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One Hundred Poems from Old Japan: A New Translation of the Hyakunin Isshu [With Free Online Audio Recordings]
- GenresPoetry
224 pages, Hardcover
Published August 26, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 18, 2025
One Hundred Poems from Old Japan is a translation of the Hyakunin Isshu. It consists of a short preface about the role of poetry in the Heian period and brief notes about some of the poets in the collection, followed by the one hundred poems themselves. Each poem is given in English, Japanese, and a Romaji transcription, and is accompanied by an Ukiyo-E illustration.
It's a beautifully presented book, in hardcover and full colour. In honesty I found it difficult seeing the connection between the picture and the poem in most cases, but apparently these woodblocks were specifically carved with the poems in mind, so I'll just have to assume the illustrators understood the collection better than I did. The translator made the explicit decision not to explain any of the poems and leave them as is. I was a bit concerned about this choice since I figured the poems would have complex histories attached, and some indeed do, but it turns out the majority are on universal themes so it really doesn't matter who wrote it, when, and for whom. Nevertheless, I do suggest reading it with your phone nearby, because some of the metaphors need context a non-Japanese reader is unlikely to have.
The English translations vary in their effectiveness. Some are quite moving, while others are puzzling in their clumsiness, given how many decent renditions a Google search churns up. Nevertheless, if you're looking for just one book of Japanese poetry to grace your shelf, this could very well be it. Beautiful, canonical, and short enough to not outstay its welcome.
It's a beautifully presented book, in hardcover and full colour. In honesty I found it difficult seeing the connection between the picture and the poem in most cases, but apparently these woodblocks were specifically carved with the poems in mind, so I'll just have to assume the illustrators understood the collection better than I did. The translator made the explicit decision not to explain any of the poems and leave them as is. I was a bit concerned about this choice since I figured the poems would have complex histories attached, and some indeed do, but it turns out the majority are on universal themes so it really doesn't matter who wrote it, when, and for whom. Nevertheless, I do suggest reading it with your phone nearby, because some of the metaphors need context a non-Japanese reader is unlikely to have.
The English translations vary in their effectiveness. Some are quite moving, while others are puzzling in their clumsiness, given how many decent renditions a Google search churns up. Nevertheless, if you're looking for just one book of Japanese poetry to grace your shelf, this could very well be it. Beautiful, canonical, and short enough to not outstay its welcome.
September 16, 2025
This is a high-quality translation of the ancient Japanese waka poems (now known as tanka) by Michael Freiling. In addition to the translations, woodblock prints are featured on the adjacent page of each poem. This book transports us back in time, into the hearts and minds of poets living in Japan in the 13th century, yet their emotional lives are still relatable today. For anyone interested in Japanese poetry, Japanese literature, and history, I highly recommend this book.
Reviewed by Jacob D. Salzer, author of Sea Wind: Haiku (Lulu, 2025), My First Trip to Japan (Lulu, 2025), A Lost Prophet: Haiku & Tanka (Brooks Books, 2024), and Unplugged- Haiku & Tanka (Lulu, 2022)
Reviewed by Jacob D. Salzer, author of Sea Wind: Haiku (Lulu, 2025), My First Trip to Japan (Lulu, 2025), A Lost Prophet: Haiku & Tanka (Brooks Books, 2024), and Unplugged- Haiku & Tanka (Lulu, 2022)
August 30, 2025
忘れらるる
身をば思はず
誓ひてし
人の命の
惜しくもあるかな
Go ahead, forget me,
I'll surviveー
but will the gods
forget the vow you made
and let you off so easily?
身をば思はず
誓ひてし
人の命の
惜しくもあるかな
Go ahead, forget me,
I'll surviveー
but will the gods
forget the vow you made
and let you off so easily?
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews