Classic Haiku

This volume features dozens of Basho's poems as well as works by his predecessors and ten of his disciples — Kikaku, Ransetsu, Joso, and Kyoroku among them. Intended principally for readers with no knowledge of Japanese literature, the book includes the original Japanese text, a transliteration, and English translations for each verse.

**Chosen for 2020 NCTE Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels List** **Winner of 2020 Northern Lights Book Award for Poetry** **Winner of 2019 Skipping Stones Honor Awards** My First Book of Haiku Poems introduces children to inspirational works of poetry and art that speak of our connection to the natural world, and that enhance their ability to see an entire universe in the tiniest parts of it. Each of these 20 classic poems by Issa, Shiki, Basho, and other great haiku masters is paired with a stunning original painting that opens a door to the world of a child's imagination. A fully bilingual children's book, My First Book of Haiku Poems includes the original versions of the Japanese poems (in Japanese script and Romanized form) on each page alongside the English translation to form a complete cultural experience. Each haiku poem is accompanied by a "dreamscape" painting by award-winning artist Tracy Gallup that will be admired by children and adults alike. Commentaries offer parents and teachers ready-made "food for thought" to share with young readers and stimulate a conversation about each work.

This essential collection of Japanese poetry contains nearly two hundred haiku by the four most celebrated haiku masters of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, as well as a delightful seasonal interlude by several other leading haiku poets.Sometimes known as the Great Four of haiku poetry, Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki began mastering the subtle craft of the haiku as far back as 1670, capturing fleeting moments from life and nature with almost photographic clarity in just 17 Japanese syllables. Although thoroughly steeped in Japanese culture, history and philosophical tradition, the elegant, profound and highly accessible haiku has nevertheless transcended the bounds of its cultural heritage to become one of the most celebrated and widely translated poetic forms in the world. Featuring gorgeous accompanying images by renowned photographer John Cleare and an in-depth introduction by noted anthropologist and poet Tom Lowenstein, this volume combines literal translation with literary interpretation, expert commentary and evocative images to bring these poems to life in a way that is fully accessible to the modern reader while remaining faithful to the crisp visual nature of the haiku form.Including a deluxe cloth cover with a foil blocked sticker and a removable insight card with instructions on how to craft your very own haiku, this comprehensive and beautifully packaged collection is the perfect gift for the poetry lover in your life.

DIVUnique collection spans over 400 years (1488–1902) of haiku by greatest masters: Basho, Issa, Shiki, many more. Translated by top-flight scholars. Foreword and many informative notes to the poems. /div

Sparrows Playing hide-and-seek Among the tea blossoms. —Kobayashi Issa Haiku, the traditional Japanese verse form composed of seventeen syllables, can express a dramatic scene or philosophical idea in a single line of verse. In this collection, haiku poet Yuzuru Miura has selected and translated poems by past masters such as Basho and Buson, as well as haiku by contemporary poets. Fireflies, pheasants, a summer shower, winter snow, camellias—all the favorite haiku subjects are included among the one hundred poems of this impressive anthology. Classic Haiku evokes the peace and serenity of the Japanese way of life.

Haiku—seventeen-syllable poems that evoke worlds despite their brevity—have captivated Japanese readers since the seventeenth century. Today the form is practiced worldwide and is an established part of our common global heritage. This beautifully bound volume presents new English translations of classic poetry by the four great masters of Japanese haiku: Matsuo Bash, Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa, and Masaoka Shiki. The haiku are accompanied by both the original Japanese and a phonetic transcription.

This volume features dozens of Basho's poems as well as works by his predecessors and ten of his disciples — Kikaku, Ransetsu, Joso, and Kyoroku among them.

Everything you want to know about haiku written by one of the foremost experts in the field and the “finest translator of contemporary Japanese poetry into American English” (Gary Snyder) Who doesn’t love haiku? It is not only America’s most popular cultural import from Japan but also our most popular poetic form: instantly recognizable, more mobile than a sonnet, loved for its simplicity and compression, as well as its ease of composition. Haiku is an ancient literary form seemingly made for the Twittersphere—Jack Kerouac and Langston Hughes wrote them, Ezra Pound and the Imagists were inspired by them, Hallmark’s made millions off them, first-grade students across the country still learn to write them. But what really is a haiku? Where does the form originate? Who were the original Japanese poets who wrote them? And how has their work been translated into English over the years? The haiku form comes down to us today as a cliché: a three-line poem of 5-7-5 syllables. And yet its story is actually much more colorful and multifaceted. And of course to write a good one can be as difficult as writing a Homeric epic—or it can materialize in an instant of epic inspiration. In On Haiku, Hiroaki Sato explores the many styles and genres of haiku on both sides of the Pacific, from the classical haiku of Basho, Issa, and Zen monks, to modern haiku about swimsuits and atomic bombs, to the haiku of famous American writers such as J. D. Salinger and Allen Ginsburg. As if conversing over beers in your favorite pub, Sato explains everything you wanted to know about the haiku in this endearing and pleasurable book, destined to be a classic in the field.