HAIKU IN GUJARATI
editor: Vandana Parashar
The influence of haiku on Gujarati literature has provided a new dimension to great literary works in Gujarat.
Jhinabhai Desai(16 April 1903- 6 January, 1991), better known by his pen name “Snehrashmi” introduced haiku in Gujarati literature and popularised it. He was a Gujarati language author and Indian Independence activist, who began the trend with poems very close to the spirit and form of the original haiku. He strictly followed the 17 syllable pattern and set the path for other Gujarati poets. His first collection of haiku “Soneri Chand Ruperi Suraj” was published in 1967 and has 360 haiku. His second book “Sunrise on the Snowpeaks” was published by Gujarat Sahitya Academy in 1988.
Many other known Gujarati poets followed him and started writing haiku, including Niranjan Bhagat, Jayant Dalal and Ushanash.
Mukundbhai P. Brahmakshatriya of Patan (Gujarat) has a record in India Book of Records for writing 10,000 haiku. He published it in 10 volumes.
Haiku and Gujarati literature have another interesting tale. Locally known as the “Ray Math” movement, the neo-literature movement started in the 70s, when its practitioners wrote haiku in protest — the best being “Daba hath no khel” and "Shubash Shah in Haiku in Chopadi”. The titles suggest that the poets chose haiku to break the monotony in literature.
**
haiku: Murtaza Patel, Ahmedabad
translations: Priya Narayanan
વ્યાસ ત્રિજ્યા ને what use are the diameter
પરિઘ શા કામનાં? radius and circumference?
કેન્દ્ર નિહાળો. focus on the centre
શેર કે કૉપી? share or copy?
તારું એ કર્મ આપે, your choice reveals
સાચી ઓળખ. your identity
‘કટ’ થયા છો? have you been ‘cut’?
કે અંદરથી ચાલુ or are you experiencing
છે ‘કૉપી-પેસ્ટ’? an internal ‘copy-paste’?
ભલેને બ્લેન્ક, so what if
હોય ‘ઇમેજ’ તોય the image is blank
‘લાઈક’ કરો. please ‘like’
haiku: Jhinabhai Desai
translations: Priya Narayanan
ઓસબિંદુએ a dewdrop
સમાવ્યું છે, નિજમાં enclosed within it
વ્યોમ વિરાટ an endless sky
ખીલ્યું ગુલાબ rose in bloom
ઝઘડો હવે આંખ now for the fight between
નાક ને હૈયે the eyes and nose
ઝાપટું વર્ષી after the drizzle
શમ્યું; વેરાયો ચંદ્ર the moon dispersed
ભીના ઘાસમાંઘા in the grass
કુહાડીના blows from an axe
વને પડઘા : આંધી echo in the woods: a storm
પંખીની આંખેરાત in the bird’s eyes
Loved this!