The results of the haiku Contest organized by the Haiku Journal (edition 2009)

The editing board of the Journal of Romanian-Japanese cultural interferences HAIKU has organized in the first semester of this year, the annual competition of haiku poems, edition 2009, with international participation.
It has received by e-mail or by mail a number of 554 haiku poems, belonging to 94 poets. From these number of 203 poems belonged to the Romanian poets and 351 poems belonged to the foreign poets.
The foreign poets have chosen for communication their own language and also English or French. The choice and the quality estimation of the haiku poems were made by the jury in three distinct sections. Finally, the prizes and honorable mentions were awarded to the sections Romanian, English and French.
The criteria for accepting poems are the requirements communicated in the notification of the contest: haiku following the formal 5-7-5 syllables per-line structure and original poems which were not published in newspapers, journal or in any other forms up to the date of the competition. Also, the most appreciated was the presence of the kigo, kireji in the poems, and the suggestive power of the poems.
The jury was composed of:
- President – the poet Radu Cârneci
- Members: the poets Paula Romanescu,Vasile Moldovan and Valentin Nicoliţov

The jury congratulates the poets that have been awarded a prize and thanks to all competitors for the participation.
The winner of the prizes and honorable mentions are:



Romanian Section

First Award – George BĂDĂRĂU, Iaşi

Altă ninsoare
în azilul de bătrâni…
poate ultima

Another snowfall
in the asylum of old people...
as it seems the last

Second Award – Ştefan G. THEODORU, Bădila

S-a dus bunicul-
acum doar stelele
păzesc ograda

Granda is gone -
lots of stars are still guarding
his farm every night

Third Award – Vali IANCU, Bucureşti

Cămin părăsit-
totul sub stăpânirea
păpădiilor

Abandonated home -
all under the possession
of dandelions

Mentions:

Adina ENĂCHESCU, Râmnicu-Vâlcea


Totu-n ruină –
doar o fetiţă-i cântă
păpuşii rupte

All is in ruins -
only a girl sings for
the broken doll

Ioan MARINESCU PUIU, Cluj-Napoca

O libelulă
poposită pe bancă-
stau în picioare

A dragonfly
resting on the bench-
I stand up

Oprica PĂDEANU, Bucureşti

Trandafiri trecuţi-
un fluture amorţit
chiar în palma mea

Whitered roses -
a benumed butterfly
just in my palm

Mentions for senryu:

Florin GRIGORIU, Lehliu-Gară

Arşiţă mare-
cu brusturele pe cap
nici nu îmi pasă

Scorching heat -
with a bur instead of hat
I don’t care a straw

Ion UNTARU, Băneasa, Giurgiu

Câştigat pe stradă
pierdut până acasă
ultimul haiku

Won on the street
lost until home
the last haiku


French Section

Premier prix: Alexandra IVOYLOVA-Bulgaria

Nuages passants-
tantôt lumiere, tantôt l’ombre
sur le cimetière

Nori trecători-
când lumină. când umbră
peste cimitir


Second prix: Anna Do So TADJUIDEEN-Franţa

La première gelée-
petit ange de la fontaine
s’arrête de pisser

Primul îngheţ-
micul înger la fântînă
şi-opreşte jetul

Troisieme prix: Jessica TREMBLAY, Canada

Finis les cerisiers-
les touristes regardent
les cartes postales


Gata cireşii-
turiştii văd acum
doar cărţi poştale

Mention: Jean-Michel AUBRUN, Franţa

Coucher de soleil! Soare-n asfinţit!
L’epouvantail du verger, Sperietoarea în pomi
lui, este insensible

Soare-n asfinţit!
Sperietoarea din pomi
nepăsătoare

Mention: Aksinia MIHAILOVA, Bulgaria

Rue de Sofia.
Au-dessus les poubelles
acacias en fleurs

Stradă-n Sofia.
Peste pubele pline
salcâmi în floare


Mention: Frans TERRYN, Belgia

Village natal- Satul natal-
ou sont les épouvantails unde-s sperietorile
de mon enfance?

Satul natal-
unde-s sperietorile
de altădată?
de altădată?


English Section



First Award: Anatoly KUDRYAVITSKY – Irlanda

Aspen in the rain-
every leaf drip-dripping with
the sound of autumn

Un plop în ploaie -
în fiecare frunză
sunetul toamnei

Second Award: Ludmila BALABANOVA - Bulgaria

First kiss…
the scent of lime
reaches the stars


Cel dintâi sărut -
mireasma florii de tei
ajunge la stele

Third Award: Verica ZIVCOVIC – Serbia

Little bells tinkling-
from the coachman’s greysh beard
smell of melted snow

Clinchet de clopoţei -
în barba vizitiului
neaua topindu-se

Mentions:

Angelee DEODHAR – India

Late afternoon light-
hand-picked tomatoes
glow in her hand

Lumina serii -
roşiile culese
lucind în mâna ei

David McMurray – Japonia

Boy with autism
turns every leaf right side up
straight line pointing home

Băiatul autist
întoarce fiecare foaie
în direcţia casei

Barbara A. TAYLOR – Australia

My guard of honour-
on both sides of the bridge
a line of pelicans

Gardă de onoare -
de ambele părţi ale podului
şiruri de pelicani

Sasa VAZIC –Serbia

Frightened by
my mirrored image
a scarecrow

Înspăimîntată
de înfăţişarea mea
o sperietoare

English translations for the Contest of Haiku Journal made by Vasile Moldovan.

WINNERS OF ROMANIAN MONTHLY KUKAI OCTOBER 2008

We go on to publish our winners. These are the awarded poems at Romanian Kukai contest for Oktober 2008. The theme of the contest was quince.

First place

a single lamp

for the old woman’s winter

quince by the window

Corina Ion

Second place

the same yellow:

a quince in my window

and the full moon

Maria Tirenescu

Third place

Autumn service –

the quince swings

scenting the yard

Gabriel IORDAN-DOROBANŢU

Translation made by Magdalena Dale. We are not native English speakers. In this way we will appreciate if you will point out the possible mistakes of the English version of our poems.

WINNERS OF ROMANIAN MONTHLY KUKAI SEPTEMBER 2008

We go on to publish our winners. These are the awarded poems at Romanian Kukai contest for June 2008. The theme of the contest was holiday.

First place

Nocturnal silence –
in the shell of my suitcase
the sea's roar

Simona Dobrescu

Second place

only a tourist –
looking at the moon
at the window

Maria Tirenescu

Flocks of cranes -
in the holiday village
a tent and a shadow

Doina Bogdan Wurm

Third place

Hoarfrost on vineyards –
holiday memories
sweet as grape juice

Mihaela Băbuşanu Amalanci

On corner of the desk
the holiday souvenir –
a steering wheel clock

Henriette Berge


Translation made by Magdalena Dale. We are not native English speakers. In this way we will appreciate if you will point out the possible mistakes of the English version of our poems.