Hikaru

This is a book of English language haiku written by Bigendra Rajkarnikar, a graduate of the undergraduate school of Tribhuwan University (Kathmandu, Nepal) and now studying English literature and culture in the Graduate School of Daito Bunka University (Tokyo, Japan). These poems follow a five-seven-five English syllable pattern, which is different from the five-seven-five mora pattern of Japanese. As the rhythmic possibilities characteristic of Japanese are impossible to accurately mimic, no attempt was made to make use of Japanese rhythmic patterns. Every effort, though, was made to take advantage of the possibilities inherent in the English language to the best effect possible, given the fact that English is not the mother tongue of the writer. Carefully read, however, it will be seen that a Zen-like sensibility pervades the work and it is to be hoped the reader will enjoy the consequent Japanese sensibility.