THE CRICKET’S SONG
Haiku by
Ludmila Balabanova (Bulgaria)
Introduced by Gabriel Rosenstock
Scots versions: John McDonald
Irish (Gaelic) versions: Gabriel Rosenstock
Indulge yourself! Read some haiku. Savour them slowly. Pause. Go back and read a few again.
Originally written in Bulgarian, this trilingual presentation has English, Irish and Scots versions. Have a look at those versions as well. Scots, of course, is closer to English than Irish: Irish, or Gaelic, is very different and is much older than English.
If you have a favourite haiku in this presentation and you would like to know how it sounds in Irish, the good news is that a synthesizer is available. All you have to do is put the haiku in the synthesizer and pick what dialect you would like to hear it spoken in and at what pace:
http://www.abair.tcd.ie/index.php?page=synthesis&lang=eng
Free-style haiku is flourishing outside of its country of origin, Japan. There are rich haiku pickings to be had in countries all over the globe, Africa, India, Europe, the Americas, Australasia. A little seed, carried by winds of love around the globe:
cricket song
a drop of autumn rain
in the cobweb
amhrán criogair –
braon de bháisteach an fhómhair
i nead damháin alla
charker sang
a drap o hairst weet
i the wab
sunset –
shadows lay down
to rest
fuineadh gréine –
scáileanna ina luí
ag glacadh scíthe
day-set –
sheddaes ligg doon
tae rist
childhood –
my father teaching me
the constellations
óige –
na réaltbhuíonta á múineadh
ag m’athair dom
bairnheid –
ma faither learnin me
the constellations
poppies
the earth remembers
its heart of fire
cailleacha dearga . . .
cuimhníonn an domhan
ar a chroí tine
puppies
the yirth minds on
its lowin hert
open window
a tear is about to jump
from the top floor
fuinneog ar leathadh . . .
deoir ar tí léim
ón urlár uachtarach
apen winnock . . .
a tear’s aboot
tae lowp frae the tap flair
sounds of war
my son playing
a computer game
glórtha cogaidh . . .
cluiche ríomhaireachta á imirt
ag mo mhac
soonds o weir . . .
ma laddie daffin
it a computer gemme
sunflower field
the sun rooted
in the sky
gort lusanna gréine –
an ghrian fréamhaithe
sa spéir
sinflooer perk –
the sin ruitit
i the lift
the air between us
trembling . . .
dinner by candlelight
an t-aer eadrainn
ar crith . . .
dinnéar faoi sholas coinnle
the err atween us
trummlin…
denner bi caunlelicht
we share the moon –
the light part for you
the dark for me
an ghealach á roinnt againn . . .
an chuid gheal duitse
an chuid dorcha domsa
we skair the muin . . .
the licht fir yersel
the derk fir me
distant night sounds…
is that cricket singing
from the moon?
fuaimeanna oíche i gcéin . . .
an ón ngealach é giolc
an chriogair?
far awa nicht soonds…
is yon charker chirmin
frae the muin?
summer night
in the waterless river
ghosts of fish
oíche shamhraidh . . .
abhainn gan uisce
taibhsí éisc
simmer nicht
i the drouthy wattercoorse
ghaists o fush
Viennese waltz –
a snowstorm
in a silver birch wood
válsa Víneach –
stoirm shneachta
i gcoill na mbeitheanna geala
Viennese waltz –
a yowdendrift
in a birkenshaw
beyond the equator –
there are other stars
in the sky
lastall den mheánchiorcal –
réaltaí eile
sa spéir
ayont the equator –
thare’r ither sterns
i the lift
evening wind…
scent of grass
from the other bank of the river
gaoth an tráthnóna . . . .
boladh an fhéir
ó bhruach eile na habhann
eenin souch…
fume o girss
frae the ither brae
hanging on the thin
threads of rain –
a church on the hill
ar crochadh
de shnáitheanna tanaí báistí –
séipéal ar chnoc
hingin on the slinky
threids o weet –
a kirk on the brae
an apple millennia after Adam and Eve
úll na mílte bliain i ndiaidh Ádhamh agus Éabha
an aipple millennia efter Adam’n Eve
forgiveness:
the tree by the window
again in bloom
maithiúnas:
crann cois fuinneoige
faoi bhláth arís
forgieness:
the tree bi the winnock
bleemin agane
his words…
unexpected light
under a moth’s wings
na focail uaidh . . .
solas gan choinne
faoi sciatháin leamhain
his wurds…
unexpectit licht
unner a moch’s weengs
are we as different
as we think –
sunflower field
‘bhfuilimid chomh difriúil
agus is dóigh linn –
gort lusanna gréine
are we as unalike
as we mak oot –
sinflooer perk
on the plane sharing the same wings
ar bord eitleáin na sciatháin chéanna á roinnt againn
on the plane skairin the samen weengs
morning chill
on the deserted beach a heart
made of stones
fuacht maidine . . .
ar thrá thréigthe
croí a cruthaíodh le clocha
snell mornin…
on the tuim strand a hert
wrocht o stanes
swift kiss
at the bus stop –
day moon
póg sciobtha
ag stad an bhus –
gealach lae
a swith pree
it the bus-stop –
day muin
after parting…
a bird’s flight
over bitter water
tar éis scarúna . . .
eitilt éin
os cionn uisce ghoirt
efter pairtin…
a burd’s flicht
ower wersh watter
dry leaves
drifted over pine needles:
their meeting
duilleoga feoite
ar fán os cionn spíonlaigh:
a dteacht le chéile
drouthy leaves
driftin ower preenacks:
thair trystin
my star
light-years away…
fireflies
mo réaltsa
na solasbhlianta i gcéin . . .
lampróga
ma stern
licht-years awa . . .
fireflees
hospice…
do sunset shadows get
beyond twilight
ospís …
an dtéann scáileanna luí na gréine
lastall den chlapsholas
hoaspice . . .
dae dayset sheddaes git
ayont gloamin
family album…
lights of a passing train
in the night
albam teaghlaigh . . .
soilse traenach ag dul thar bráid
istoíche
photy album . . .
lichts o a bygaun train
i the nicht
old graveyard
tall cypresses
pierce the heavens
sean-reilig . . .
na flaithis tollta
ag na cufróga arda
auld kirkyaird . . .
heich cypresses
prog the heivens
sleepless night dewdrops on the weeds
gan suan gan srann braonta drúchta ar na fiailí
waukrife nicht deowdraps on the growthe
Hope you enjoyed this glimpse of Bulgarian haiku, three liners and one liners, presented in Irish, English and Scots. Share!
Gabriel Rosenstock’s latest haiku title is Stillness of Crows, haiku in response to the fascinating artwork of Ohara Koson:
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