Basho, one of the greatest of Japanese poets and the master of haiku, was also a Buddhist monk and a life-long traveller. His poems combine 'karumi...
read full description
reviews
Feb 03, 2012
Collection of Basho poems. I missed the framework of the journey that there is in The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches. The selection ends with what is said to be Basho's death bed poem:
tabi ni yande / yume wa kareno wo / kake meguru
falling sick on a journey / my dream goes wandering / over a field of dried grass [1694]
More...
tabi ni yande / yume wa kareno wo / kake meguru
falling sick on a journey / my dream goes wandering / over a field of dried grass [1694]
More...
Nov 05, 2011
Justin
rated it: 
I love that Basho didn't really stick to the regulated way that haiku was supposed to be written. There were a lot of really good haiku in this book. The introduction, although longer than a typical introduction, gave a good biographical account of Basho and touched on haiku a little. There were over 200 different haiku in this book, and even a section to give contextual reference for some of the haiku. It was a pleasant read (simple of course), but good nonetheless.
Sep 19, 2011
Lee
rated it: 
this book proves the genius of haiku master Basho and how he recreated and refreshed the tired-out form during his lifetime.
although the translations aren't the best i've read, Basho's vision shines through clearly. he looks at thing things of nature and even human affairs and describes and investigates both succinctly and movingly.
a great read and a great place to start for people who are interested in reading real haiku, not the elementary school 5-7-5 slop.
although the translations aren't the best i've read, Basho's vision shines through clearly. he looks at thing things of nature and even human affairs and describes and investigates both succinctly and movingly.
a great read and a great place to start for people who are interested in reading real haiku, not the elementary school 5-7-5 slop.
Dec 11, 2011
Jim
rated it:
The 17th century Japanese Zen haiku poet Matsuo Basho is probably the greatest of all poet travelers. His Narrow Road to the Deep North is one of my favorite books. This anthology of Basho's other work, with an excellent introduction by the translator, is an excellent vade mecum for people like me, who wish they could be Basho.
Sep 25, 2010
Toros
rated it:
This is by far my favourite collection haiku. Not only is Basho undoubtedly the greatest haikuist of all time, Stryk's translations wonderfully capture the original wit and word economy of the poems in their original Japanese form. A must read for anyone who likes the following: haiku, Basho, poetry in general, or Zen.
Sep 17, 2009
Matthew
rated it:
In grade school, a haiku was what your teacher assigned when they had to keep you quiet for fifteen minutes. Basho utterly destroys that unfortunate stereotype. His reflective power and ability to analyze the intersection between culture and nature are unparalleled.
Jul 02, 2011
Clarissa
rated it:
This was my first time reading Basho and Japanese haiku. I'm in love. I borrowed this book from a dear friend; I plan on buying it for myself because so many of the poems sang to my heart. This is one I'd like to re-read many times in my life.
Oct 29, 2011
Jeremy
rated it:
Basho loses a bit of the original beauty of the Haiku form in translation, and although they still convey the serene, sublime and natural images of his culture; Basho's work does not retain the complete poetic edge that is in the original language.
Feb 25, 2010
Chester
rated it:
Its really mind-blowing to see how much Basho does with so little (Haiku isn't as long as, say, "Paradise Lost"). My favorites, in order of appearance, are 12, 27, 40, 80, 107, 1112, 117, 120, 152, 166, 174, 186, 193, 199, and 234. of these, 199 is probably my favorite:
"How I long to see
among dawn flowers,
the face of God."
"How I long to see
among dawn flowers,
the face of God."
Dec 17, 2009
Lindsey
rated it:
This is another great book to keep with you for when you only have a few minutes at a time to read. Some of the haikus in here were just ok, but others were luminous. Basho seems to have enjoyed life's simple pleasures, and this positive outlook comes through in his poems, making this a delightful read.
Feb 04, 2008
Doug
rated it:
Any one haiku which strikes like a felt hammer is a five-star one for me. I can't pick one now from memory, sadly, but reading these on a cool Minnesota lakeshore after a long day's trek sure was rejuvenating.
Aug 02, 2008
Gabriel
rated it:
This man's poetry is better than any other man's poetry. Emily Dickinson? Hmm.
May 15, 2008
South
rated it:
Stunning haiku poetry. captures nature at it's purest. Constantly worth re-reading
Feb 08, 2012
Feb 01, 2012
Feb 01, 2012
Jan 29, 2012
Jan 26, 2012
Jan 18, 2012
