Thursday, June 26, 2014

Butterfly Dream: Fifth Spring Haiku by David McMurray

English Original

Our fifth spring
again in my dream
the sapling maple

Canada Project Collected Essays & Poems, 8, 2013

David McMurray


Chinese Translation (Traditional)

我們的第五個春天
又出現在我的夢中
幼小修長的楓樹

Chinese Translation (Simplified)

我们的第五个春天
又出现在我的梦中
幼小修长的枫树


Bio Sketch

David McMurray, professor of haiku in the graduate school at The International University of Kagoshima in Japan, editor of the Asahi Haikuist Network since 1995, and winner of The R.H. Blyth Award 2013.

13 comments:

  1. David effectively uses a pivotal line (again in my dream) to establish a metaphoric relationship between the two parts of the poem. Furthermore, combined with the "fifth" spring, the pivot reveals the speaker's longing and the use of "again" adds emotional weight to the poem.

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  2. I like this Haiku very much.It makes me remember my childhoood.At that year, I was 5 years old. I could smile wherever I was in . It's really comfortable and free what I can just feel in my dream now.

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  3. I indulges in reminiscence of my childhood.

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  4. Maple makes me think about Canada immediately and a beautiful scene appeared in my head. Maybe it is a story about puppy love.

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  5. again in my dream 
     I think it must be a beautiful memory of your life .So it came to you dream again.

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  6. 李偉, Xi Li, Xue Bai, Xui Yu:

    Thanks for the read and for sharing your thoughts.

    Xue Bai:

    "Maple makes me think about Canada immediately"

    Read in the biographical context, L3 gives the poem added poignancy.

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  7. Well, "DUCK" is an image for me about Canada

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  8. This poem reminds me of my hometown because I can feel a strong sentimental attachment between these lines. While maple stands for Canada, I'd consider litchi fruit as the symbol of my hometown for people living there are hugh fans for litchi, specially in summer.

    Junye Zhou

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  9. it's strange when you dream about your hometown aftrer such long time living away from it, you dream about the most ordinary thing. The tree that growing in front of your house, how the sky looks like, stars, the summer breeze. And it all feels like it came into reality in your dream, like you could even smell the air, or feel the texture of the wood. That is probably the best part of dreaming.

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  10. To be honest, I`ve always been one of those stereotypical people that thinks about winter when I think of Canada....but maple trees are a nice change of scenery. ;)

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  11. Canada iscalled "The maple country". The maple tree can be seen everywhere.

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  12. the peom makes me think about Canada because the maple is the symbol of Canada.And it always remind me of my childhood,because my former house always appears in my dream,the tv,the table and many things which were really familiar to me.the house contains lots of my memories.But when i wake up,i was so sad because i can never go back any more. I miss my childhood so much!!!

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