ONE THOUSAND CRANES

THE INTERNATIONAL HAIKU CONTEST

“ONE THOUSAND CRANES”

ROMANIA 2008

The International Art Partnership (IAP) is an international project which promotes the Japanese art of paper folding known as origami.

At the initiative of its founders, Aleksandr and Larisa Levashov from Russia, the International Festival “Origami Peace Tree” (OPT, http://www.peacetree.info/main.php) has taken place in different countries since 2000. Romania will be the host of this autumn edition. On this occasion, the organizers (“Miron Costin” Highschool, Iasi, Romania) have also decided to launch an international haiku contest.

Entitled “One Thousand Cranes”, this competition wants to be a bridge between haiku and origami. The title of the contest reminds both of the famous legend of the Japanese people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_origami_cranes) and of the moving story of the Japanese girl Sadako Sasaki (http://www.sadako.org/sadakostory.htm). Her trust and endeavour as well as “the origami tree” are an urge to respect life in all its circumstances. That is why, we considered that such a contest could contribute to the amplification of the impact of OPT festival also by means of poetry.

We invite you to participate both in the haiku contest and, with origami models, in the OPT Festival Romania 2008 (http://www.peacetree.info/romania2008.php).

The rules of the contest

1. People regardless of age and nationality, with the exception of the members of the organisational team, may participate in the contest.

2. The contest is fee free.

3. Original poems which haven’t been published so far in magazines, in journals, in books or on the internet, are preferred.

4. You must send two haikus in English and they should be as close as possible to the classical canons of this type of poetry (5-7-5 syllables, kigo, kireji etc.).

5. The first haiku will compulsorily deal with the origami theme, while the other is at will.

6. The poems will be sent only by e-mail at the following address origamitara@yahoo.com. At subject you will write haiku contest. The mail must contain the poems in the order mentioned above, as well as the personal data of the contestant (name, surname, age, profession, full postal address, e-mail address).

7. The deadline is on the 15^th of September 2008.

8. The secretary of the contest will copy and transmit the list of poems to the members of the jury by e-mail, without mentioning the contestants’ names or personal data.

9. The jury will take into account, first of all, the concordance with the classical rules of haiku.

10. The jury will have a free hand in awarding a number of three prizes for each theme. It will also have a free hand in deciding whether to award commendations or not. The number will depend on the quality of the poems. Each rewarded author will receive an anthology of haikus that participated in the contest and a diploma.

11. The prizes will be announced between 3^rd and 9^th of November 2008, during the OPT Festival Romania 2008. The official announcement will be also posted on the internet on the following sites:

http://www.peacetree.info, http://variantaenglezeasca.blogspot.com/, http://romaniankukai.blogspot.com/, http://www.licmcostin.ro/ .

12. The awarded poems and also the best un-awarded poems will be published in a contest’s anthology.

13. The authors who send poems to the International Haiku Contest “One Thousand Cranes” Romania 2008 must agree that their poems should be published in a contest’s anthology without any financial claim.

14. The prizes will be sent by post by 30^th of March 2009.

The English version by Daniela Ciubotariu

“Miron Costin” Highschool Iasi, Romania

WINNERS OF ROMANIAN MONTHLY KUKAI APRIL 2008

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

First place

Dandelion field –
only a breath of wind
and it is snow

Dan Norea


Second place

Dandelion
exposed to the wind
a man’s life

Vasile Moldovan

Dandelions in bloom
among the ancient ruins
sound of hoe

Ana Ruse


Third place

lighting slowly
in the shadow of cherry tree
a dandelion

Tincuta Horonceanu Bernevic

Mown grass-
only a dandelion
left uncut

Livia Ciupav

Golden buterflies
the wind put on wings
to dandelions

Constantin Stroe

The owner is away –
all remained at...
dandelion’s disposition

Vali Iancu

Scaterred farthings
from the bag of spring
tens of dandelions

Gabriela Marcian

Sparks of sun –
in the old man’s hand,
dandelion chain

Doina Bogdan Wurm

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 MARCH 2008

We go on to publish our winners. These are the awarded poems at Romanian Kukai contest for March 2008. The theme of the contest was spring's edginess.

First place

Without any fault
under the ploughman’s sole
a blade of grass

Loredana-Florentina Dănilă

Again spring
in the man and in the bud
the same start

Vali Iancu


Second place

After the hard winter
a nervous sparrow –
where is her nest?

Henriette Berge

Night insomnia –
stars or tears drop
from the vine arbour?

Doina Bogdan Wurm


Third place

Second hand bookshop -
among the books in the window
lilac blossoms

Dumitru Radu

March dawn
in the trap of the town
apricot in full blossom

Florică Dan

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 FEBRUARY 2008

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

First place

Lone through the sleet
an old man at shopping -
the wind in his bag

Victoria Chiţoveanu


Second place

Old men in the sleet -
in the second hand window
looking at themselves

Eduard Ţară

Evening still -
the last pedestrian
walking to the sleet

Maria Tirenescu

Facing the sleet
with snowdrops in his hand
towards the cemetery

Livia Ciupav

On the weak shoulders
the bag heavier and heavier -
an old man throughe the sleet

Valeria Tamaş

In the full sleet
a vagrant and a dog
across the street Fast Food

Dumitru Roşu

Third place

Walking throughe the sleet
I hold up the red rose lost
by the wedding guest

Ana Ruse

The sleet on the road
keeps for a moment
traces of a sled

Dumitru Radu

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 JANUARY 2008

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

First place

Gate in ruins –
only the fiery wind
still open it

Loredana Florentina Dănilă


Second place

Storm-swept winter -
the old woman with a bread
dragging her boots

Adina Enăchescu

Orphan children –
the blizzard throwing the gate
maybe is my mother?

Adriana C. Iacob


Third place

House of old people –
the last visitor shrouded
in blizzard

Eduard Ţară

The blizzard roars –
in the yard of kindergarten
a creaky cradle

Vali Iancu

Storm –swept passage
a sparrow picking at
the blind man ’s bread

Valeria Tamaş

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 DECEMBER 2007

We go on to publish our winners. These are the awarded poems at Romanian Kukai contest for December 2007. The theme of the contest was Christmas Tree.

First place

It hears the bells –
by a Christmas Tree
my sad grandma’

Henriette Berge


Second place

little lights in the tree –
a boy blinks his eyes
imitating them

Ivăşcan Horia


Third place

Christmas Tree
a carol at the window
angel’s whisper

Tincuţa Horonceanu Bernevic

Christmas Tree –
waiting for the presents
a sleeping child

Dan Norea

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 NOVEMBER 2007

We go on to publish our winners. These are the awarded poems at Romanian Kukai contest for November 2007. The theme of the contest was first hoar frost.

First place

The first hoar frost
over the child’s coat
one more patch

Valeria Tamaş

Night with rime –
trees without name
watch the moon

Flavia Muntean


Second place

First white frost
only the chrysanthemums
don’t shade its petals

Maria Tirenescu

Firs bow down –
the frosted moon passes
through Tori

Anişoara Iordache


Third place

The first rime
over the last rose flower…
raven’s shadow

Magdalena Dale

The rime is fallen –
outdoor not one insect
Brahms in an undertone

Iancu Vali

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.