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Four Huts: Asian Writings on the Simple Life
The short works collected in Four Huts give voice to one of the most treasured aesthetic and spiritual ideals of Asia—that of a simple life lived in a simple dwelling. The texts were written between the ninth and the seventeenth centuries and convey each author's underlying sense of the world and what is to be valued in it. Four Huts presents original translations by Burton Watson—one of the most respected translators of Chinese and Japanese literature. The qualities that emerge from these writings are an awareness of impermanence, love of nature, fondness for poetry and music, and an appreciation of the quiet life. Four Huts features eleven brush paintings by artist Stephen Addiss.
98 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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About the author
Burton Watson
134 books51 followersBurton Watson was an American sinologist, translator, and writer renowned for his English translations of Chinese and Japanese literature. Over his prolific career, he brought classical works of poetry, philosophy, and history to a wider audience, earning numerous accolades, including the PEN Translation Prize and the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation.
Born in New Rochelle, New York, Watson served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before studying Chinese at Columbia University. He later moved to Japan, where he worked as a scholar and translator, remaining there for most of his life. His translations, influenced by Arthur Waley and Ezra Pound, emphasized clarity and poetic resonance. Among his most notable works are translations of The Analects of Confucius, Records of the Grand Historian, The Lotus Sutra, Cold Mountain: 100 Poems by Han Shan, and The Tale of the Heike.
Watson’s work played a crucial role in introducing Chinese and Japanese literary traditions to the English-speaking world, and his translations continue to be regarded as both scholarly and literary achievements.
Born in New Rochelle, New York, Watson served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before studying Chinese at Columbia University. He later moved to Japan, where he worked as a scholar and translator, remaining there for most of his life. His translations, influenced by Arthur Waley and Ezra Pound, emphasized clarity and poetic resonance. Among his most notable works are translations of The Analects of Confucius, Records of the Grand Historian, The Lotus Sutra, Cold Mountain: 100 Poems by Han Shan, and The Tale of the Heike.
Watson’s work played a crucial role in introducing Chinese and Japanese literary traditions to the English-speaking world, and his translations continue to be regarded as both scholarly and literary achievements.
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November 5, 2013The excellent scholar/translator Burton Watson brings together four short texts on a topic much discussed, if not actually lived, by the educated classes of China and Japan - withdrawing from the "world" to live in simplicity in order to concentrate on the "important things" in life. Watson could have provided hundreds of such texts, and these are excellent choices, but one should beware trying to make generalizations about the entire genre on the basis of these four examples. Two of the texts were translated from the Chinese and two from the Japanese; three of the four authors were Japanese. The texts were written over a span of more than 7 centuries.
The great T'ang dynasty poet Po Chu-i (772–846), whose name has been romanized in a half-dozen other ways, opens with "Record of the Thatched Hall on Mount Lu", written in 817. It was composed in a very widespread prose form the Chinese call chi (report). As so often, the withdrawal from the world in Po's case was the result of a demotion (another common cause was withdrawal in protest of some injustice/bad policy/bad behavior, etc. of the central government), and it was a rather short-lived semi-withdrawal. In this charming text Po describes his little "hut" and its immediate surroundings. Though the region was a hotbed of Buddhist and Taoist activity and Po himself was a practicing Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist, there is little sign of Buddhist thought in this text, aside from a short list of names of Buddhist monks who had lived and died in the region. So, really, it appeared to me to be more a delightful place for a vacation or retirement than the somewhat more meaningful ideal usually expressed by "withdrawing from the world" in Asia. After two years, he was given another assignment and had to move on... Watson appends two poems of Po also set at the Thatched Hall (an allusion to a similar retreat of Tu Fu) which nicely complement the chi.
Yoshishige no Yasutane (c.930-997) wrote Chitei no Ki (translated by Watson as "Record of the Pond Pavilion") in 982. In Heian Japan, Chinese culture was particularly influential. Though Japanese scholars of later ages wrote in Chinese for a number of reasons, in Heian Japan writing in Japanese was somewhat analogous to writing in Italian, as opposed to Latin, in Florence in the 15th century - the importance and quality of your work was discounted. This piece was composed in Chinese but in the form called zuihitsu by the Japanese (a kind of essay in which the author "follows the brush", follows his thoughts where they lead). Yasutane signals Po's influence on him through explicit mention of his name, but Yasutane's "retreat" is an extensive mansion in the middle of Kyoto(!), albeit in a rather desolate portion of the capital.
In the first section of Chitei no Ki Yasutane recounts social and economic problems in Kyoto; compared with the problems described in the following piece,Hojoki, these are rather mild. Then Yasutane lovingly describes his mansion and the grounds, "like a louse happy in the seam of a garment". Then he moralizes in a Confucian and (Amida) Buddhist vein. But at the end he expresses concern and embarrassment that his comfortable life in his little mansion might be too extravagant, so he ends with a much more solemn paragraph of moralizing; here an excerpt:
Next we find Hojoki (translated here as "Record of the Ten-Foot-Square Hut") written by Kamo no Chomei (1153/5–1216) in 1212. I can now see that he was much influenced by Yasutane's piece. He followed the general structure of Chitei no Ki but outdid it in every conceivable respect. Hojoki is a central text in Japanese culture, written in a poetically dense prose which Watson also renders in prose, as did Donald Keene in his pioneering Anthology of Japanese Literature. I review an excellent translation into free verse by Michael Hofmann here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and refer you there for a brief discussion of Hojoki. I have to say that I prefer Hofmann's version, but Keene's and Watson's are very fine, too.
Watson's selection concludes with Genjuan no Ki (Record of the Hut of the Phantom Dwelling) written by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) in 1690. It is composed in the haibun style, a poetic prose style. Unlike Chomei, Basho lived in a time of peace and stability. He wrote this piece in a little hut outside Kyoto not far from the site of Chomei's hut. He suppresses all of the social and philosophical concerns of the preceding two pieces and returns to the genial personal notes of Po's piece. He even draws in Chinese sites he had never witnessed and mentions Po by name. Genjuan no Ki is quiet, modest, reserved.
This book is enhanced by ink drawings and calligraphy by Stephen Addiss. And Watson's introductions and notes are very useful.
Five stars for the Hojoki. In my Booklikes review you can find a drawing of Yasutane by Yosai Kikuchi:
http://leopard.booklikes.com/post/679...
The great T'ang dynasty poet Po Chu-i (772–846), whose name has been romanized in a half-dozen other ways, opens with "Record of the Thatched Hall on Mount Lu", written in 817. It was composed in a very widespread prose form the Chinese call chi (report). As so often, the withdrawal from the world in Po's case was the result of a demotion (another common cause was withdrawal in protest of some injustice/bad policy/bad behavior, etc. of the central government), and it was a rather short-lived semi-withdrawal. In this charming text Po describes his little "hut" and its immediate surroundings. Though the region was a hotbed of Buddhist and Taoist activity and Po himself was a practicing Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist, there is little sign of Buddhist thought in this text, aside from a short list of names of Buddhist monks who had lived and died in the region. So, really, it appeared to me to be more a delightful place for a vacation or retirement than the somewhat more meaningful ideal usually expressed by "withdrawing from the world" in Asia. After two years, he was given another assignment and had to move on... Watson appends two poems of Po also set at the Thatched Hall (an allusion to a similar retreat of Tu Fu) which nicely complement the chi.
Yoshishige no Yasutane (c.930-997) wrote Chitei no Ki (translated by Watson as "Record of the Pond Pavilion") in 982. In Heian Japan, Chinese culture was particularly influential. Though Japanese scholars of later ages wrote in Chinese for a number of reasons, in Heian Japan writing in Japanese was somewhat analogous to writing in Italian, as opposed to Latin, in Florence in the 15th century - the importance and quality of your work was discounted. This piece was composed in Chinese but in the form called zuihitsu by the Japanese (a kind of essay in which the author "follows the brush", follows his thoughts where they lead). Yasutane signals Po's influence on him through explicit mention of his name, but Yasutane's "retreat" is an extensive mansion in the middle of Kyoto(!), albeit in a rather desolate portion of the capital.
In the first section of Chitei no Ki Yasutane recounts social and economic problems in Kyoto; compared with the problems described in the following piece,Hojoki, these are rather mild. Then Yasutane lovingly describes his mansion and the grounds, "like a louse happy in the seam of a garment". Then he moralizes in a Confucian and (Amida) Buddhist vein. But at the end he expresses concern and embarrassment that his comfortable life in his little mansion might be too extravagant, so he ends with a much more solemn paragraph of moralizing; here an excerpt:
Ah, when a wise man builds a house, he causes no expense to the people, no trouble to the spirits. He uses benevolence and righteousness for his ridgepole and beam, ritual and law for his pillar and base stone, truth and virtue for a gate and door, mercy and love for a wall and hedge.
Next we find Hojoki (translated here as "Record of the Ten-Foot-Square Hut") written by Kamo no Chomei (1153/5–1216) in 1212. I can now see that he was much influenced by Yasutane's piece. He followed the general structure of Chitei no Ki but outdid it in every conceivable respect. Hojoki is a central text in Japanese culture, written in a poetically dense prose which Watson also renders in prose, as did Donald Keene in his pioneering Anthology of Japanese Literature. I review an excellent translation into free verse by Michael Hofmann here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and refer you there for a brief discussion of Hojoki. I have to say that I prefer Hofmann's version, but Keene's and Watson's are very fine, too.
Watson's selection concludes with Genjuan no Ki (Record of the Hut of the Phantom Dwelling) written by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) in 1690. It is composed in the haibun style, a poetic prose style. Unlike Chomei, Basho lived in a time of peace and stability. He wrote this piece in a little hut outside Kyoto not far from the site of Chomei's hut. He suppresses all of the social and philosophical concerns of the preceding two pieces and returns to the genial personal notes of Po's piece. He even draws in Chinese sites he had never witnessed and mentions Po by name. Genjuan no Ki is quiet, modest, reserved.
This book is enhanced by ink drawings and calligraphy by Stephen Addiss. And Watson's introductions and notes are very useful.
Five stars for the Hojoki. In my Booklikes review you can find a drawing of Yasutane by Yosai Kikuchi:
http://leopard.booklikes.com/post/679...
March 6, 2008
It's easy to get caught up in the subtitle of this book, "Asian Writings on the Simple Life," and draw conclusions about Asian views of what life should really be like after reading this book. Don't be so hasty. Each of the four authors are far from simple people. All of them were members of the ultra-literate elite of their day. All of them were writing in a very specific genre of literature (called the "ji/ki" or "commemorative record" genre) that only highly trained elites were privy to. So the quaint expressions of eremetic quiessence and beautiful ideals for peace and happiness really need to be read with this in the back of your mind. These guys lived in their respective "huts" by choice, not by necessity. Still, with that in mind, this book is a great example of how the literati tradition was shared by individuals across East Asia. They all lived in very different times and places, but were keenly aware of each other's writing and accomplishments. At times they seem to be writing to each other across time and space. In short, all four of them are acknowledging they are participants in tradition that is greater than their own individual accomplishments or status. Have a read for yourself (the book is less than 100 pages) and be the judge!
May 12, 2021
A small collection of four writings, with the subject of living a simple life in a remote location or within a city, of which I know two writers from elsewhere (Po Chu-I and Basho). One is Chinese, the others Japanese; two write in Chinese, two in Japanese. The texts were written between 9th and 17th Centuries, and all muse on their dwellings and what is to be valued in this world. The first writer, Po Chu-I, was an influence on the others here. All seems to muse on impermanence, love of nature, poetry, and music, and appreciate their quiet life. Two live in their dwellings for the rest of their life, two only for some time (though I’m sure they would’ve liked to stay longer).
Each writings is accompanied by some brush paintings, plain but beautiful. Each writer has a short introduction, and there’s some explaining notes in the back. Each describes their dwelling, with fondness, and all practice Buddhism in some form (thus also at least partly the impermanence thing). All have lived a life, so being older it’s time to contemplate what matters most.
Four men:
Po Chu-I (official in exile): two-year stay in this place where he comes whenever the work allows it; it has many beautiful and varying views.
Yoshishige no Yasutane (official then monk): contemplative city living troubles and the spirit of peace at home that is not too lavish.
Kamo no Chomei (poet/musician, now monk): describes the misfortunes of the times and of his own – motivation for his seclusion. The longest writing in this book. Loves current dwelling, less fuss, people trouble, and self-knowledge gets better.
Basho (poet/traveler): 6 months’ stay in an abandoned place near a Buddhist shrine; repair work. A break from people and traveling.
I think it was hard to choose which one would be my favorite; I think each piece has their own greatness. But I do like the descriptions of nature, of what their houses were like, and their routines within these house. You really can thrive even without much possession, though sometimes the minimal eating didn’t sound appealing. Still, it was a wonderful read; I really like reading writings like these. A little gem of a read.
Each writings is accompanied by some brush paintings, plain but beautiful. Each writer has a short introduction, and there’s some explaining notes in the back. Each describes their dwelling, with fondness, and all practice Buddhism in some form (thus also at least partly the impermanence thing). All have lived a life, so being older it’s time to contemplate what matters most.
Four men:
Po Chu-I (official in exile): two-year stay in this place where he comes whenever the work allows it; it has many beautiful and varying views.
Yoshishige no Yasutane (official then monk): contemplative city living troubles and the spirit of peace at home that is not too lavish.
Kamo no Chomei (poet/musician, now monk): describes the misfortunes of the times and of his own – motivation for his seclusion. The longest writing in this book. Loves current dwelling, less fuss, people trouble, and self-knowledge gets better.
Basho (poet/traveler): 6 months’ stay in an abandoned place near a Buddhist shrine; repair work. A break from people and traveling.
I think it was hard to choose which one would be my favorite; I think each piece has their own greatness. But I do like the descriptions of nature, of what their houses were like, and their routines within these house. You really can thrive even without much possession, though sometimes the minimal eating didn’t sound appealing. Still, it was a wonderful read; I really like reading writings like these. A little gem of a read.
June 19, 2019
A beautiful collection of short pieces on the pleasures of solitude and simplicity
March 8, 2025
would never have thought that discourse about huts would make for engrossing reading but here we are!!
November 30, 2013
This small book contains English translations of four works from China (one) and Japan (three) that were written between the ninth and seventeenth centuries but all share a common theme: a simple life in a simple house, away from the hustle of urban society. Burton Watson, the translator, explains in his introduction, "read in series, the pieces show how a literary idea can evolve and expand in the hands of a succession of writers. Taken as a whole, they give eloquent expression to one of the most important ideals in the artistic and spiritual life of China and Japan, the simple life lived in a simple dwelling."
The pieces (with their dates of composition) are Po Chu-i, Record of the Thatched Hall on Mt. Lu (817); Yoshishige no Tasutane, Record of the Pond Pavilion 982); Kamo no Chomei, Record of the Ten-Foot-Square Hut (1212); and Matsuo Basho, Record of the Hut of the Phantom Dwelling (1690). The first and last are delightful; the second, bland; and the third is such a litany of disasters (literally: fire, pestilence, famine, earthquake) that it strikes an impressive note of gloom.
The pieces (with their dates of composition) are Po Chu-i, Record of the Thatched Hall on Mt. Lu (817); Yoshishige no Tasutane, Record of the Pond Pavilion 982); Kamo no Chomei, Record of the Ten-Foot-Square Hut (1212); and Matsuo Basho, Record of the Hut of the Phantom Dwelling (1690). The first and last are delightful; the second, bland; and the third is such a litany of disasters (literally: fire, pestilence, famine, earthquake) that it strikes an impressive note of gloom.
April 3, 2012
I really enjoyed these short, beautiful passages about a period of life the four men each experienced living in a small and simple "hut" (one less so) in a remote but beautiful place of lovely scenery. I liked imagining their solitary contemplation of nature, philosophy, poetry, Buddhism, life - perhaps the walks through quiet and wonderful spaces or momentary self-entertainment with a simple indigenous stringed instrument, or getting out writing materials to pen a poem... or the record of the place and life there itself. Not a long book and very calming to the soul.
January 6, 2011
A very nice concept with a great introduction. The pieces themselves are jewels. However the translator lacks the ability to capture the voices of the different authors. The four entries are translated in the same register and sound monotonously the same, with a heavy Western accent. There is also very little insightful commentary on the individual pieces.
June 13, 2017
This style of book isn't something I read a lot of so it was good practice. It felt like a good breather. Probably if I spent more time reflecting and if I had more background knowledge I would have appreciated it more.
September 26, 2019
Great translations with short introductions that help provide just enough context to appreciate the authors works.
A short read, this book is best enjoyed in a cabin, while camping, or in a modest B&B on a road trip.
A short read, this book is best enjoyed in a cabin, while camping, or in a modest B&B on a road trip.
March 16, 2020
Simple life can inspire us.
August 13, 2019
The writings come off as useless and as though they might not add value to your life. Given closer inspection and attention, however, it's amazing to get a view into the minds of the writers of the records and their deep appreciation for simplicity, given their intellect. The writings give a vivid sense of how much joy simplicity gave them. A very valuable read.
January 9, 2022
Four brief essays from four renowned Asian writers exploring the theme of homes, while indirectly conveying a philosophy of simplicity and living in harmony with nature. A cal...[see the rest on my book review site.]
July 18, 2021
Good little book. I would have like it to be a bit more philosophical, but it did still bring some interesting reflection on a simple life and the contemplative view plus the poetic writing were more than enough to make it worth reading.
September 5, 2023
a meditation on the joys and dissatisfactions of the simple life, and life in general - a nourishing cup of tea for anyone willing to pause a while.
January 9, 2024
A short but beautiful book about ‘dwellings’. How much of our dwellings, houses impact the way we live, think, be, embody? It makes you wonder - what is it that we truly need to be content in life? Are we constantly not looking for happiness in wrong avenues?
June 10, 2014
Four Huts is a meditation on the simple life seen through the lens of four ancient Japanese poets. It is an arc where each in their time write about their own personal choice to leave the hustle and bustle of society and live in a simple dwelling with nature, their faith (typically Pure Land Buddhism) and their own thoughts as their companions. I enjoyed each poet's descriptions of what made life worth living and how all we need is a lot less than society at large typically thinks is necessary. Po Chu-i's "Thatched Hall" was the progenitor of this movement and acted as a sweet meditation on home and our place in the world. Yasutane's "Pond Pavillion" made me long for a retreat someplace simple and enlivening. Chomei's "Ten foot square hut" was a reminder of the transitory nature of life and possessions and was more moving that I anticipated. And Basho's "Phantom Dwelling" reinstilled my faith in the path of the householder even when looking through the lens of a way station in a transitory existence.
Recommended for anyone interested in simplifying life, ancient poetry, or a traditional path to spiritual growth.
Recommended for anyone interested in simplifying life, ancient poetry, or a traditional path to spiritual growth.
January 1, 2015
praises of solitude
April 10, 2016
Transcendental east asian poets from centuries ago. They knew how to live
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews