The Zen Fool Ryōkan

by Misao Kodama

Ryokan's poems are a celebration of the joys and sadnesses of everyday life. His spare, direct style is remarkable for its immediacy and intimacy. This bilingual collection contains more than 150 of his finest poems in Japanese and Chinese, including his famous lyrical correspondence with the nun Teishin, who befriended him in his later years. It also includes a biographical essay on Ryōkan, and useful notes on the poems themselves.

Genres: Poetry

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 1999

Reviews

[Mark Robison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the structure of this book and the tender stories of Ryokan's life, but I had to set it aside about two-thirds through because the poems are just not translated well — they're awkward and, I'm sorry to say, dull. Compare a translation from this book with one from "Great Fool: Zen Master Ryokan" by Ryuichi Abe and Peter Haskel.

From this book:
If my black robe is large enough
How ready I would be
To cover the whole sufferers
With the robe I wear.

From "Great Fool":
If my arms draped in these black robes
Were only wide enough
How gladly I would shelter in them
All the people of this floating world.

[Austin Zhao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryokan's poetry, like Basho's, highlights the simple, pure ecstasy of living the life of a hermit, detached from the hustle and bustle of routine life. The difference, however, is Ryokan's sense of longing. Particularly beautiful are his exchanges with the nun Teishin, fusing Zen with a passionate love.

[Bartosz Kubiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alone yet connected, painful yet blissful. Life is as we chose to precieve it to be, to accept it with curiosity and personal reflection. Maybe modern man shouldn’t live in the woods alone though. Though there are lessons to be learned in living life that way. Poetic and true

[Jacob Bornheimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider this book to be a timeless treasure. I relate to Ryōkan very strongly: his sadness and passion; yet I envy his ability to accept all that comes. He wasn't perfect, yet he seemed to have a strong grasp of life and existing and damn I wish I could have met him, or stayed with him in his hut writing poetry. I think I will be rereading these poems for the rest of my life.