English Original
summer blue
the peacock stills
feathered eyes
Gareth Nurden
Chinese Translation (Traditional)
夏日湛藍
一隻孔雀靜止
眼睛般的羽毛
Chinese Translation (Simplified)
夏日湛蓝
一只孔雀静止
眼睛般的羽毛
Bio Sketch
Gareth Nurden was born in Newport, Wales and has had several-hundred pieces of haiku, senryu and haiga published in over twenty countries worldwide such as Wales, Canada, Russia, Japan, Australia and more and has had several pieces nominated for Haiku Foundation Touchstone Award for individual poem in 2024 and 2025.
This haiku is vivid and structurally sound, effectively capturing a singular, frozen moment in time.
ReplyDeleteIn L1, “summer blue” serves as an effective opener and kigo, establishing a bright, expansive background against which the peacock’s electric colors immediately pop.
The choice of the verb “stills” creates a powerful tension. A bird known for its constant movement and dramatic display suddenly becomes motionless, freezing the moment and compelling the reader’s attention.
The turn in L3, “feathered eyes,” is particularly vivid and emotionally resonant. It plays effectively on the peacock’s train and its distinctive eyespots while simultaneously suggesting that the peacock is watching the reader with the same intensity with which the reader watches the bird. The image creates a subtle reversal of gaze: the observer becomes the observed.