The Moon's
Unseen Face
A book of Haiku by Vasile Moldovan
Translated into English by Christian-Mihail
Reviewed by Robert D. Wilson
The
haiku in Vasile Moldovan's book of haiku, The Moon's Unseen Face, deeply
moved me, leaving an indelible imprint. There is a lyrical quality to his haiku...the
old world coupled with the new. Moldovan's is an original voice. His work stands
out and will remain long after the reader puts his book down. Few books of poetry
have that kind of a hold over a reader.
Too much of what passes
for haiku today is passé, saying little, following a tight little
pattern. Much is forgettable. Not so with Rumanian poet, Vasile Moldovan.
He has written
a hauntingly beautiful book of haiku with one theme, the Moon. The moon is one
of the most popular subjects for haiku poets. How easy it would have been
for
the poet to wax trite, to give his readers a window into banality and overused
imagery.
Instead, Moldovan gives
us fresh insight into the moon, letting us experience it through his eyes,
his
mindset, his unique way of perceiving the world above and around him. States
Radu
Carnrci, "The Moon stares at us, not only in its four quarters, but also
in dozens of images born in the poet's mind, making us accomplices to his innumerable
moods and feelings. Vasile Moldovan enchants us not only by his originality of
expression, but also by the purity of lyrical experiences, now, in a time that
is avoiding those bitter conditions."
See for yourself. Click
here to see ten of his "moon" haiku.
Vasile Moldovan was born
on June 20, 1949, in the village of Shopteriu in Romania. He and Florin
Vasiliu
are cofounders of the Romanian Haiku Society. Moldovan has served as the
group's chairperson from 2001 to the present.
He graduated from the
Faculty of Journalism (l975-l979), and he has taken postgraduate courses
in journalism and communication science.
His published books include
Via Dolorosa (religious poetry, l998), Fata Nevazuta a Lunii (The
Unseen Face of the Moon, a bilingual Romanian-English edition, the
English edition by Christian Miehs, 2001), Poemul intr-un vers (The
One Line Poem, critical studies, in collaboration with Florin Vasiliu, 2001)
and Arca lui Noe (Noah's Ark, a bilingual Romanian-English edition,
the English edition by Christian-Mihail Miehs, 2OO3).
In November 2003, he won
the Special Award at The International Haiku Contest from Iga Town, Basho's Kensho
Kai.
