Details

Rajna Begović

Rajna Begović

(4 October 1939 – 15 August 2011)

Rajna Begović was born in Skopje, Macedonia on 4 October 1939. She worked as a physician. Rajna was a member of the Haiku Society of Serbia and Montenegro and her work has been included in a number of haiku collections, journals, and anthologies. She was the recipient of many national and international awards for haiku, waka, and haibun. Rajna proved to be a very talented and sensitive poet, choosing very carefully the words to express her feelings, her opinion and the ever present connection with nature in our daily life. She also wrote aphorisms, short stories, and classical poems. She lived in Belgrade, Serbia. Sadly Rajna died on 15 August 2011.

Awards and Other Honours:

Honourable Mention, Mainichi Haiku Contest (2001); Commendation, Third Place for senryu, Lotos, Valjevo (2001); Commendation, Haiku Club AN4 (Novi Sad, 2002); Third Place and Commendation for haiku, Haiku Club AN5 (Novi Sad, 2002); Award, Haiku contest (Knjazevac, 2002); Inspirational Award (Knjazevac, 2002); Honourable Mention, Yellow Moon (2002); Honourable Mention, Suruga Baika Festival (2002); Merit Award, Ito en (2003); Honourable Mention, Mainichi Haiku Contest (2004); Commended Haiku, 38th A-Bomb Memorial Day Haiku Meeting (2004); Special Award, 58th Basho Festival (2005); Third Place, Apokalisa (Slovenia, 2005); The Best Haiku, 38th A-Bomb Memorial Day Meeting (2005); Second Place, Mainichi Haiku Contest (2005); Commendation, Klostar Ivanic (Croatia, 2005); Second Place, Ito en (2006); Honourable Mention, Ludberg (Croatia, 2007); Second Place, Dubravko Ivancan (Krapina, Croatia, 2007); Award, Genkissu Spirits Up! (2007); Merit Award, Ito en (2008); Commended Haiku (Odzaci, Serbia, 2009); Commended Haiku Sequence (Odzaci, Serbia, 2009).

Books Published:

Crveno nebo (Red Sky) [a haiku journal] (Svitak, Pozega, 2001); Bela ždrebica i Kicino magare (A White Filly and Kica’s Colt) [a children novel; self-published; editor, Dejan Bogojevic (Belgrade, 2002); co-author of PreZenT anegdote [edited by Dragan J. Ristić] (Literary association Sveti Sava: Belgrade, 2007).

Selected Work:

The wind swings
the laundry and a cherry branch
in the same direction

Na istu stranu                                                   
vetar zaljuljao veš                                           
i granu višnje

(Honourable Mention, Mainichi Haiku Contest, 2001)  

*

Sandy beach
In the eye of a dead fish
the moon’s reflection

Peščana plaža                                                                         
U oku mrtve ribe                                                                  
odsjaj meseca                                                                       

(Baya Mare anthology , 2001)

*            

Small steps
hurrying long ones on.
First day of school.

Sitni koraci
pozuruju krupne.
Prvi skolski dan.

(Third Price, Anthology Haiku Competition "AN5 - 2002")

*

Birds flying
A boy spreading his arms
and swinging them

Ptice lete                                                                                              
Dečak širi ruke                                                                  
i maše njima                                                                                        

(Honorable Mention, Mainichi Haiku Contest, 2004)

*

Dewdrops gleaming
on the chestnut buds
Not on each one

Kapi rose svetle                                                               
na pupoljcima kestena                                 
Ne na svakom                                                  

(Commendation, Klostar Ivanic Haiku Contest, 2005)

*

A yellow leaf flies in
through the open door
of an ambulance

Žuti list ulete                                                     
kroz otvorena vrata                                       
bolničkih kola

(Second Place, Ito en (2006)

*

July heat
in the lift
a butterfly

Julska žega
U liftu
leptir

(Merit Award, Ito en, 2008)

*

Roadside fountain
A traveler's shadow
becomes wet

Česma kraj puta
Okvasi se senka
putnika

(Magnapoets 4, July 2009)

*

Dried meadow
Bent shadows of an old woman
and her goat

Suva livada                                                                         
Pognute senke starice                                                  
i njene koze                                                                      

(Runner-up, Haiku Reality, 2009)

*

Early spring
Instead of swallows
air-raid alarms

(Merit at the World Haiku Festival 2010, Nagasaki)

*

Death of a firefly
How it is far away
How it is near

Smrt svica                                                                           
Kako je daleko                                                 
Kako je blizu                                                                      

(Ginyu 47, 2010)

*

Birds flying away
Birds flying back
My wrinkled hand

Ptice odleću                                                                      
Ptice doleću                                                                      
Moja smežurana ruka                                                   

(Commendation, Klostar Ivanic Haiku Contest, 2011)

*

A bird trills
now and then
Infusion drips

U razmacima                                                                       
ćurliče neka ptica                                                            
Kaplje infuzija                                                                   

(Haiku novine 27, 2012)

*

Birthday flower
From trembling words
a petal falls

Rođendanski cvet                                                           
Od uzdrhtalih reči                                                           
pade latica                                                                         

(Shadows of Chestnuts, anthology of Serbian haiku poetry, 2012)

This profile was created in collaboration with Rajna’s daughter, Tatjana Stefanović and the Serbian poet Sasa Vazic. We are very grateful for their help and support! 

Sources: