Description
“Rexroth’s readings from the Japanese master poets are breathtaking in their simplicity and clarity.”—The New York Times
I go out of the darkness
Onto a road of darkness
Lit only by the far off
Moon on the edge of the mountains.
—Izumi Shikobu
Over the years, thousands of readers have discovered the beauty of classic Japanese poetry through the superb English versions by the great American poet Kenneth Rexroth. Mostly haiku, these poems range from the classical and medieval to modern poetry, with an emphasis on folk songs and love lyrics. Because women played such an outstanding role in Japanese literature, included here are selections from their work, including the contemporary, deeply sensuous Marichiko. This elegant, beautifully designed gift book of poems spanning many centuries presents the original texts in romanji, the transliteration into the Western alphabet.
Onto a road of darkness
Lit only by the far off
Moon on the edge of the mountains.
—Izumi Shikobu
Over the years, thousands of readers have discovered the beauty of classic Japanese poetry through the superb English versions by the great American poet Kenneth Rexroth. Mostly haiku, these poems range from the classical and medieval to modern poetry, with an emphasis on folk songs and love lyrics. Because women played such an outstanding role in Japanese literature, included here are selections from their work, including the contemporary, deeply sensuous Marichiko. This elegant, beautifully designed gift book of poems spanning many centuries presents the original texts in romanji, the transliteration into the Western alphabet.
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Also By: Kenneth Rexroth
100 Poems from the Japanese
Paperback, 1964
It is remarkable that any Westerner—even so fine a poet as Kenneth Rexroth—could have captured in translation so much of the subtle essence of classic Japanese poetry: the depth of controlled...
One Hundred Poems from the Chinese
E Book, 2014
The lyrical world of Chinese poetry in faithful translations by Kenneth Rexroth.
Songs of Love, Moon, & Wind: Poems from the Chinese
E Book, 2014
“Nothing stands still in this poetry: the wind blows the trees, the lake water ripples and the ever-present road runs in and out of the hills.”—American Poetry Review
Women Poets of Japan
E Book, 2014
From early as the seventh century up to the present day, no other has had so many important women poets as Japan.One Hundred More Poems from the Chinese: Love and the Turning Year
E Book, 2014
An assemblage of delicate Chinese verse which delicately explore the worlds of love, nature, and meditation.
