We are happy to announce our winners - please see below-, | looking for our 2022 Contest & winners? |
sakura gave me silence the flowers of the soul open and the sky is bright Mykyta Ryzhykh (Canada), winner “Best overall - English language Haiku” category in our 2023 contest! With Springtime finally upon us and the plum tree blossoming again, and following the great success of the 2022 edition of this contest, EJCA once again called upon your hidden poetic talents and invites you to get creative and craft and submit a Haiku, suitably themed to celebrate the season. Prizes (and bragging rights when you are named among the best) were providing an additional incentive (should you have needed that extra bit of a 'nudge' to grab your pen). We are glad that many of you joined in the fun! Kids: We were glad to see submissions from many aspiring young poets! Winners and a selection of poems are announced on this page and in moshi moshi and/or our social media channels. |
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Jury: Shajin Watanabe Shajin Watanabe sensei: Watanabe sensei is a protege to Kusatao Nakamura and was awarded the Saitama Literature Award. After his retirement from teaching Japanese literature (kokugo) at Urawa Akenohoshi Girls' Senior High School, he taught haiku poetry at Saitama Police Academy for a number of years. Currently, he is the chair of Haiku Society, "Sumeraki, " while teaching haiku at numerous workshops. | 兼題 花（桜の花のことです。花明り・花の昼・花夕べ・花月夜・花の闇・花吹雪・花筏・飛花（ひか）なども可です） 梅
応募部門・賞 俳句部門（日本語部門）優秀賞賞金３０ドル 準優秀賞 賞金２０ドル 三行詩部門（英語部門）優秀賞賞金３０ドル 準優秀賞 賞金２０ドル １６歳以下の部門（英語もしくは日本語）優秀賞賞金３０ドル 兼題（事前に課題として出された「季語」の意の語）を「日本語による俳句または英語による3行詩」に詠みこんだ未発表の作品を募集します。 ・投句数：1季語に1作品、計2作品まで応募可。 下のフォームを使って、登録と俳句の提出をお願い致します。またご質問等ございましたら、 haiku＠ejca.org までご連絡ください。 提出期限：6月２４日 皆様の俳句をお待ちしております。 渡辺舎人先生： 渡辺先生は中村草田男の弟子であり、埼玉文芸賞の受賞者です。浦和明の星女子高等学校の現代国語の教諭から引退された後、埼玉警察学校にて俳句を長年教えておられました。現在は俳句結社すめらきの代表であり、また数々の講座・句会にて俳句指導をされています。 |
Here are 2023 Winners. The current year’s jury is once again a published haiku poet, Shajin Watanabe. We greatly appreciate his work. |
Best overall - Japanese language Haiku
Prize: 30$
(this category has not been awarded in 2023) |
Second best overall - Japanese language Haiku
Prize: 20$
Setsuo Nakaya (Canada) |
Best Overall - English language Haiku
Prize: 30$
Mykyta Ryzhykh (Canada) |
Prize: 20$
3 Award winners in this category: Radhika De Silva (Sri Lanka) |
Brightest Young Poet (under 16 years of age)
Prize: 30$
Scotia Rusnak (Canada) |
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WINNERS Haiku in Japanese (16 years old or older) Best overall (no entry is found to be applicable for the Best overall for this year) Second best overall Setsuo Nakaya (Canada)
The issue is that the haiku includes three seasonal words, “spring in North,” “bees,” and “flower calendar.” Firstly, per the competition rules, I did not treat “spring in North” as a seasonal phrase since it is not included in the specified seasonal words for the competition. Secondly, the “flower calendar” is a sub-seasonal word for “cherry blossoms.” It is a calendar which is prepared for a new year, and it shows a picture or photograph of flowers (i.e. plum/cherry/peach blossoms) that represent each month in an orderly manner starting from January. At the same time, the “flower calendar” in the above haiku is not the one in the original nature as explained above, but the calendar a beekeeper would keep recording which flower he will collect honey from in each month; therefore, it is reasonable not to consider it as a seasonal word. Finally, I concluded “bees” as the main seasonal word in the haiku and treated it as such. The haiku describes the “busy flower calendar (schedule)” of a beekeeper who lives “spring in North” with bees. In North spring with not mild weather, the beekeeper plans which flower he will make bees to collect honey from. If you can imagine being him, you would feel his excitement and become cheerful and light-hearted. On the other hand, the haiku does not describe “bees” themselves (while “bees” are its seasonal word), as a result, it fails to use most out of the original essence of the seasonal word and it merely scratches the surface of it, which frustrates me. A deeper understanding of the seasonal word would elevate the haiku’s quality to the next stage. Haiku in English (16 years old or older) Best overall Mykyta Ryzhykh (Canada)
“Sakura (Cherry)” had deeply influenced Japanese people’s mentality especially after World War I. For example, a Gunka (regimental song), “Sakura in the Same Season” was a song people liked to sing during World War II. The song likens a military officer dying in a glorious manner to falling cherry blossoms. The first verse states “You and I are Sakura in the same season blossoming in the military school’s garden /as blossomed flowers, we know we are going to fall/ Let’s fall in a glorious way for the shake of our country.” The song aroused the public’s patriotic sentiment and became an accomplice in the country’s totalitarian approach to make their people ready to fight in wars. In Japan, Somei-Yoshino trees (a specie of cherry trees) whose flowers blossom between at the end of March and at the beginning of May are often planted in schools, parks, and riverbanks. As Somei-Yoshino are cloned from the same origin, every single of them maintains the same (mostly) characteristics; they blossom at the same time and fall at the same time. Because of its short blossoming period and clean, graceful, and splendid way of falling, Somei-Yoshino has impacted development of Japanese people’s sense of beauty. The phrase in Mykyta Ryzhykh’s poetry, “Sakura gave me silence/the flowers of the soul open” has a connection not only to common Japanese people’s mentality, but also “Bushi-do” which is a mannerism and strong spirit of a samurai who commits his lord fully. The last line, “and the sky is bright” reminds me of the peacefulness I felt when I read Niebuhr’s The Serenity Prayer. The phrase implies nobleness and dignity of human minds which go beyond nations and nationalities. It describes a savor of soul and gives the poetry an end similar to an ending of a masterpiece movie. THE SERENITY PRAYER O God, give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed, courage to change what should be changed, and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Reinhold Niebuhr Second best overall (3 winners)
Radhika De Silva (Sri Lanka)
“Penguins” in the first line is a metaphor of graduates wearing gowns and marching in the graduation ceremony. “Graduation smiles” in the third line is the hint. As you know, penguins move as a herd and are always in search of fish; however, (when they arrive at the edge of the ocean with fish) penguins are hesitant to jump into the water. After a while, a brave penguin jumps into the water, then other penguins follow and they become ruthless. In America, I heard, the brave penguin is called the “First Penguin.” An adventurous risk taker who challenges things nobody tried before is said to be called the first penguin. I interpret the poetry as an expectation and encouragement: some of these graduates will become the First Penguins and contribute to the world. Monica Kakkar (India)
Joshua Gage (USA)
Both above poetries’ themes are the peacefulness that authors obtained; for the first poetry by auditory sense and for the second poetry by olfactory sense. In the first poetry, the fragrance of lilacs drifting from faraway is telling the Moon, “it’s your time (to shine)” and inviting people to sweet dreams. About the second poetry, I wonder whether “flowering hawthorn” is May Flower in North America/Britain. Bees are behind those “flowering hawthorn.” I felt like honey bees’ subtle thrumming noise whispers in my ear. The hovering wings’ noise is also an invitation to drowsing. Both of these poetries are very lyrical.
Brightest Young Poet (Under 16 years old) Scotia Rusnak (Canada)
I wonder if these “bees” had been doing “Waggle Dance” during the daytime to tell their colleagues locations of honey, pollen, water and potential sites for a new nest. “Waggle Dance” is said to show directions by the angle towards the sun and the length of the time that a bee shakes its bottom. The dance activity makes bees wear out in a pleasant way and the “peacefulness of the night” comes to them. The poetry written by a young poet (under 16 years of age) reminds us of our old age, people who “danced across” our lives and “flowers so bright.” | 講評 〇 俳句部門（１６歳以上・日本語)
正賞 （該当作品無し） 副賞 「北の春せわしき蜂の花暦」なかや せつお Canada 〔評〕季語が「北の春・蜂・花暦」と３つありました。応募規定に従えば、「北の春」は兼題にありませんので、季語扱いしませんでした。「花暦」とは「桜の花」の「子季語（傍題とも云います）」ですが、それは新しい年の暦に１月・２月の順にその月ごとの時季を代表する花の絵や写真（梅・桜・桃など）を並べた暦のことです。 掲句の「花暦」は、本来の「花暦」のものではなく、月ごとに「蜂」の蜜を採集する予定の花の名前を養蜂家が書き込んだ暦という意味合いのもので、敢えて季語扱いしなくともよいでしょう。 なかやさんの句の主季語は「蜂」として処理しました。一句は、温暖な地区ではない「北の春」における「蜂」たちにどの花から採集させ、蜂とともに生きる養蜂家の「せわしき花暦（スケジュール）」が詠まれています。読者が一句の中に在って眺めれば楽しくうきうきした気分になるでしょう。一方、一句での「蜂」は、蜂のそのものを詠んだ句でなく、その季語の本意を活かさず、季語の表面を撫でているような「もどかしさ」を覚えさせました。季語に対する理解を深めていくことで、作品はもう一つ上に段階に至れることでしょう。 〇 三行詩部門（16歳以上・英語部門） 正賞 Mykyta Ryzhykh Canada sakura gave ｍe silence 日本語訳 さくらは 沈黙を与えた the flowers of the soul open 魂の花々が咲き and the sky is bright そうして 空は明るかった 〔評〕俳句殊に第一次世界大戦頃より「桜」には日本人の精神構造に深く立ち入っていく樹木となりました。例えば軍歌「同期の桜」は太平洋戦争（大東亜戦争）時、好んで歌われた歌で、軍人が華々しく散って行く姿を、桜花に喩えた歌です。１番の歌詞には「貴様と俺とは 同期の桜 同じ兵学校の 庭に咲く 咲いた花なら 散るのは覚悟 みごと散りましょ 国のため」とありますが、愛国精神を鼓舞し、挙国一致の臨戦体制に加担しました。 日本では３月下旬～５月上旬に咲く桜のソメイヨシノは、学校、公園、河川敷に植えられますが、ソメイヨシノは起源が同じクローンのため全ての個体が同一に近い特徴を持っていて一斉に咲き、一斉に散る花で、花期の短さと散り際も潔く豪華であるところが、日本人の美意識の形成に係わって来ました。 正賞のMykyta Ryzhykhさんの詩にある「さくらは 沈黙を与えた 魂の花々が咲き」のフレーズは、広く日本人の精神だけでなく、古くから主君にために尽くす侍の居住まいや気概という「武士道」にまで通じるものがあります。 最後の「そうして 空は明るかった」には、 THE SERENITY PRAYER O God, give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed, courage to change what should be changed, and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Reinhold Niebuhr ニーバーの祈り 神よ、 変えることのできるものについて、 それを変えるだけの勇気をわれらに与えたまえ。 変えることのできないものについては、 それを受けいれるだけの冷静さを与えたまえ。 そして、 変えることのできるものと、変えることのできないものとを、 識別する知恵を与えたまえ。 ラインホールド・ニーバー（大木英夫 訳） の「祈り」の後の心の平安さを想わせてくれる１行で、国家や国民性を越えた人間の精神の格調や気高さを暗示してくれています。魂の救いを詠んでくれていて、大作映画のending（エンディング）のような「and the sky is bright（そうして 空は明るかった）」なのです。
副賞 Radhika De Silva Sri Lanka Penguins 日本語訳 ペンギンたち parade in spring---- 春の行進 graduation smiles 卒業のほほえみ 〔評〕１行目の「ぺンギン」とは卒業式でのgown（ガウン）を纏い、行進する卒業生の暗示です。３行目のgraduation smiles（卒業のほほえみ）がそうであることを教えています。 ご存知の通りペンギンたちは集団で行動しますが、餌のいる海へ魚を求めていますが、皆はためらい、誰も飛び込みません。そのうち、勇敢ある一匹のペンギンが飛び込むと、群れのペンギンたちは我先にと次々飛び込んで行きます。それをアメリカではFirst Penguin（ファーストペンギン）と呼ぶと聞いたことがあります。 初めてのことにリスクを恐れず挑戦するベンチャー精神の持ち主を敬意を込めてそう云うのだそうですが、、本詩は、この卒業生の中から誰がFirst Penguinとなって世の中に貢献する人物となってくれるだろう、との期待と声援の詩です。 副賞 Monica Kakkar India faraway fragrance 日本語訳 遠くからする香り awakens with sleepy moon… 眠たげな月を起こす lilac lullaby ライラックの子守唄 副賞 Joshua Gage United States of America the shade 日本語訳 我が家の花咲くサンザシ of our flowering hawthorn その陰に a thrum of bees 蜂の唸り 〔評〕前者は嗅覚、後者は聴覚によって得た安らぎを主題にした詩。 匂いの源が遠くから漂ってくるライラックは月に向って出番であることを告げ、人々を眠りの世界へと誘うと云う。 また、米英国ではMay Flowerと呼ばれる「西洋サンザシ」であろうか。その花に寄る蜜蜂の微かな羽音が耳元で話しかけてくるようなhoveringホバリングする羽ばたきの音はまどろみへの誘いでもある。 二篇とも詩情豊かな３行詩である。 〇 16歳以下の部門（英語・日本語部門） 正賞 Scotia Rusnak Canada Bees dancing across 日本語訳 蜂たちが 横切って踊る Flowers so bright under the とても眩しい花々の向こう Peacefulness of the night 夜の平穏 ----- 〔評〕この「蜂たち」は、太陽の出ている昼間、仲間に蜜や花粉、水源や新しい巣の予定地があることを知らせる「８の字ダンス」をしていたのだろうか。太陽に対する角度が方向を示し、尻を揺する時間が距離を示すといわれているそのダンスの蜜蜂に快い疲れを与え、「夜の平穏」が訪れたのであろう。 16歳以下の部門の若い世代による本詩は私たちold ageに、わが人生を「横切って」行った人のあることを思い出させ、「眩しい花」の時代を想起させてくれた。 |
note: among 92 submissions that we received, we excluded 27 submissions that did not follow the competition rules to maintain fairness. (review the rules above). |
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From wikipedia: Haiku (俳句) is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a kireji, or "cutting word", 17 on (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a kigo, or seasonal reference. Similar poems that do not adhere to these rules are generally classified as senryū. Haiku originated as an opening part of a larger Japanese poem called renga. These haiku written as an opening stanza were known as hokku and over time writers began to write them as stand-alone poems. Haiku was given its current name by the Japanese writer Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century. What you should keep in mind: For haiku inspiration, look closely at everything around you in nature, at home, at school, and at work. Write your draft of a haiku, letting yourself be free and creative. Then ask the following questions about your haiku to help you improve them.
| What you should keep in mind (continued):
(adapted from Michael Dylan Welch's excellent blog: https://www.graceguts.com/essays/haiku-checklist) |
Please contact: haiku@ejca.org
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