HAIKU NOIR – 2.

Haiku Noir – 2

Gabriel Rosenstock responds to old photographs with haiku in Irish and English: Versions in Scots by John McDonald.

(Antoin Sevruquin)
http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/8/76685.jpg

“tuigeann tú go maith

cén fáth a bhfuilimse mar seo . . .”

bacach in Tehran

“you know well

why I’m like this . . .”

beggar man in Tehran

 

“fine ye ken

why a’m lik this . . .

gaberlunzie in Tehran

http://www.fubiz.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/0From-Getty-Images.png

lonraíonn réalta an tráthnóna go glé –

na caoirigh slán

sa loc

the evening star shines brightly –

all the sheep

are in the fold

 

the eenin stern’s blinterin bricht –

aw the yowes’r

in the fauld

[PAUSE HERE FOR SOME BLANK SPACE]

(Dmitri Baltermants)

http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/vv324/nov2dec/World%20Most%20Picture/DmitriBaltermants-Grief.jpg

glór ársa

ag nimhiú na gaoithe –

gol na mban san ár

ancient sound

poisoning the wind –

wailing of wives on the battlefield

 

auncient soond

pooshionin the wund –

pewlin weedaes on the battlegrun

(Dmitri Baltermants)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/216665432050873521/
domhan folamh

croí folamh

canna déirce folamh

empty world

empty heart

empty begging can

 

tuim warl

tuim hert

tuim mealie poke

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/297448750369480852/

leanann trup

ina mbrionglóidí iad –

mangairí earraí cistine

the clatter continues

even in their dreams –

kitchenware pedlars

 

on an on the brattle

e’en whan thay’r dramein –

kitchieweir cadgers

(Josef Koudelka)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/196117758744144230/

í ag féachaint siar

ar áit nár bhaile riamh di –

cailín giofógach

she looks back . . .

a place that never was home

Roma girl

 

she leuks back

tae a place thit wisnae hame –

traiveler lassie

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/298996862736089730/

teanga eile
a labhrann sé ina chodladh –

bolgchainteoir

he speaks another language

in his sleep –

ventriloquist

 

he threeps anither leid

in’s sloom –

ventriloquist

(Erik Petersen)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/284852745153836259/

birds are singing it

dogs barking it –

the barbarians are coming

 

canann na héin é

á thafann ag na gadhair –

seo chugainn na barbaraigh

 

burds’r wheeplin it
dugs’r bowfin it –

the orra yins’r cumin

(Frank Hurley)

http://www.greatwar.nl/hurley/chateauwood.jpg

cogadh arís  . . .

níl duilleog

ar bhile

war again  . . .

trees have shed

their every leaf

 

mair weir . . .
treen hae cast
thair ilka leaf

 

(Felice Beato)

a n-ainm

á dtréigean sna leabhair taifid –

reibiliúnaigh a crochadh

 

their names fading

in record books –

hanged rebels

  

thair nems dwinin

i the record beuks –

hingit rebels

 

(William Carrick)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/326722147940685971/

folús!

folús go leor . . .

díoltóir ciseán

emptiness!

so much emptiness  . . .

basket seller

 

tuimness!

ower muckle tuimness . . .

skep cadger

(Eugène Atget)

http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/3/28520.jpg

ní gan tairbhe é

an cat marbh féin –

bailitheoir ceirteacha

even a dead cat

has its uses –

the life of a rag-picker

e’en a deid bawdrons

hus its yisses –

life o a ragger

(Eugène Atget)

http://www.museumsyndicate.com/item.php?item=28510

 

the salesman has begun to hate the word

lampshades!

lampshades!

 

is fuath leis an díoltóir na focail

scáthláin lampa!

scáthláin lampa!

the fleein merchant’s seik o the wurd

lampsheds!

lampsheds!

 

http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/8/76767.jpg
(David Frances Barry)

Smig Chlúmhach

den treibh Dakota?

ní hea! mise Uncail Sam

Hairy Chin

of the Dakota tribe?

no no! I’m Uncle Sam

 

Herry Chollers

o the Dakota clan?

naw naw! a’m Uncle Sam

http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/8/76925.jpg
(David Frances Barry)

Beannaithe ina Seasamh

chífeá an t-athair inti –

Tarbh ina Shuí

 

Standing Holy

you can see her father in her –

Sitting Bull

 

Staunin Halie

ye can see’r faither in’r –

Sitting Bull

http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/7/66116.jpg

(William Bell)

Private Myer –

bíonn a scáilghéag

ag spochadh as

Private Myer –

his phantom limb

taunts him

 

Private Myer –

his ghaistly limm

upcasts’m

 

http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/7/61982.jpg
(Henry Hamilton Bennet)

Fiolar Óg

an todhchaí á léamh aige –

faic

Young Eagle

looking into the future –

nothing

 

Young Eagle

spaein the futur –

nowt

(Herbert Ponting)
http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/5/48318.jpg

Varanasi  . . .

lucht déanta tochtanna

éirithe as gnó

Benares  . . .

mattress makers

gone out of business

 

Benares…

mattrass makkers

oot the box

(Giorgio Sommer)
http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/4/34143.jpg

cá bhfios?

d’fhéadfadh an lá amárach bheith níos fearr . . .

díoltóirí castán

who knows?

tomorrow might be a better day . . .

chestnut sellers

 

whae kens?

the morn micht be a better day . . .

chessie cadgers

(William Carrick)
http://www.museumsyndicate.com/images/4/33857.jpg

raghaidh an domhan go léir

faoi bharr lasrach –

tairngreacht an sweep

the whole world

will go up in smoke –

prophecy of the sweep

 

the hail warl’ll

gae up in reek –

spae o the sweep

(E. J. Bellocq)

Storyville, New Orleans –

tá’s ag madraí an bhaile
cad tá ar siúl

Storyville, New Orleans –

 the dogs on the street

know what’s goin’ on

 

Storyville, New Orleans –

e’en the causey dugs

ken whit’s gaein doon

 

(Walker Evans)

https://ephemeralnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/subwayportraitswalkerevanaccord.jpg

ar feadh na hoíche

is ina corplár –

poirt éagsúla an éadóchais

penetrating

the heart of night . . .

desperation knows many tunes

 

howkin

the hert o nicht . . .

wanhowp kens monie tuins

(Claude P. Dettloff)

http://img.src.ca/2013/07/25/635×357/130725_h53p3_esperame_sn635.jpg

earrach –

méadaíonn an Bhanríon

pinsean na mbaintreacha cogaidh

spring time –

Her Majesty increases

the war widows’ pension

 

Voar –

the Queen eiks

the weir weedaes’ placks

(Dario Mitidieri)

https://www.vice.com/it/read/dario-mitidieri-children-of-bombay

Mumbai –

an ghealach ag faire

ar dhílleachtaí

Mumbai –

the moon watches over

orphans

Mumbai –

the muin taks tent ower
orphants

http://oncetimeislost.tumblr.com/

threy o’clock
i the efternuin –

walcome tae suburbia

trí a chlog

san iarnóin –

fáilte go dtí na bruachbhailte

three o’clock

in the afternoon –

welcome to suburbia

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/543176405037824944/

the wind whistles

a nameless tune –

empty shell cases

 

the wund fussles
a nemless tuin –

tuim shall cases

port gan ainm

ag an ngaoth –

cásálacha sliogán folmha

(Fan Ho)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/318066792410920398/

whaur is’t
we’re gaun aw the time?
our sheddaes oxterin

 

cá bhfuil ár dtriall

an t-am ar fad?

scáthanna ag guailleáil a chéile

where is it

we are going all the while?

shadows jostling
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/554435404100315307/

rainy morning

a bowl of porridge  . . .

what more would you want!

 

weet mornin
a bowlie o parritch . . .
whit mair wid ye want!

maidin bháistí
babhla leitean  . . .
cad eile a bheadh uait!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/360006563943039665/

afore lang
he’ll be growein thaim himself –

orange cadger

 

lá breá éigin

beidh sé féin á saothrú –

díoltóir oráistí

 

some fine day

he’ll be growing them himself –

orange vendor

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ff/d8/22/ffd822f9aa3f36a3c8cd8dfa21ebfb8b.jpg

Hi Yo, Silver!

guthanna i gcloigeann

an iar-Lone Ranger

Hi Yo, Silver!

voices in his head –

former Lone Ranger

Hi Yo, Siller!
vices i the heid
o an ae-time Lane Ranger

(Raoul Hausmann)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/497295983832983497/

gan labhairt

ar feadh lae

ar feadh míosa . . . ar feadh bliana

not to speak

for a day

for a month  . . . for a year

no tae threep
fir a day
fir a month . . . fir a towmond

(Werner Bischof)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/557390891360238080/

No to War!

which of these words

do grown ups not understand?

 

Diúltú do Chogadh!

cén focal díobh sin nach dtuigeann

daoine fásta?

 

No tae Weir!
whilk yin o thae wurds
dae the growed ups no unnerstaun?

Gabriel Rosenstock’s latest volume of haiku is Stillness of Crows.

 

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