5 Haiku by Ban’ya Natsuishi

氷の喜び

Joy of Ice

夏石番矢  日本

Ban’ya Natsuishi　　Japan

英訳　夏石番矢　エリック・セランド

English translations by Ban’ya NATSUISHI & Eric SELLAND

剣の宇宙軸飛ぶ遠い遠い氷の上

The sword’s cosmic axis

jumping far―

far away over the ice

未来の神の頭の中に氷を植える

I plant ice

in the head of

the god of the future

氷の喜び氷の王の足の下

Joy of ice

under the feet of

the king of ice

落葉のようなこの世で私ひたすら眠い

In this world

like a fallen leaf

I am intensely sleepy

氷の劇場ピリオドを打つ赤い指

Theater of ice:

a red finger marks it

with a period

Bionote

Ban'ya Natsuishi

which is the penname of Masayuki Inui, was born in Aioi City, Hyôgo Prefecture, Japan in 1955. Prominent as an international promoter of haiku writing and translation. He studied at Tokyo University where he received a master degree in Comparative Literature and Culture in 1981. In 1992 he was appointed Professor at Meiji University where he continues to teach. In 1993 he gave lectures at Jilin University in China, he was invited to haiku meeting in 1994 in Germany, in 1995 in Italy. From 1996 to 1998 a guest research fellow at Paris 7^th University. In 1997 he held “Contemporary Haiku” event in Provence of France. In 1998 with Sayumi Kamakura, he founded international haiku quarterly "Ginyu", became its Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. In 2000, after attendance to Global Haiku Festival in USA, he co-founded the World Haiku Association, in Slovenia. Currently works as the association’s Director. In 2001 attended to Vilenica Poetry Festival in Slovenia, in 2003 to Struga Poetry Evenings in Macedonia, in the same year worked as the Chairman of The Steering Committee for the 2^nd World Haiku Association Conference which was held in Japan. In 2004 he was invited to Poetry at Porto Santo in Portugal. In 2005 he attended to the 3^rd World Haiku Association Conference in Bulgaria, the 3^rd Wellington International Poetry Festival and presided international haiku session of Euro-Japan Poetry Festival in Tokyo. In 2006 he was invited to Poetry Spring in Vilnius of Lithuania and Ohrid P.E.N. Conference in Macedonia. In 2007 he visited Inner Mongolia and Mongolia to promote haiku writing there and held the 4^th World Haiku Association Conference in Tokyo as its Chair. In 2008, after attendance to poetry festivals in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania & Italy, he inaugurated Tokyo Poetry Festival 2008 as its Director. In 2009 after attendance to Lahti International Writers’ Reunion 2009 in Finland, he co-organized Druskininkai Poetic Fall & the 5^th World Haiku Association Conference 2009 in Lithuania with Kornelijus Platelis. In 2010 he attended to World Haiku Festival Pecs 2010 in Hungary and the 10^th Sha’ar International Poetry Festival 2010 in Israel. In 2011, after attended to the 21^st Medellin Poetry Festival in Colombia, he held the 2^nd Tokyo Poetry Festival & the 6^th World Haiku Association Conference 2011 in Tokyo, as its Director. In 2013 attended to the 7^th World Haiku Association Conference Medellin, in 2014 scheduled to attend to the Meeting for Haiku in Vietnamese in Hanoi City. Natsuishi is the greatest haiku master after classic haiku master Basho Matsuo.

Among his awards are: in 1980 he was recommended as Poet of the Year by Haiku-hyôron, in 1981 he won First Prize in a competition sponsored by haiku monthly Haiku-kenkyû, in 1984 the Shii-no-ki Prize, in 1991 the Modern Haiku Association Prize, in 2002 the Hekigodô Kawahigashi Prize of the 21^st Century Ehime Haiku Prize, in 2008 AZsacra International Poetry Award for Taj Mahal Review, in 2013 Sarah and Moïse Russo Poetry Award For Taj Mahal Review June 2013 issue.

Main Japanese publication:

 The Diary of Everyday Hunting (Ryôjô-ki), Seichi-sha, 1983.

Poetics of Haiku, Seichi-sha, 1983.

Métropolitique, Bokuyô-sha, 1985.

Rhythm in the Vacuum (Shinkû-ritsu), Shichô-sha, 1986.

Dictionary of Keywords for Contemporary Haiku, Rippu-shobô, 1990.

The Fugue of Gods(Kamigami no Fûga), Kôeidô-shoten, 1990.

Opera in the Human Body (Jintai Opera), Shoshi-yamada, 1990.

Waves of Joy (Rakurô), Shoshi-yamada, 1992.

Poetic Spirit of Genius, Yûshorin, 1993.

 The Science of Megaliths and Big Trees (Kyoseki Kyoboku Gaku), Shoshi-yamada, 1995.

Haiku: A Century’s Quest , Kôdansha, 1995 (edited).

Contemporary Haiku Manuel, Rippu-shobô, 1996.

 Haiku Is Our Friend, Kyôiku-shuppan, 1997.

 Earth Pilgrimage (Chikyû Junrei), Rippu-shobô, 1998.

 Haiku Troubadours 2000, Ginyu Press, 2000 (edited).

 Collected Haiku Poems by Ban’ya Natsuishi: Crossing Borders (Collected Early Haiku: Roaring River and Drifting included in this publication), Chûseki-sha, 2001.

 Chibimaruko-chan’s Haiku Class Room, Shûei-sha, 2002 (edited).

 A Guide to World Haiku, Chûseki-sha, 2003.

 World Haiku 2005: No. 1, Nishida-shoten, 2004 (edited).

 World Haiku 2006: No. 2, Shichigatsudo, 2005 (edited).

 Right Eye in Twilight (Migime no Byakuya), Chûseki-sha, 2006.

 World Haiku 2007: No. 3, Shichigatsudo, 2007 (edited).

Renku: A través do ar / Through the Air/A travers l’air, Shichigatsudo, 2007 (co-authored with Casimiro de Brito).

Tenbô Gendai no Shiika Vol. 10, Meiji-shoin, 2007 (co-authored).

World Haiku 2008: No. 4, Shichigatsudo, 2008 (edited).

 Flying Pope: 161 Haiku, Koorosha, 2008.

World Haiku 2009: No. 5, Shichigatsudo, 2009 (edited).

Nichiyôbi no Zuisô 2008, Nihon-keizai-shinbun-shuppansha, 2009 (co-authored).

Labyrinth of Vilnius, Shichigatsudo, 2009.

World Haiku 2010: No. 6, Shichigatsudo, 2010 (edited).

Haiku Jûômujin, Chûseki-sha, 2010 (co-authored with Sayumi Kamakura).

World Haiku 2011: No. 7, Shichigatsudo, 2011 (edited).

World Haiku Association Anthology 2011, Shichigatsudo, 2011 (edited).

World Haiku 2012: No. 8, Shichigatsudo, 2012 (edited).

Black Card, Sunagoya-shobo, 2012.

World Haiku 2013: No. 9, Shichigatsudo, 2013 (edited).

Reading Korean “Savoir”, Cuon, 2014 (co-authored).

World Haiku 2014 No. 10, Shichigatsudo, 2014 (edited).

Main Overseas publication:

Haiku: antichi e moderni, Garzanti Editore, Italy, 1996 (co-authored).

A Future Waterfall: 100 Haiku from the Japanese, Red Moon Press, USA, 1999 & 2004.

 Romanje po Zemlji, Društvo Apokalipsa, Slovenia, 2000.

 Цветята на Вятьра, Matom, Bulgaria, 2001.

Poesia Sempre NÚMERO 17, Fundação Biblioteca Nacional, Brazil, Brazil, 2002 (co-authored).

Haiku: Poetry Ancient & Modern, MQP, UK, 2002 (co-authored).

Haiku: the leaves are back on the tree, Greece, 2002 (co-authored).

Ombres et Lumières, LCR, Bulgaria, 2003 (co-authored).

Haiku: Poésie anciennes et Modernes, Édition Vega, France, 2003 (co-authored).

Странный Ветер, Иностранка, Russia, 2003 (co-authored).

The Road: world haiku, Ango Boy, Bulgaria, 2004 (co-authored).

Ribnik tišine: slovenska haiku antologija, Društvo Apokalipsa, Slovenia, 2005 (co-authored).

L’Anthologie du Poème Bref, Les Dossiers d’Aquitaine, France, 2005 (co-authored).

Right Eye in Twilight, Wasteland Press, USA, 2006.

 ÎMBRĂŢIŞAREA PLANETELOR (THE EMBRACE OF PLANETS), Edidura Făt-Frumos, Romania, 2006.

 Endless Helix: Haiku and Short Poems, Cyberwit.net, India, 2007 & 2009.

 Le bleu du martin pêcheur: Haïkus, L'iroli, Beauvais, France, 2007 (co-authored).

 MADARAK / Birds / 鳥: 50 HAIKU, Balassi Kiadó, Hungary, 2007.

 Pellegrinaggio terrestre / Earth Pilgrimage / 地球巡礼, Albalibri Editore, Italy, 2007.
 Flying Pope: 127 Haiku / 空飛ぶ法王　127俳句, Cyberwit.net, India, 2008.
 Balsis no mākoņiem / Voices from the Clouds / 雲から声, Minerva, Latvia, 2008.
 MUNDUS poesie per un'etica del rifiuto, Valtrend Editore Napoli, Italy, 2008 (co-authored).

ŐSI FENYŐ, tr. by Vihar Judit, Napkút Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary, 2008 (co-authored).
 KONCENTRIČNI KRUGOVI, PUNTA, tr. by Dragan J. Ristić, Serbia, 2009 .

 Music of the Twentieth Century, A. P. F. Publisher, USA, 2010 (co-authored).

 Hybrid Paradise / ハイブリッド天国, Cyberwit.net, India, 2010.
 Il Papa che vola: 44 haiku / 空飛ぶ法王　44俳句, Rupe Mutevole, Italy, 2010.

 The Individual Voice 16, Helicon Poetry Society, Israel, Tel-Aviv, Israel, 2011(co-authored).

 Turquoise Milk: Selected Haiku of Ban’ya Natsuishi / ターコイズ・ミルク　夏石番矢選句集, Red Moon Press, USA, 2011.

 A TENGER VILÁGA / The World of the Sea / 海の世界  50 HAIKU, Balassi Kiadó, Hungary, 2012.

L’Archipel des séismes: Écrits du Japon après le 11 mars 2011, Editions Philippe Picquier, 2012, France (co-authored).

 Japanese Modern Haiku, Cyberwit.net, India, 2012 (co-authored with Sayumi Kamakura).

LA VILLE: HAÏKU Anthologie bilingue de poètes bulgares, français et francophones, Фараго, 2012, Bulgaria (co-authored).
 Kamesan’s World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violation, Kamesan Books, 2012, USA (co-authored).

ブラックカード / Black Card / Tarjeta negra, Cyberwit.net, India, 2013.

 空壺 / El cántaro vacío / The Empty Amphora  選集 / Antología / Anthology  7^o Conferencia de la Asociación  Mundial de Haiku 2013 / 7^th World Haiku Association Conference 2013  Medellín Colombia, Todográficas, 2013, Colombia (co-authored).

POEMS FOR THE HAZARA: AN ANTHOLOGY AND COLLABORATIVE POEM BY 125 POETS FROM 68 COUNTRIES, Full Page Publishing, USA (co-authored).

CASCADE DU FUTUR : 100 haïkus traduits du japonais par Jean Antonini et keiko Tajima, L’Harmattan, 2014, France.