Kanshi: The Poetry of Ishikawa Jozan and Other Edo-Period Poets

by Burton Watson (translator)

Book by

Genres: Poetry, Japan

140 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Burton 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.

Reviews

[Martin]

Wonderful little collection of poems with some good introduction, context, and footnotes included throughout. Good for the layman or the enthusiast of Japanese poetry, I would reckon.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to imagine how this could be bettered. Bought the book years ago. Bookmark showed where I left off. This time I began with the excellent introduction and read right through, taking notes of poems I might use in class. Only wish that the original texts were more easily available (and more easy to read).

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to pretend that I am an expert in Japanese poetry. But I know what I like. I’ve always enjoyed haiku and I thought I might find something in this book that I enjoyed when I picked it up at a used bookstore. It’s rare that I like everything in a book of poetry, And this was no different, but I did find a few that I really enjoyed. Since I am a lover of poetry, if a book can give me a handful of poems that I will read over again then it’s a win for me.

[Chant · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can tell that these poems are in the format of Tang poems but the lucid nature of Japanese aesthetics comes through.