Ginka Biliarska
(1946-2007)
Ginka Biliarska is a Bulgarian journalist, poet, playwright, and author of essays, articles, children's books and more. She dedicated much of her life to haiku and its popularization in Bulgaria as a Chairwoman of the Bulgarian Haiku Club. Her haiku has been published in 9 different languages in 11 countries.
Ginka Dimitrova Biliarska was born in 1946. She studied Slavic Studies at “St. Kliment Ohridski” University, Sofia and she graduated in 1968. She specialized in Languages and Journalism in Birmingham and Moscow. In 1973 Ginka became a member of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists and she worked for more than twenty years as a journalist.
Ginka has won many awards from both national and international competitions: "Poetry of the Sea" (1996), "Yavorov days" (2000; 2002), Graf Mur (Russia, 2003), Third Place in the 12th WHA contest (USA, 2004), Haiku of the month in the Shining star poetry(USA, 2006), Third Place in the 6th International Haiku Contest (Ludbreg - Croatia, 2007), Second place in the international CALICO CAT haiku contest (USA, 2007). In 2005 one of her plays won distinction by the National Review of Puppet Art Theatre (2005). She also won the prestigious "Golden quill" Award.
Ginka died on 30 July 2007 in Sofia. But shortly before she died Ginka wrote this beautiful death haiku which sums up her poetic legacy:
Къде ли е сега Душата ми?
Дано да е на топло
в някой бъдещ спомен …
Where is my Soul now?
Hopefully somewhere warm
in a future memory ...
(сп. Хайку Свят/Haiku World, 1 - 2013)
Some publications:
Books:
- "Let's play Theatre" (Да играем на театър) - (1986);
- "Make your own book" (Направи си книжка сам) - (1987);
- "Bravissimo" (Брависимо) - (1997);
- " Vivo-vivace" (1997);
- "Haiku" (Хайку) - (1998);
- "Haiku. Tanka" (Хайку. Танка) - (2000);
- "The Day of the Butterfly" (Денят на пеперудата) - (2001);
- "Cherry haiku" (Вишнево хайку) - (2002).
Anthologies:
- "The Flower. An anthology of Bulgarian haiku " (Цветето. Антология с българско хайку) - (2002);
- "The Rose. An anthology of European haiku " (Розата. Антология с европейско хайку) - (2003);
- "The Road. An anthology of Contemporary World Haiku "( Пътят. Антология на съвременното световно хайку ) -(2004).
Selected haiku:
Паутины трещин,
паутины морщин -
в зеркале все сохранилось.
Web cracks,
web of wrinkles -
all preserved in the mirror.
(Nominated in the haiku contest - Graf Mur (Russia, 2003)
***
hoof beat
horse chestnuts galloping
after the summer
august at seaside
fish in aquarium
suffocating
across the path
sweet and sour sin
neighbour's vineyard
clover between the pages
without scent or colour
poems
(Haikumena, Issue 2)
***
The sleeping sea
Behind her shoulder -
yawning day.
Wind whistles
a broken reed.
Flock of birds crossed the autumn.
Limping birds.
Imperfect.
People.
(translations by Szondi György:сп. Хемус - Haemus, 2003/4, p.51)
***
локви по пътя
разплисква звезди
закъсняла каруца
tócsák az úton –
csillagokat terel szét
megkésett szekér
puddles on the road
splashing stars
a delayed cart
---
Мравка –
носи сламка
по-дълга от летния ден
Hangya –
nyári napnál hosszabb
szalmaszálat vonszol
ant -
carries a straw
longer than a summer day
(translations by Szondi György: Más-más csönd/Различна тишина, Bolgár haikuantológia, Napkút Kiadó, Budapest, 2012, p.32-33)
***
Неизказаните думи – като прилепи
предусетили с ужас
че се развиделява
Unspoken words - like bats
realizing with horror
it’s getting brighter
Прокапва роза
Животът се скъси –
макар с едно листенце
dripping rose
life gets shorter -
albeit with a leaf
(сп. Хайку Свят/Haiku World, 1 - 2013)
***
кап,кап,кап...
и трясъкът от паднала висулка
точно в полунощ
drop, drop, drop…
a falling icicle is marking
midnight
зайче в клетка
сама тревата идва-
два пъти на ден
rabbit in a cage
only the grass is coming -
two times a day
(Aozora Project, 2005)
Sources:
http://graf-mur.holm.ru/russ/konkurs16.htm
http://haikumena.haiku-do.com/issue2/ginka_biliarska.php
http://haikumena.haiku-do.com/issue2/horizon.php
http://liternet.bg/publish20/g_biliarska/
http://kulturni-novini.info/news.php?page=news_show&nid=4355&sid=24
http://www.slovo.bg/old/litforum/111/rlikova.htm
http://www.ulitka.haiku-do.com/rus/2006-04/biliarska-codrescu.php
http://www.tempslibres.org/aozora/bg/poets/poet05.html
http://terebess.hu/haiku/biljarszka.html
http://haiku-do.com/2008/11/04/rengay-tengu-ginka-bilyarska/