English Original
lavender stalks
the weight of one
white butterfly
one hundred petals, 2019
André Surridge
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
薰衣草莖
一隻白蝴蝶
的重量
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
薰衣草茎
一只白蝴蝶
的重量
Bio Sketch
André Surridge was an award-winning playwright and poet who immigrated to New Zealand from Yorkshire, England in 1972. He was President of the Playwrights Association of New Zealand from 1998-2000. Widely published, some of his awards included: 1995 Minolta Playwriting Award, 2007 Elizabeth Searle Lamb Award, 2008 Tanka Splendor Award, and 2010 Jane Reichhold International prize. And his first collection of haiku ans senryu, one hundred petals, was critically acclaimed in 2019.
In this understated haiku, the multi-sensory jux. of fragrant lavender stalks and one white butterfly is symbolically rich and emotionally evocative.
ReplyDeleteThis fine haiku reminds me of the following remark on writing haiku:
The key to haiku is understatement when describing our experiences. -- Peter Brady
For more examples of understated haiku, "To the Lighthouse: A Rhetorical Device, Understatement, accessed at http://neverendingstoryhaikutanka.blogspot.com/2022/10/to-lighthouse-rhetorical-device.html
FYI: "Dried lavender stalks, which are stripped of buds for sachets and the like, are a long-time traditional and completely natural means of improving the fragrance of a room or the flavor of grilled dishes."