Haiku 俳句, the Noise of the Truth

In a calm river,

a motionless fisherman

thinks about dinner.

(Alberto Savoi)




Nel calmo torrente,

un immobile pescatore

pensa alla cena.

(Alberto Savoi)

Agua serena,

Through the attic window

a ray of sunshine enters,

dusty floor is shining.

(Alberto Savoi)



Dalla finestra della soffitta

entra un raggio di pura luce,

brilla il pavimento polveroso.

(Alberto Savoi)




En la buhardilla

un rayo de sol entra,

el polvo brilla.

(Translated by Jose Luis Mejia)

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The morning dew makes

me feel alive, nature is

waking up right now.

(Alberto Savoi)




La rugiada mattutina

mi fa sentire vivo, la natura

si sta svegliando ora.

(Alberto Savoi)

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riposa nella ombra -

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Nè macchine, nè traffico

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A Old boat anchor lies

in the deeps of China Sea,

cold steel touches the water.

(Alberto Savoi)




Una vecchia ancora

giace nelle profondità del mar Cinese,

freddo acciaccio accarezza l'acqua.

(Alberto Savoi)

"There's your Karma ripe as peaches"



Desolation Angels is similar to a long haibun. Some of the fragments make it as haiku while others don't quite make it. I've included a few that seem to be close to what we'd call traditional American Haiku.











A bubble, a shadow -
woop -
The lightning flash


Thunder in the mountains -
the iron
Of my mother's love


Mist boiling from the
ridge - the mountains
Are clean


Mist before the peak
- the dream
Goes on


as cold
water in a dell
on a dusty tired trail -


Girls' footprints
in the sand
- Old mossy pile


Wooden house
raw gray -
Pink light in the window


Neons, Chinese restaurants
coming on -
Girls come by shades

Red light on the road,

surrounded by a thick mist -

lighthouse of the night.

(Alberto Savoi)





Semaforo rosso sulla strada,

circondati da una fitta nebbia -

un faro nella notte.

(Alberto Savoi)

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Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827),or simply Issa, is one of the best known and appreciated Japanese haiku poets.
Issa wrote poetry that is especially remarkable considering the life of the poet.

Issa Haiku :

O summer snail,
you climb but slowly, slowly
to the top of Fuji

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In this mountain village,
shining in my soup bowl,
the bright moon arrives

"The American Haiku is not exactly the Japanese Haiku. The Japanese Haiku is strictly disciplined to seventeen syllables but since the language structure is different I don't think American Haikus (short three-line poems intended to be completely packed with Void of Whole) should worry about syllables because American speech is something again...bursting to pop.

Above all, a Haiku must be very simple and free of all poetic trickery and make a little picture and yet be as airy and graceful as a Vivaldi Pastorella."

Jack Kerouac







American Haiku:


No telegram today

only more leaves

fell.

(Jack Kerouac)






Early morning yellow flowers,

thinking about

the drunkards of Mexico.

(Jack Kerouac)





Nightfall,

boy smashing dandelions

with a stick.

(Jack Kerouac)





After the shower

among the drenched roses

the bird thrashing in the bath.

(Jack Kerouac)






Glow worm

sleeping on this flower -

your light's on.

(Jack Kerouac)

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The moment two bubbles

are united, they both vanish,

A lotus blooms.


- Murakami Kijo (1865-1938) -

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