Words and Haiku [The Great East Japan Earthquake] March 2011

. . . .

As you already knew, East Japan got a M9.0 earthquake and Tsunami on March 11th, involving nuclear power plants. These affected areas are wide around the beautiful locations where Matsuo Basho traveled and wrote the book "Oku-no-hosomichi," I've never been there though.

Without prayers I've not been able to listen to the tragic news. We've known what system our planet has as knowledge; but have we  respected the greatness of nature enough? Thinking of that hurts my heart.

I'd like to share haiku and words here to stand up from the shock of this tragedy, and to see well the relation between nature and us. Please send me yours for here. 
To: yoshikom(at)earthlanguage(dot)org
(but changing (at) to @, (dot) to .)
Inside of ( ) and EL translations are by hoo.

原発火災を巻き込んだ2011年東日本大震災は人類全体に悲しみとショックを与えています。向き合って俳句や短いことばをここで伝えたい方は、上のアドレスにご応募ください。気持ちをここでシェアできたらと思います。


Haiku by Toni Piccini (Italy):


(また津波 地獄の親子で原子力テスト)

A child in the mud
looks for his toys -
reconstruction has begun
(泥の子がおもちゃを探す 再生開始)

Smoke from the roof,
the miso soup
is still cooking
(屋根の煙 味噌汁はもうすぐに)

Toni Piccini's Haiga galleria for Japan 2011 shows beautiful 12 haiga for this subject. (link: July 2012)

Haiku Japanese and English by Saya Okamoto (岡本紗矢: Yokohama)

春の地震帰れぬ群に彷徨ひて〈地震=なゐ)
Wandering around
among a crowd far away home
Spring earthquake

停電の街に春月やはらかし
Spring moon
lighting tenderly over
the blackout town 


安寧の光届けよ春の月
Spring moon,
send your peaceful light
for the Tsunami victims

Haiku by Minami Takeshita (Nara Japan)

地震知らぬベビー誕生細き指 
(A baby was born
being innocent in the earthquake.
What thin  fingers it has!)


この初音届いてほしい地震の地に 
(I wish the first voice of
UGUISU* would reach
the earthquake sufferers)
(* an early spring song bird in Japan)

村囲む大津波跡春の虹
(Over the ruin of tsunami
surrounding a village,
a spring rainbow bridges)


生き残る啓蟄の虫大津波
(They are surviving
from the huge tsunami,
insects just came out in season)

大津波啓蟄の虫月に吠ゆ
(Remains of tsunami waves,
the early insect roars
toward the moon)

大津波見張りの鴨のせいならず
(Nobody can blame
ducks "sea watchers"
for the tsunami tragedy)

Haiku by Chizuko Smith (WA in USA)

Cute homeless puppy
covered by a blanket
licking favor's nose
(毛布に救われ小犬は優しい人の鼻舐める)

Haiku by Henry Loltz (WA in USA)

Blue skies and calm sea
great thunder below the earth
water all around
(青空静海 地下は雷動 一面に水)

Haiku by hoo (WA in USA)

Orion watches
the sudden black holes
in the planet Earth
(地球上に突然ブラックホール 観ているオリオン)


(世界から思いと涙と花びらを吸いこむ底なしの穴)

Daffodils blow
"Feel Mother Earth, her tears
and her breath"
(水仙はラッパ吹く「大地の母の涙と吐息を聴け」)

Mother Earth cries, "Japan,
why have you planted forbidden plants
on my nose?"
(地球母は泣く「わが鼻に禁断の実をなぜ植えた?・・」)

Cherry blossoms will smile again,
letting ten thousand souls sleep
in Mother's arms
(桜はまた笑むだろう 万の魂を母の腕に眠らせて)

cold rain on chaos, 
sufferers warm up by
other people's kindness 
(カオスに氷雨 被災者は他者から温まる)


The vernal equinox sun
carries ten thousand prayers
over the Pacific
(春分の夕日海越え万の祈りを運ぶ)

"I'll build our house back!"
a boy declares with shiny cheeks
on the mess the ocean threw up
(「ぼくが家建てる!」少年は頬染め 海の反吐の上)

To the top