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Saigyō

Born

in Kyoto, Japan

December 25, 1118

Died

March 16, 1190

Website

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saigyo

Genre

Poetry

Influences

Kokin Wakashuu

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Saigyō Houshi (西行法師, 1119 – March 23, 1190) was a famous Japanese poet of the late Heian and early Kamakura period.

Born Satou Norikiyo (佐藤義清) in Kyoto to a noble family, he lived during the traumatic transition of power between the old court nobles and the new samurai warriors. After the start of the Age of Mappō (1052), Buddhism was considered to be in decline and no longer as effective a means of salvation. These cultural shifts during his lifetime led to a sense of melancholy in his poetry. As a youth, he worked as a guard to retired Emperor Toba, but in 1140 at age 22, for reasons now unknown, he quit worldly life to become a monk, taking the religious name En'i (円位). He later took the pen name, "Saigyo" meaning Western Journey, a ref ...more

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Saigyō’s books

Average rating: 4.06 · 1,048 ratings · 148 reviews · 32 distinct works • Similar authors

	Saigyo 4.35 avg rating — 238 ratings — published 1991 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gazing at the Moon: Buddhist Poems of Solitude by Saigyō, Meredith McKinney (Translator) 4.35 avg rating — 144 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Awesome Nightfall: The Life, Times, and Poetry of Saigyo by Saigyō, William R. LaFleur (Translator) 4.25 avg rating — 77 ratings — published 2003 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mirror for the Moon by Saigyō, William R. LaFleur (Translator/Introduction), Gary Snyder (Foreword) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 1978 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Tale of Saigyo (Volume 25) (Michigan Papers in Japanese Studies) by Saigyō, Meredith McKinney (Editor) 4.08 avg rating — 13 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Горная хижина by Saigyō, Сайгё really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 13 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Blossom Awakening: The Life and Poetry of Wandering Monk Saigyo by Saigyō, Kazuaki Tanahashi (translator), Peter Levitt (translator) 4.80 avg rating — 10 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Poesie dal mio rifugio 4.13 avg rating — 8 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Vers le vide 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2004 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gedichte aus der Bergklause: Sankashû. Mit einem Kommentar, Annotationen und zahlreichen Abbildungen 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Saigyō (?)

“I'd like to divide
myself in order to see,
among these mountains,
each and every flower
of every cherry tree.”
― Saigyo

tags: buddhism

54 likes

“Every single thing changes and is changing always in this world. Yet with the same light the moon goes on shining.”
― Saigyo

24 likes

“Limitations gone:
Since my mind fixed on the moon,
Clarity and serenity
Make something for which
There's no end in sight.”
― Saigyo, Mirror for the Moon

tags: buddhism

19 likes

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PenPal Readers: JAPAN - PenPals, Authors, Books, Travel etc - Discussion	12	22	Apr 19, 2019 01:34PM

Saigyō’s Followers (34)

Saigyō

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