Love Poems from the Japanese

by Kenneth Rexroth (Translator), Sam Hamill (Editor)

Drawn from classical, medieval, and modern sources—including the imperial collections of the Manyoshu and Kokinshu— the poems in this collection are some of the greatest love poems from the Japanese tradition. The poems range in tone from the spiritual longing of an isolated monk to the erotic ecstasy of a court princess—but share the extraordinary simplicity and luminosity of language that marks Kenneth Rexroth's verse style. An introduction by the poet and translator Sam Hamill, the editor of this collection, and short biographies of the poets are included.

The Shambhala Library is a series of exquisitely designed and produced cloth editions of the world's spiritual and literary classics, both ancient and modern. Perfect for collecting or as gifts, each volume features a sewn binding, decorative endsheets, and a ribbon marker—a delightful-to-hold 4 ¼ x 6 ¾ trim size.

Genres: Poetry, Japan, Asia, Japanese Literature

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Kenneth Rexroth was an American poet, translator, and critical essayist.

He is regarded as a central figure in the San Francisco Renaissance, and paved the groundwork for the movement. Although he did not consider himself to be a Beat poet, and disliked the association, he was dubbed the "Father of the Beats" by Time magazine.

Largely self-educated, Rexroth learned several languages and translated poems from Chinese, French, Spanish, and Japanese. He was among the first poets in the United States to explore traditional Japanese poetic themes and forms.

Rexroth died in Santa Barbara, California, on June 6, 1982. He had spent his final years translating Japanese and Chinese women poets, as well as promoting the work of female poets in America and overseas.

Reviews

[Armen · Rating 3 out of 5]

you say,"i will come."
and you do not come.
now you say,"i will not come."
so i shall expect you.
have i learned to understand you?

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful little volume of love poetry. It was a quick read, too. I haven't read much Japanese poetry, and I definitely feel I have been missing out. Was a good introduction and I will be looking for more.

[Rebeccah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the simplicity of Japanese poetry, and how so much emotion can be wrung from so few lines.

In the dusk the path
You used to come to me
Is overgrown and indistinguishable,
Except for the spider webs
That hang across it
Like threads of sorrow.

I think this form works especially well for the melancholic themes. Certainly not all the poems in this collection spoke to me, but there were a few gems.

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good intro collection, though Marichiko IS Rexroth. That distinction is never made.

[Amanda Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first time reading Japanese poetry (these were translated). It's definitely difficult to fully appreciate them in the translated English, so I look forward to reading Japanese poetry in its original, intended state.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

mostly short in nature there were quite a range of love poems from tragic to erotic - with beautiful imagery

[ej · Rating 3 out of 5]

maybe like 3.25/5 a few i really liked but overall okay

[Dylan Santana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a few lines can spell out the world

[Mejix · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a 2.5 ish.
It does include some little jewels here and there.
Introduced me to the work of Yosano Akiko.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful collection of love poems, startling in their concrete imagery, evocative. Most of these poems are clearly about lovers, husbands and wives, romantic and erotic relationships. Others though, and I liked them the best, are ambiguous and could be descriptive of the longing of a parent for a lost or missing child, or of a child for a deceased and beloved parent or friend. A swift and rewarding read.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Rexroth, and think his translations are lovely. This compilation, though, like many Shambhala editions, is a little on the cutesy side.

Plus it has a number of the Marichiko poems in it, which seems a little odd since... you know... Marichiko=Rexroth=Marichiko. Though I still love Love Poems of Marichiko as an integral work.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful book of poems, many of them over one thousand years old. It has everything I associate w/ Japanese poetry: nature, sly humor, simplicity, plus a melancholy sense of the passage of time. Lots of frankly erotic work in here, most delightful. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in poetry.

[Enoch Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sensuous haiku and other short forms. not just sensual, but an aire of philosophy about it. Some spoken from the male viewpoint which is why I wanted it, but most pieces voice the female viewpoint, which also is quite beautiful. Most is arousing and shifts fluidly from sweet to seductively enticing and sometimes a few can be despairing or even enraging.

[Jillian Haro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very quick read (1 hour). The Japanese have very honest poetry. They're all mostly short, and sexual, which made it fun to read. It's different from American poetry, because it has less details, but tells a lot more within the shortness of the poems.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually trans. and selected by Kenneth Rexroth, whom I adore.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't seem to stop rereading these poems marvelling at their very existence.
I've put them away for a while tho.

[Sheri Fresonke Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pocket sized collection of some steamy and heart felt poems, mostly tanka. Very lovely. I appreciated the introduction with the notes on tanka since I was more familiar with haiku.

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love these love poems and my husband who read them out loud to me each night.