Haiku about Autumn (6)

Chiyo-ni (Kaga no Chiyo)(千代尼 1703-1775) was a Japanese poet of the Edo period, widely regarded as one of the greatest female haiku poets.

She is perhaps best known for this haiku:

朝顔に釣瓶とられてもらい水

Asagao ni tsurube torare te morai mizu

morning glory!

the well bucket-entangled,

I ask for water

(trans. Donegan and Ishibashi)

My haiku are as follows:

With the sun

do morning glories rise

another day

日と共に朝顔立てる新たなり

Hi to tomoni asagao tateru arata nari

The storm gone

morning glories turn

deeper blue

嵐止む濃き朝顔の青さかな

Arashi yamu koki asagao no aosa kana

― Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Autumn (5)

Recently I found 'obana （尾花）', or Japanese pampas grass flowers called 'susuki (薄）', at the foot of Mt. Chokai　(鳥海山）, in Kisakata (象潟）, Akita.

First susuki flowers

trembling

the sea breeze

初尾花海風立ちてそよぎけり

Hatsu obana 　 kaifu tachi te soyogi keri

The sunset

turning them red

susuki flowers

入日影からだの染まる尾花かな

Irihikage 　karada no somaru 　obana kana

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (15)

I write haiku about cicadas, 蝉 (Semi), as the last summer topic in 2010.

Cicadas

singing at night too

neon lights

ネオン灯夜鳴くセミも現れり

Neon tou yoru naku semi mo arawareri

Midnight dews

washing their mouths

cicadas

真夜中の露洗うかなセミの口

Mayonaka no tsuyu arau kana semi no kuchi

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (14)

I visited Hottai Fall , (法体の滝)(Hottai-no-taki) , at the foot of Mt. Chokai, (鳥海山)(Chokaisan) in Akita the other day.　This is a photo of the fall, where I wrote haiku.

The water

falling white ―

the green pool

滝の水落ちて緑になりにけり

Taki no mizu ochite midori ni narinikeri

Water sound

drowning them out

cicadas

水の音かすかに消える蝉時雨

Mizu no oto kasukani kieru semishigure

―　Hidenori Hiruta

　　　　　

Haiku about Summer (13)

Bon Odori （盆踊り）, meaning simply Bon dance is a style of dancing performed during Obon.

These are the photos of Nishimonai Bon Odori （西馬内盆踊り） held in Akita on August 16-18.

Welcome

the spirits of ancestors

Bon dance

歓迎や祖霊が帰り盆踊り

Kangeiya sorei ga kaeri bonodori

Bon dance

reunited in joy

past midnight

盆踊り再会にわき夜更け過ぐ

Bonodori saikai ni waki yofuke sugu

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (12)

I visited Goshogawara City（五所川原市）, Aomori（青森）, where I enjoyed the Goshogawara Tachinebuta　（五所川原たちねぶた）, "Goshogawara Nebuta Festival".

"Nebuta" refers to the float of a brave warrior-figure which is carried through the center of the city, while dancers wearing a unique type of costumes called haneto （ハネト）prance around in time with the chant Yattemare （ヤッテマレ） .

Nebuta floating ―

Mt. Shirakami into

the darkness

たちねぶた白神山は闇の中

Tachinebuta Shirakamisan wa yami no naka

Tachinebuta ―

mountain gods floating on

the dark street

たちねぶた山の神々練り歩く

Tachinebuta yama no kamigami neri aruku

―　Hidenori Hiruta

Haiku about Summer (11)

The Lantern Festival, or the Kanto Festival (竿燈祭）(Kanto-matsuri) , is held on August 3-6 in Akita City. It has a long history associated with prayers for a bountiful harvest of rice.

The shape of the whole Kanto can be compared to that of the ear of rice, all together 46 lanterns, imitating the straw bags of rice, swing at the slightest move, in the form of an abundanat crop of rice.

The highlight of this festival is a parade of stout young men in colorful attire skillfully balancing "kanto" on their shoulders, foreheads, hips and chins without their hands. They compete with each other to demonstrate skillful balancing techniques to the accompaniment of fast-beating drums and high-pitched flutes.

Waves of prayers

lighted up ―

Lantern Festival

竿燈やみのりを祈る黄金波

Kanto ya minori o inoru kogane nami

Performers

spotlighted　―

Lantern Festival

竿燈や妙技に光る差し手衆

Kanto ya myougi ni hikaru sasite shuu

― Hidenori Hiruta