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Page 1: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …
Page 2: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …
Page 3: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

BETWEEN TWO DATES

HAIKU & SENRYU

KWAKU FENI ADOW

Page 4: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

© 2020 Kwaku Feni Adow

Twi Translation © Adjei Agyei-BaahFrench Translation © Keith A. SimmondsForeword © Marta Chocilowska

Typesetting and cover design: Nathaniel Ofei

ISBN 978 – 9988 – 53 – 429 – 5

Mamba Africa PressP.O. Box KJ703Kumasi, AshantiGhana, West Africawww.mambaafricapress.com

Page 5: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

FOREWORD

Kwaku Feni Adow is a writer and poet from Ghana, a member of Africa Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America).

In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he chose the theme of mortality, loss, funeral and death. The title is taken from the phrase in his haiku

tombstone—between two dates the length of life

Edmund Husserl, a German philosopher, wrote: if you can think about your fear, it means that you have already freed yourself from fear, you have already stopped fearing; if you can think about the world that surrounds you, then you are already somewhere else; if you can think about your death, you are already above it.

Reading Adow’s poems, I have the impression that he tames the theme of death in his own way, encouraging reflection (“memorial”), showing tenderness (“after the funeral”), wistfulness (“flowers for the grave”) and a sense of beauty (“churchyard”).

Although these poems talk about painful and final matters, they are full of warm sorrow (“old diary”), and at the same time suggest a look with a grain of salt

funeral—his sleep empty

of snore

or unexpected but logical reasoning (“death in the prison”).

When I finished reading these poems, I had two equivalent thoughts - memento mori and non omnis moriar. I am quite sure that due to his book, Kwaku Feni Adow shall not wholly die.

Marta ChocilowskaPresident of Polish Haiku Association Warsaw, PolandDecember 2019

Page 6: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

To the memory of Ivy Asantewaa Adow, mother, daughter, sister.

Toil is temporal but rest is eternal.

Page 7: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

1

funeral dance one man follows the lead

of liquor

ayie ase asaapâtâsi di ôbrofoô

abaaba

danse funèbreun homme suit

l’exemple de l’alcool

Page 8: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

2

les obsèques— son sommeil

vide de ronflement

ayiyô—ne naeâ a

nkrômo nnim

funeral—his sleep empty

of snore

Page 9: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

3

la mort en prison—son autre moyen

d’evasion

afiase wuo—ne kwan baako aôde gyee ne ho

death in the prison—his other way

of escape

Page 10: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

4

après les obsèques—glissant dans

les chaussures de papa

ayiyô akyi—me firi me mpôboa muwura m’agya deâ mu

after the funeral— slipping into father’s shoes

Page 11: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

5

des pistolets à eaumon frère et moi

jouons au jeu Guerre Vietnam

nsuo totiame ne nua di

Viâtenam agorô

water pistols my brother and I play

Vietnam

Page 12: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

6

le cimitièreune famille s’en va

laissant derrière un des leurs

awusiebeaabusua ba fie gya

wôn nipa koro akyiri

graveyard a family leaves short

of a member

Page 13: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

7

un nouvel arrivantl’élargissement de la communauté

du cimitière

owu monoadakaman nso trâ

wôn mpôtam

new arrival the broadening community

of the cemetery

Page 14: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

8

le vieux journalses pages manquantes

sur la vie de grand-père

nkaeâ krataananabarima abrabô yera

wô ne wuo akyi

old diary its missing pages

of grandfather’s life

Page 15: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

9

des fleurs pour la tombeces souvenirs fraisd’une vieille amitié

nhweren a âgu na sokae madamfofa bi a

abâsene kô

flowers for the grave this fresh memories

of old friendship

Page 16: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

10

feux d’artifice du Jour Commémoratifle bruit de la guerre célèbre

la fin de la guerre

nkaeâ nna gyatoô yâde ako mbobomu

bra ako

Memorial Day fireworks sound of war celebrates

end of war

Page 17: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

11

le monument aux morts . . .de nouvelle larmes

pour une vieille tombe

ako nkaeâ nna . . .nisu mono te gu

na dadaa so

war memorial . . . fresh tears

for an old grave

Page 18: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

12

playtime the simulation of death at the point of toy guns

agodie brâyâgyegye owuo tataa

firi nsu totia ano

la récréationla simulation de la mort

au bout des jouets en forme d’armes

Page 19: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

13

our temporal reston a grave—

cemetery walk

yân ahomegyeâ tietiawô nna so—

asieyâ mpasatuo

notre repos temporelsur une tombe—

promenade au cimitière

Page 20: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

14

emptying the urn . . .this space

you leave behind

merehwiewo nsôn afiri toa mu . . .

wo akyiri kwan

vidant l’urne . . .cet espace

que vous laissez derrière

Page 21: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

15

pallbearing—the weight

of his new residence

asiefoô anamôntuo—n’adaka dan kôso yâdu

portant le cercueil—le poids

de sa nouvelle résidence

Page 22: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

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memorial candleshis place in this world

goes out

nakaeâ berâne gyinaberâ dum wô

kaneadua so

bougies commémorativessa place dans ce monde

disparaît

Page 23: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

17

tombstone—between two dates the length of life

wusieboô—efiri da a ôwo no bâsi newu da

ne nkwa tenten

des pierres tombales—entre deux datesla durée de la vie

Page 24: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

18

funeral procession how each of us is next in line

owufoô akwangyasânea yâ hyehyâ yân ho

wô owuo akwan mu

le cortège funèbrecomment chacun de nous

est le suivant

Page 25: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

19

burial grounds—first into the grave

our shadows

awusiebea—yân sunsum di kan wô

adakamena mu

les cimitières—les premières dans la tombe

nos ombres

Page 26: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

20

pallbearing—her journey marked by others’ footprints

asieyâ da—n’akwantuo a âtwatoô

wô afoforô anamôntuo mu

portant le cercueil—un voyage marqué par

les empreintes de pied d’autrui

Page 27: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

21

funeral procession his dog pays respect

in its strides

owufoô akwangyane kraman mpo tu annamôn bi

hyâ n’animuonyam

le cortège funèbreson chien rend hommage

dans son démarche

Page 28: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

22

his first appearancein the newspaper . . .

obituary column

ne da a edikan wô koowaa krataa mu . . .

ne wuo dawubô

sa prémière apparitiondans un journal . . .rubrique nécrologie

Page 29: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

23

burial mound—wishing you could grow

back into my arms

nkôfie nna—sânea anka me pâ sâwo bâfifiri aba bio

le monticule funéraire—souhaitant que tu puisses grandir

de nouveau dans mes bras

Page 30: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

24

obituary column the ripe and unripe

set of ages

awufoô atwerâbeamfie a abere ne bunu

di afra

la rubrique nécrologiqueles mûrs et les non mûrs

ensemble d’âges

Page 31: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

25

buying him a second home coffin market

yâretô ne fie aâtô so mmienune funu adaka

lui achetantune résidence secondaire le marché des cercueils

Page 32: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

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mother’s tears on a nine-month journey—

empty cradle

âna nisuteâwô bosome nkron akwantuo—

abofra adaka to

les larmes d’une mèrependant un voyage de neuf mois—

un berceau vide

Page 33: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

27

funeral wreath a life

gone full circle

owufoô nhwirenanokwa, abrabô kô san

bâsi n’anan mu

la couronne funéraireune vie

a fait le tour complet

Page 34: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

28

crying emoji texting her my tears

and condolence

katun a ôresumede me nisuo ne duemane no wô tetefon so

les emojis pleurantlui textant mes larmes et mes condoléances

Page 35: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

29

his pyre . . .her world goes up

in flames

bokyiagya . . .ne wiase wie wô

gyafruma mu

son bûcher à lui . . .son monde à elle part

en fumée

Page 36: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

30

Memorial Daytaking a walk

with your stick

Nkaeâ Damede wo poma

tu mpasa

jour de mémorialun promenade avec

ta canne

Page 37: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

31

tombstones—names outliving

their owners

emusieâboô—awufoôdin gye atena

sen wôn wura

les pierres tombales—les noms survivant leurs propriétaires

Page 38: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

32

churchyard— joining in the dirge

birdsong

awufosom—nnomaa nso to dwom degya ôwufoô kwan

le cimitière—participant au chant funèbre

le chant des oiseaux

Page 39: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

33

memorial more candles for him

than his birthday

nkaeâ dakanea dua bâberee sô

sene n’awoda

mémorial plus de bougies

que pour son anniversaire

Page 40: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

34

a story behind each name—

gravestones

awufo nnaobiara abrabô twere

ne din akyi

une histoire derrière chaque nom—

pierres tombales

Page 41: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

35

Valentine’s Day—a walk around

her grave

Valentine Da—mpasatuo wô

ne nna ho

la Saint-Valentine—une promenade

autour de sa tombe

Page 42: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …

36

closing the dooron his child—

coffin lid

ôreto ne bapono mu—

ne funu adaka

fermant la porteà son enfant—

couvercle de cercueil

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Deepest appreciation goes to Adjei Agyei-Baah, my inspiration and guide to the exposure of haiku, whose constant support and help with suggestions and Twi translation of the poems make this publication possible. Special thanks to Marta Chocilowska for giving credence to this project with the foreword, Michael Dylan Welch for lending his voice in the blurb and also providing suggestions in areas to help make this project even stronger, Keith A. Simmonds who did an amazing job translating these pieces into French and besides giving his backing to this project with a blurb. Appreciation also goes to the editors and publishers of the following journals who first gave eight of these poems a home and thus sparked a desire to realize this project: Failed Haiku, Cattails, Prune Juice Journal and My Haiku Pond.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Page 44: BETWEEN...Haiku Network, Ghana Haiku Society and UHTS (United Haiku and Tanka Society, America). In his three-lingual collection of Haiku/Senryu, Between Two Dates, he …