The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa (Essential Poets)

Hass presents a comprehensive introduction to the works of Basho, Buson, and Issa. The translations are quite readable and the commentaries are excellent. It seems to me one who seeks to understand haiku should begin with the old masters.This work was published in 1994, giving modern English haiku folks twenty years to argue about what is going on with haiku. In the meantime, the old masters who began it all are here waiting. Whatever I read of modern haiku I intersperse with one or another versions of the masters. That gives me perspective with which to evaluate theory and practice of today. At the price of a used book today, this is an incredible bargain. You will want other versions, but this is an excellent beginning. If you wish to delve deeply, this book includes how to and commentary by the old poets themselves. It is well worth knowing what they said. "Learn about pines from the pine, and about bamboo from the bamboo."

This book has to be the definitive expression of the Haiku style and its most well know writers. I'm especially grateful for the prose included with the poetry. Knowing the history and lives of the poets makes the reading much more enjoyable.

It cuts through the noise....worth it...

The haiku translations in this book are very good and are accompanied by explanations of the verses and with descriptive narratives on the lives of the three key writers of haiku. Basho was the most important of the three poets and he is dealt with in depth by the author. The other two are described quite adequately also. All in all, the book would be a good addition to any follower of the poetry of haiku with its emphasis on the the seasons, sensations, and mood that prevail throughout this short poetic and emotic producing form of Japanese literature.

In this book, Robert Hass provides translations of haiku by three of its preeminent practitioners, together with supplemental material to give the reader context, such as how haiku grew out of the older Japanese tradition of collaborative verse. Basho, who lived in the seventeenth century, worked before haiku were seen as an independent art-form. At the end of the book, Hass discusses the difficulties of translating haiku. How the resonance of their seasonal references, their mix of kanji and phonetic symbols, the syntax, the punning are hard to render in English. Yet despite that, he captures something that moved me in his lean translations. For example, here are two of his translations of Basho: Midfield, attached to nothing, the skylark singing. You could turn this way, I'm also lonely this autumn evening. And two of Buson's: Coolness-- the sound of the bell as it leaves the bell. The old man cutting barley-- bent like a sickle. And two of Issa's: The holes in the wall play the flute this autumn evening. Last time, I think, I'll brush the flies from my father's face. I found the book an excellent introduction to the three poets. Highly recommended.

The scholars and masters will be able to write a technical review covering all the fine points of why this is such an excellent collection. For my part, I just find I'm able to lose myself in the imagery so easily. It's become a sort of "apple-a-day" for my soul. I will never be able to read these works in Japanese, but I sense these translations carry all the simple beauty and truth of the original poems. The biographies are succinct yet intimate. The poets are masters of the art. The selected poems are amazing, inspiring, humbling, uplifting. I've shared this over and over, with people of very different tastes, and it's never disappointed.

I read these sometimes b4 bed. Helps me wind down. If you're looking for relaxing reading and at the same time learning a few things, give this a shot.

I checked this book out from the library, and liked it so much that I decided I should own it. I realized I had never before encountered the seminal classic haiku, or much of any haiku composed in Japanese rather than English. These are stunning poems, especially the final poet (Issa), whose sense of humor and voice in general were really what motivated me to make the purchase.