O floare rătăcită
printre focuri de artificii:
anul ce s-a dus

A stray flower
Among the fireworks:
The yesteryear

This is the inaugurating verse of Ikebana, a fine bilingual collection of haiku written by Romanian poet Vasile Moldovan.  From these very first words, we may dare note a subtle innuendo (doubtlessly unintended by the poet) that seems to humbly remind us after an initial reading, why this book deserves our solemn attention among modern collections of haiku.  Ikebana is a delightfully varied bouquet of haiku connected by subtle poetry. The common threads are feelings of gentle nostalgia and awakening into clarity and wideness of nature perception.

Discovered in the heart of a true poet, these haiku are naturally immune to the banes of modern haiku, which are shunning emotion for pretentious emulation of Japanese ethnic flavour or Zen austerity, and mistaking a haiku for a minimalist intellectual riddle. Instead, he freely sees, feels and utters, affirming that haiku like all good poetry, in the true Brahman (Zen) way, is the recognition of vast truth and Aananda (bliss) in experience and its expression.  

The poet also does his dues to the Japanese traditions of haiku by writing with classical kigo in his own unique local flavours.

The first New Year’s dream –
transplanting olive branches
all over the world

The sincerity and seriousness of this work can be felt in the tendency of the poet to rather be bravely shasei (ordinary) than artificial. There is no urgency to impress with fireworks.  Yet he has consistently tended even his plainer haiku with a range of subtle feelings.  Many of these have plain but suggestive nature drama ~

Spring wind –
On the bed of melting snow
fallen plum petals

A few observe gentle human sentiments, and form a special treat.  These may be called senryu, though many have the acute visual sensitivity of haiku.

First date –
The youngster holds in his hand
A rosebud

Still others are gently nostalgic and hint a subtle personal element, if still missing the direct pronoun.

Indian summer –
putting old chrysanthemums
in a new herbarium

Another enjoyable feature of this collection is that the haiku experience is equally had in the ordinary as well as imaginary realms.  The poet invokes a more metaphorical and sometimes surreal and experimental type of poetry in his gendai (ornate) haiku. 

Solar explosions –
one by one, the white water lilies
are bursting too

Other haiku are animistic and show a more intimate adoration of nature.  The poet brings varying degrees of this element in subtle and sometimes charming and playful ways.

          Tragedy in a vase:
          two healthy flowers
          watching their ill sister

Chestnuts street
the moon looks everywhere
for a squirrel

Many of the haiku are religious or philosophical in feeling, both traits that are often dogmatically avoided in modern haiku circles.  We might venture to say that it is this religious freedom that carries the poet's haiku discovery to its highest fulfillments.

Haymaking season –
both the grass and the weeds
under the scythe's blade

Divine messenger:
in the summer night
a lotus in bloom

In such haiku the poet clearly experiences a universal religion and shares his glimpses.

The book reminds us throughout why haiku and poetry are inseparable. We can see this even in the arrangement of the haiku by poetic seasons headings “Turn of the Year”, “Fragrances of Spring”, “Summer's Shadows”, “Autumn's Sounds” and  “The Colour of The Winter”.  The poet intends, and succeeds, at demonstrating the poetry of the seasons, which is the essence of the kigo tradition.  
 

          Equinox day
          so many autumn smells
          in the summer wind

While I could only appreciate the English translations, the life of the haiku is felt to be preserved by the translations – as each haiku (in one or more readings) surely reveals the hidden essence extracted from the Romanian.  The translations, by Cristian-Mihail Miehs, are effective and clear. They even stand as moving, lyrical English haiku when most inspired.

Sound the reveille
Some sleepless flowers are rising
from among the sleepy buds

Desteptarea
Cateva flori rasar printre
muguri somnorosi

The presentation is effective, although it may be slightly improved by having fewer haiku per page to bring each into the reader’s spotlight. This may have been just due to technical constraints, and could be improved while issuing a future edition. However, it should not distract a sincere reader from savouring each haiku slowly and separately – considering how difficult it is to write haiku as simple yet mysterious as the ones carefully arranged and presented in this collection.

As an aside, I would like to mention that some other reviews I chanced online into took a rather supercilious attitude towards technicalities such as translation and presentation, forgetting the author’s innocence about haiku. It is my hope that this review offsets such insensitivity for future readers.

After the spring feasts
ikebana incensing
the river’s water

Book information

Ikebana, by Vasile Moldovan (Târgu Mures, România: Editura Orion, 2005). In English. 65 pages, 5.5 x 8, perfectbound. ISBN 973-8020-66-2.

How to obtain a copy:
$15.00 postpaid from the author at Str. Birnova, Nr.8, B1.M.110, Ap.9, Cod-051164, Bucharest, Romania.

Links to other information and haiku by the author:

http://www.poetrylives.com/SimplyHaiku/SHv2n3/features/Vasile_Moldovan.html

http://home.alc.co.jp/db/owa/ph_prof?stage=show&auth_sn_in=455

http://www.ahapoetry.com/ahalynx/203bkrvs.html

http://www.geraldengland.co.uk/revs/bs164.htm