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 I have taken some of Koji Ooka's haiku from here and translated them.


しばのとを

たたきつづけて

われとなる


keep knocking

on the brushwood door

until I become myself


いちじくの

葉に照らさるる

男かな


a man―

in the light

of a fig leaf


Although sometimes it is rigid and difficult, I like the mythic and religious mood in his haiku. Hope you like it!

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Most people write haiku in Japanese in one line. But a few people write them in two or more lines. For example, here is a haiku by Koji Ooka, an avant-garde haiku writer in the 60s. ともしびや おびが驚く おびのはば torch― a kimono belt surprises at its own width (translated by me) The division of the lines emphasizes the rhythm. It is also interesting that the unusual appearance of the haiku surprises us, just as the width of the kimono surprises the kimono!
Chamber Music in the cold forest we untie our shoulder blades through the cold forest we walk to a chamber of acting stepping on dead leaves making sounds of triangle a little finger puts silver on your eyelids on a dancer's navel a shining winter star on the stage of January sweat and throwing ribbon the flower is sasanqua your gaze floods from your eyes the sasanqua blossoms fall only you hold you attempted cough in the back of my throat the last train a frozen sky the smell of smoke escaping my mouth