Haiku on eBothy Blog

The Little Book of Gaiku

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

A book of Gaelic haiku poems to accompany my wild land photographs had been an idea ruminating in the depths of my own wild imagination for some time. Having taken the plunge and self published the Little Book of Gaiku I was amazed to be contacted by Scotland on Sunday newspaper for a half page spread on what was believed to be the first full volume of Gaelic haiku poems.

the changeling gaiku

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I was sitting outside with a nice 5am Saint yesterday, sheltered from a light north westerly and watching huge cumulonimbus build over Knoydart and musing on the lines of clear air which marked the arms of the sea and lochs, as if a relief map of the mountains had been created from cloud and raised high into the air. It was fascinating to watch towers of cumulus congestus rise over Ladhair Bheinn then dissipate into dirty coloured vapour and drift over the clear air across Loch Hourn. For the clouds were working their way upwind. In the soft ochre hues and subdued light something just clicked and the Muse awakened from her summer slumber.

winter stars gaiku

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

On the coming of winter

Na reultan Geamhraidh A’dusgadh bhon ear dorch Suilean cadalach

The Winter stars Awakening from the dark East Sleepy eyed

what is Gaiku?

swan gaiku

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Gaelic Haiku for a swan

A’mhuir cho domhainn Shèol mi oirre uaireigin Mar eala ghorm

The deep sea I sailed her once As a blue swan

what is Gaiku?

a winter gaiku

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Gaiku (Gaelic Haiku)

Solas fuar na Gealach Gheamhraidh ’s reòthadh geal air an talamh

Cold light of The Winter Moon and frost white on the land

what is Gaiku?

introducing gaiku

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I was reading about Haiku and thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to write Haiku in Gaelic? It’d be the same format of 5-7-5 syllables (ok, they’re not really syllables in Japanese but in Gaelic they are). So I’ve come up with Gaiku (Gaelic Haiku) and here’s the first one.

The Haiku rule applies only to the Gaelic, not the translation.

Bha mi air an traigh trath anns a’mhadainn an dè coimhead air nan tonn