A Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Haiku - William Scott Wilson, Steven Heine

Written by William Scott Wilson, Steven Heine
Read by Marc Blasco
Format: M4B
Bitrate: 128 Kbps
Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
Release date: 06-03-26

An old pond;
a frog jumps in:
the sound of water
—Basho

This comprehensive introduction to Japan’s best-loved haiku poets is the perfect book for anyone wanting to learn about haiku. Compiled and with commentary by renowned author and translator William Scott Wilson, the book features 26 poets and 550 haiku, exquisitely translated. Wilson takes listeners on a fascinating journey through the works of the major Japanese poets from the fifteenth century up to the present.

The poets include Basho, Shiki, Buson and Issa (the “Great Four”) along with other well-known practitioners of the genre such as Ryokan, Kikaku and Chora. Wilson gives his own brand-new renditions of poems that are already known as classics, and also shares the delightful work of a number of poets who are rarely found in English translation, including six female poets such as Chiyojo and Hisajo, as well as novelist Natsume Soseki, who, unbeknown to many, also wrote haiku.

The book is divided into sections, each beginning with a brief introduction to the poet, followed by a selection of that poet’s haiku in English translation.