In this quiet glade リスが遊び、鳥が囀るこの静かな林間の
Where squirrels play and birds sing 空き地では
The year does not end 年は明けない
We mark an ending: 終わりを印す
Pine cones fall on snow, plum trees 松かさが雪に落ち
Prepare to blossom 梅の花が咲く準備をしている
John McDonald (UK) ジョン・マクドナルド（イギリス）
auld feres lavein -
snaw faws
fouin thair fitprents
old friends leaving -
snow falls 旧友のゆく足跡に雪が降る
filling their footprints
auld monk
tentie o the veesitors -
wund yerks’s baird
old monk
watching the visitors - 客を見る老僧のひげ風が引く
wind tugs his beard
Maya Melivyanti マヤ・メリヴァヤンティ
(Indonesia) （インドネシア）
Spring in December １２月の春
A year has passed by 年の暮れ
the flowers bloom in your eyes あなたの目に花が咲く
spring in December １２月の春
New Year 新年
the wind still dancing 風がまだ舞っている
a glimpse of you in my mind 心の中にあなたがちらっと浮かぶ
when the rain will stop? 雨がやむのはいつかしら
a morning prayer
The still of mind in silent 朝祈る心静かに年明ける
a new year has come
Emiko Miyashita (Japan) 宮下惠美子 (日本)
the first page
of my diary 初日記すでに土曜でありにけり
already Saturday
from deep inside
my down-filled pillow 羽毛枕すつぽりかぶり初鴉
the first caw
Vasile Moldovan (Romania) ヴァシル・モルドヴァン（ルーマニア）
First dream of the year:
to melt I myself in your arms 初夢や雪片のごと腕の中
just like a snowflake
First shadows
on the way home-
New Year full moon
新年の満月を見る初の影
Cristina-Monica Moldoveanu クリスティナ・Ｍ・モルドヴィーヌ
（Romania） （ルーマニア）
New Year’s snow -
last night’s cinders 新年の雪昨夜の灰暖炉を満たす
fill the fireplace
day breaking -
another globe fell 黎明やクリスマスツリーから別世界
from the Christmas tree
Christmas alone - クリスマス
the old man wears shoes 老人が靴を履く
with new laces 新しいひもをつけて
The next posting ‘International Haiku New Year’s Festival (Part 4)’ appears on January 4.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Haiku by Students at AIU (7)
2010/12/11
In the posting this time, I take up AIU Festival 2010 held on October 10-11 at Akita International University（国際教養大学）and the haiku presentation by students at the AIU class of Japanese literature.
AIU Festival 2010 (Part 3)
The theme is shown in the following photos:
Here is a photo of those who enjoyed the festival.
Our network participated in the festival with the title:俳句とHAIKU （INTERNATIONAL HAIKU）.
We exhibited haiku poems and haiga paintings contributed to our website by AIU professors, students, and other haiku poets worldwide. We also gave live art of haiga painting and poetry recitation.
During the festival, we enjoyed haiku, haiga painting, and recitations with students, teachers and visitors.
Minoru KONO（幸野稔）, a tanka poet, gave a tanka recitation for audiences.
Masuda Junko （桝田純子）, a haiku poet, gave a haiku recitation too
Haiku Presentaion (Part 3)
Professor Alexander Dolin teaches Japanese Literature and Civilization Studies at AIU. He also writes haiku.
Recently Professor Alexander Dolin took up haiku in his class of Japanese Literature, where I participated in the haiku presentation by students as a referee on November 15.
His students kindly contributed their haiku to our netwotk, which I post in the website, dividing them into three parts.
Gaku Kanno （管野岳）
缶コーヒー広がる湯気と白い息
Kan kouhei hirogaru yuge to shiroi iki
A can of coffee
steam, and white breath
spreading
紅葉狩落ち葉の絨毯踏みしめて
Momijigari ochiba no juutan fumishimete
Hike in autumn colors
stepping on the carpet
fallen leaves
古き良き古典片手に秋の夜
Furuki yoki koten katate ni aki no yoru
Autumn night
passing with good classics in
my left hand
秋告げた赤黄の木の葉枯れ落ちて
Aki tsugeta akagi no konoha kare ochite
Red and yellow leaves
tell the coming of fall
already gone
最期まで立派に騒げ秋の蝿
Saigo made rippa ni sawage aki no hae
Till the end
make a lot of noise ―
the fall fly
Christine Omiya
Losing its white form
and with the sun’s radiance
snow melts into spring
白き雪日の輝きに春と化す
Shiroki yuki hi no kagayaki ni haru to kasu
From the freezing trees
fall leaves glide down to the ground
chilled by the strong winds
凍てし木々秋の葉滑る風の中
Iteshi kigi aki no ha suberu kaze no naka
A new moon tonight
to illuminate the dark
Are the city’s lights
新月の暗やみ照らす街の灯や
Shingetsu no kurayami terasu machi no hi ya
His body shivers
he cannot win against it
war with the cold night
身の震え夜の寒さと戦えり
Mino furue yoru no samusa to tatakaeri
Fresh rain of spring falls
thirsty flowers soak it up
dropped by passing clouds
雲降らす春の雨かな花ひたる
Kumo furasu haru no ame kana hana hitaru
Jae Kim
In the morning
the sight of taxis and business people bustling
near Shinjuku Station
せわしさや新宿駅の朝景色
Sewashisa ya Shinjuku eki no asageshiki
A winter night
a pillar of smoke
rising from the quiet campsite
冬の夜キャンプサイトの煙草かな
Fuyu no yoru kyanpusaito no tabako kana
Hassled by the dead line
the salary man
drank one shot after another
締め切りやサラリーマンの一気飲み
Shimekiri ya sarari-man no ikki nomi
The furious boss
dictatorially
stands above frightened employees
独裁や恐れる社員ボスに伏す
Dokusai ya osoreru shain bosu ni fusu
A drunken student
on a bench
in the park
花見酒ベンチの上の学徒かな
Hanami zake benchi no ue no gakuto kana
Herel, I refer to one of ideas of what haiku is.
Claire Gardien, a French poet, gave us his idea through exchanged mails.
Claire Gardienさん 9月25日 8:15 報告
Hello Hidenori,
Could-you tell me, please, why “haiku” is called “hai” (ku) ?
If “hai”, means “crazy” as I think it does, why “hai” or why “crazy” ?
I (personnally) don’t see haiku as something crazy !
Or, does-that mean “humour” (as, past times haikins had humour)?
Thank you to tell me if you don’t mind about it.
I don’t come often on Fb, that’s why I rarely comment photos…
Thanks anyway,
Claire
Hidenori Hirutaさん 9月25日 20:30
Hello, Claire, this is a very good question.
First of all, according to the dictionary of Chinese characters (explained in Japanese), “hai” has three meanings. One of them means “clowns”, afterwards “actors”. The second one means “fun” , or “joke”. The third one means “to wander”, or “to walk right, and sometimes walk left”.
Secondly, “haiku” comes from “haikai, or comic in English” , which was a popular style of Japanese verse originating in the sixteenth century.
As opposed to the aristocratic “renga”, “haikai” was known as the “low style” linked verse intended for the commoner, the traveler, and those who lived a more frugal lifestyle.
Last of all, I would like to refer to “haiku” some day.
Best regards,
Hidenori
Claire Gardienさん 9月30日 11:01 報告
Hello Hidenori,
And, thank you for your nice/ interesting answer.
I can’t help viewing Bashô’s “hai” smile when reading what you wrote ! This “hai” seems to be the correct, good adjective to qualify these sixteenth century’s poets meetings after some lapse of time ; was-it a good way to celebrate some new meeting than to write linked verse together ? It seems so… Anyway, humour is the top word qualyfing “haikai”… “renku”.
Thank you to tell me too, that “haikai” means “renku”. I thought it only meant (or, was an older form) of “haiku”.
I was wondering to; what was the diference between “renga” and “renku”. So, thank you, I can imagine better now.
Can you (and other Japanese people involved in the haiku genre), have that humour spirit they seemed having (although not always writing comic things… The death poems, for instance ? Or, even, when Bashô says that the carps are crying at the end of spring in “te Narrow Road to the North”. This is quite an other world, nowadays.
Here, the sixteenth century was Ronsard and the Rose. It was Montesquieu’s horse travels too, and especially abroad ; his lessons on how to be a good traveller and visiter abroad (particularly interesting when comparing to some narrow to-day’s points of view.
Well, if you have any questions on here, literature, poetry, please ask !
Best regards (and a nice dry autumn),
(“First snow on Mount Fuji”, that was a kigo on Gabi Greve’s pages!
It’ dry, here, but light is declining now.
long summer evenings
when crickets song ang bats fly
(the) butterfly’s last dance…
Claire
Last of all,
In celebration of the coming of the New Year 2011, we hold International Haiku New Year Festival 2011 .
This festival is aimed at welcoming the New Year 2011, reciting haiku.
Let’s share haiku! Let’s recite haiku!
・What is it?
It is an online festival designed to give our readers an opportunity to share the Japanese short forms of poetry with each other, and enjoy writing, reading, and reciting haiku.
・When is it?
We are happy to announce that the Festival with run from January 1st – 3rd 2011.
・Where is it?
On the website of Akita International Haiku Network
・How do I get involved?
Please give us a comment on this site, saying that I would like to send two haiku.
Please send the comment by December 23.
You will receive an e-mail from Hidenori Hiruta with his e-mail address.
We sincerely hope that you will enjoy our online festival on the Internet.
The next posting ‘Haiku by Tad Wojnicki (2)’ appears on Decembber 18.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Haiku by Students at AIU (Part 6)
2010/12/04
In the posting this time, I take up AIU Festival 2010 held on October 10-11 at Akita International University（国際教養大学）and the haiku presentation by students at the AIU class of Japanese literature.
AIU Festival 2010 (Part 2)
The theme is shown in the following photos:
Here is a photo of those who enjoyed the festival.
Our network participated in the festival with the title:俳句とHAIKU （INTERNATIONAL HAIKU）.
We exhibited haiku poems and haiga paintings contributed to our website by AIU professors, students, and other haiku poets worldwide. We also gave live art of haiga painting and poetry recitation.
During the festival, we enjoyed haiku, haiga painting, and recitations with students, teachers and visitors.
Masuda Junko （桝田純子）, a haiku poet, gave a haiku recitation for audiences.
She also presented us with her travelogue on 2010 Bath Japanese Festival, in which she participated with her daughter Aika (愛佳) in May and they enjoyed home stay with Alan Summers, founder / tutor With Words (www.withwords.org.uk).
Here is a photo of audiences who enjoyed Junko’s presentation.
Haiku Presentaion (Part 2)
Professor Alexander Dolin teaches Japanese Literature and Civilization Studies at AIU. He also writes haiku.
Recently Professor Alexander Dolin took up haiku in his class of Japanese Literature, where I participated in the haiku presentation by students as a referee on November 15.
His students kindly contributed their haiku to our netwotk, which I post in the website, dividing them into three parts.
Shugo Takahashi （高橋宗吾）
教養大,季節の変わり目人の別れ
Kyouyoudai kisetsu no kawarime hito no wakare
AIU(Akita International University),
the term when season changes
the term when my friends leave
夏祭り花火見上げて友と飲む
Natsumatsuri hanabi miagete tomo to nomu
Summer festival
drinking with my friends
as looking up fireworks
秋の山緑の葉から衣がえ
Aki no yama midori no ha kara koromogae
A mountain in fall
has taken on a fresh new color cloth
from green leaves
年賀状２ケ月後れで送る友
Nengajou nikagetsu okure de okuru tomo
New years card
which arrived
two months later
夏休み久々に見る友の顔
Natsuyasumi hisabisa ni miru tomo no kao
In summer vacation,
seeing faces of my friends
which I haven’t seen for long.
紅葉踏む音に聞こえる森の声
Momiji fumu oto ni kikoeru mori no koe
The voice of forest
which I hear from
ｔhe sound of stepping on fallen leaves.
Emily Eisemann
The month’s at its end
look, all the stones lie silent
as I tread on bones.
月終わる石皆黙し骨を踏む
Tsuki owaru ishi mina mokushi hone wo fumu
It turns toward Spring
the sakura are blooming
there, smell something sweet
陽春や香り漂う桜花
Youshun ya kaori tadayou sakurabana
Morning is coming
the waves are silver
pounding on the sand
朝あけや波白銀に砂を打つ
Asaake ya nami shirogane ni suna wo utsu
Birds by the window
never stopping, all night
cannnot, cannnot sleep
よもすがら鳥窓で鳴き我起こす
Yomosugara tori mado de naki ware okosu
Fields stretch to the sky
waves of brown, rice in the wind
to the horizon
茶の波の地平に伸びる稲田かな
Cha no nami no chihei ni nobiru inada kana
Leonard V. David
Crows make their descent
on white sheets covering rooftops
I see its glory
輝きや屋根の白布にカラス降る
Kagayaki ya yane no hakufu ni karasu oru
Perched on a tree branch
under the bright, blue sky dome
the skylark sings
ドーム下えだで囀るヒバリかな
Doumu shita eda de saezuru hibari kana
On orange pathways
I walk with great confusion
Where are the pink trees?
オレンジの小道を歩き狼狽すピンクの木々はどこへ消えるや
Orennji no komichi wo aruki roubaisu pinku no kigi wa dokoe kieru ya
Tonight you shall rest
return to your dwelling place
‘til we meet again
また会おう今宵は休み家々で
Mata aou koyoi wa yasumi ieie de
Winds tossing the waves
green buds sprouting everywhere
what magic I see
風吹きて波を上げたり緑の芽四方に芽ばゆ魔術なりけり
Kaze fukite nami wo agetari midori no me shihou ni mebayu majutsu nari keri
Last of all, I refer to the “17 syllables” question.
You can read two English haiku below, which appeared in the blog Haiku Habits (http://haikuhabits.com/).
Snow floats
in puffs to the silent
soft white floor.
see the snowflakes fall
they are white and beautiful
with all the designs
The first haiku is made up of 2-6-3 syllable format.
The second is made up of 5-7-5 syllable format.
- The comment was given as follows:
Ang3lina
February 7, 2010 at 3:56 pm
I hope dat u people know that a haiku should have 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second line, and 5 in the third.
- I answered the comment above as follows:
Hiruta
February 8, 2010 at 12:32 am
Many years ago I started English haiku by the 5-7-5 format.
At Mt. Tsukuba
burnishing study, ideas and thoughts
as chestnuts ripen
But some years after, I found it’s better to write haiku in English by the format 3-5-3.
This is more similar to Japanese haiku.
For example, 「少年や」is counted as 5 moras (sho-u-ne-n-ya) in Japanese and makes one phrase of the Japanese haiku.
In this English translation, it is ‘A boy ― ‘, and is counted as 3 syllables.
In this case, ‘A boy over there’ makes one line in the 5-7-5 format in English haiku, but it gives birth to quite a different image from ‘A boy ― ‘ .
This is because there is quite a difference between the two languages of Japanese and English.
Since then I’ve been trying to write haiku in English by the format of 3-5-3.
But sometimes it doesn’t go perfectly because the word used for each line is made up of varieties of syllables.
Now I think haiku is the shortest form of poetry, which is composed of three short lines.
The most important point is what we want to express by this short form.
Maybe this idea leads to the shortest form of poetry, which is composed of any free short three lines.
Please enjoy writing and reading haiku.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Hidenori Hiruta
・ Ken Wagner gave me the following comment:
Ken Wagner
Thanks for your insight, Hidenori.
I get the “17 syllables” question quite often, and it is both helpful – and interesting – to get another perspective on the issue.
I added links to your two sites on the Haiku Habits “Haiku on the Web” page.
Cheers.
The next posting ‘Haiku by Students at AIU (Part 7) appears on December 11.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Haiku about New Year (2010) (Part 2)
2010/01/16
Haiku poets celebrated the New Year by writing haiku, painting haiga, or taking pictures, and so on.
Masuda Aika（桝田愛佳）painted haiga to celebrate the Year of the Tiger in Akita, Japan.
Masuda Junko（桝田純子）, Aika’s mother, wrote haiku for her sister, who is expecting a baby 13 years after her marriage.
on tiger’s back
miracle baby coming
to my sister
寅の背にのって夢の子やってくる
Tora no se ni notte yume no ko yatte kuru
Roberta Beary wrote haiku at her family reunion in Washington, DC, USA.
new year’s visit
3 generations greet me
with the same smile
新年や微笑み同じ三世代
Shin nen ya hohoemi onaji san sedai
Emiko Miyashita（宮下惠美子） wrote haiku at her mother’s family reunion in Fukushima, Japan.
New Year’s morning―
mother’s kitchen crowded
with sisters- in-law
あらたまの母の厨の混みあへり
Aratama no haha no kuriya no komiae ri
Fay Aoyagi（青柳飛）wrote haiku in celebration of the 1st anniversary of the birth of ‘Today’s Haiku’ in her blog ‘Blue Willow Haiku World’ in San Francisco, CA, USA.
She has been introducing many haiku as possible, translating them into English for non-Japanese readers.
Basho’s Deep North
my footsteps zigzag
on the first snow
陸奥（みちのく）の初雪を踏むジグザグと
Michinoku no hatsuyuki wo fumu jiguzagu to
Yousei Hime wrote haiku in a challenging way on New Year’s Day in Michigan, USA.
she tracks lean oxen
with passionate roar, springs―hunts
for a better year
痩牛を勇躍求め良い年に
Sougyu wo yuyaku motome yoi toshi ni
Gabi Greve took pictures and wrote haiku in Okayama,Japan.
like Buddha Amida
coming over the mountains ―
First Sunrise !
山越えの阿弥陀のごとく初日の出
Yamagoe no Amida no gotoku hatsuhi no de
John McDonald writes haiku in Scots – one of the two languages native to Scotland (the other being the celtic-rooted Gaelic). He also translates it into English in Edinburgh, UK.
ne’erday
spyog-prents athort the snaw ―
towmond o the teeger
new year’s day
paw-prints across the snow ―
year of the tiger
元旦の雪に足跡寅の年
Gantan no yuki ni ashiato tora no toshi
Marshall Hryciuk wrote haiku in Toronto, Canada.
New Year’s Day hockey
someone has placed a shovel
across the goal line
元日のホッケー シャベルがゴールライン
Ganjitsu no hokke shaberu ga gouru rain
Joshua Sellers writes haiku in West Memphis, Arkansas, USA.
the first day’s sky:
blue within blue,
wandering thoughts
元日や想ひさすらふ青い空
Ganjitsu ya omoi sasurau aoi sora
William Sorlien writes haiku in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
He says they have just had an unusually harsh cold spell, lasting from Christmas to now. Temperatures never rose above freezing, and averaged around – 20 C.
taking a bite
from a bitter orange
january thaw
一月の解けしオレンジ味苦し
Ichigatsu no tokeshi orenji aji nigashi
Louis Osofsky writes haiku in Quincy, CA, USA.
waiting for happiness ―
i hang
a new calendar
幸せを期待しながら暦掛け
Shiawase wo kitai shinagara koyomi gake
John Tiong Chunghoo writes haiku in Malaysia.
new year day
suddenly i feel myself
so old
元旦や卒然と老ひ感じたり
Gantan ya sotsuzen to oi kanji tari
P K Padhy writes haiku in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India.
The night celebrates
new star arrival
cracking firework.
新星の出現祝ふ夜の花火
Shinsei no shutsugen iwau yo no hanabi
RAM SHARMA writes haiku in MEERUT u.p, India.
Hope is the driving force
most joyful source,
Will show you the right way
希望こそ正しき道へ駆り立てる
Kibou koso tadashiki michi e karitateru
Ettore Mosciano writes haiku in English as well as in Italian in Rome, Italy.
Cradled by wave,
is the polished rock
fishing the dreams.
波磨く育てし岩や夢探す
Nami migaku sodateshi iwa ya yume sagasu
Alberto Savoi also writes haiku in English as well as in Italian in Venice, Italy.
Walking in a mist
have a look of the stars above ―
this path is still long.
霧の中星見むとする道遠し
Kiri no naka hoshi min to suru michi to o si
Last of all, let me post my haiku and a picture of Mt. Taihei in Akita, Japan.
A new tiger
climbs Mt. Taihei ―
my first dream
初夢や新生の寅山登る
Hatsuyume ya shinsei no tora yama noboru
The last part of haiku about the New Year appears on January 23.
― Hidenori Hiruta
