Classic Tradition of Haiku (Dover Thrift Editions: Poetry)

I am an avid collector/reader of Haiku. I love the apparent simplicity yet deep and complex meaning. Here is why this is a phenomenal bargain: The book includes many Haiku from traditional Japanese masters. There are several translations by various scholars. So even under one Haiku, you might read 4 or 5 interpretations, each credited to the appropriate translator. For example, there are 5 different translations for the famous frog Haiku by Basho, some seemingly better than others. One translation is a bit longer in the English, but more appropriately captures the spirit of the Japanese. Not being able to understand the minor details about a Kanji symbol keeps many Westerners from understanding the true nature of Haiku (how some people say - my name is <name here> and is written in Kanji with the symbols for moon and light). Some Haiku is more straightforward and written in Hiragana, so the translations can be more spot on. But still, Japanese is a language that has a lot of meaning for very simple and short sounds. So having various translations for some of the Haiku really does help one gain a better understanding of the poem. The best part about this book (other than the stupidly low price) is that there are Romaji translations for the Haiku. Bravo! For those who don't know what Romaji is, Romaji is the phonetic English translation of the Japanese characters. Since most of us can't read Japanese any easier than we can read Cyrillic. This way you can read the poems in the traditional Japanese by sounding them out. It makes much more sense often to read the Romaji THEN reading the translations. Sometimes it is nearly impossible to translate a Japanese Haiku into English and retain the traditional 5-7-5 sound format. Also note that Japanese Haiku does not have to follow a 5-7-5 format or include a reference to nature or a season. That is the oldest and purest form of Haiku. You can read more about Haiku in one of two wonderful books which I highly, highly recommend: The Haiku Handbook -25th Anniversary Edition: How to Write, Teach, and Appreciate Haiku The Japanese Haiku This is a good addition to any collection. There are only 78 pages, but there are about 200 Haiku in this book and several pages of notes and reference. There are also a good number of Haiku from Issa, Shiki, and Munefusa, who are some of my favorites (that are less popular than Basho and Buson). Particularly I enjoy Shiki, often considered the fourth great master (Buson, Basho, Issa are the others). It's worth every penny and then some. Dover is not known for fancy binding or quality paper, so don't expect pristine printing and durable spines. It's printed on thin recycled paper, but for $3 it's worth it. I highly recommend this as an addition for any Haiku lover's library.

Anyone looking for an inexpensive book of haiku could do no better than "The Classic Tradition of Haiku : An Anthology." Packed inside this affordable little book are 200 poems from 72 authors, including masters such as Basho and Issa, as well as novelist Saikaku Ihara and a horde of others. The haiku are presented in a straight-forward chronological fashion, stretching over about 400 years. A few rengas are included early on, to demonstrate the origins of the poetic form. There is little critical analysis or information on the haiku format, apart from a simple 3-page introduction that offers a bare-bones explanation and some footnotes regarding untranslatable words and author's histories. (ie: Who is a student of who, etc...) An additional bonus of this book is that, not only can you see the evolution of the haiku, but you can also see styles and trends in English translation of haiku, as the anthology provides the work of 45 different translators, including dignitaries such as Allan Ginsberg, Alex Kerr and Lafcadio Hearn. Several of the most important poems are given multiple English translations, so you can see how the interpretation of the translator affects the final product. A weakness is that many of these translations, especially the early ones, are of dubious quality, with author's attempting to define the meaning of the poem for English-speakers, and eliminating essential functions of haiku such as the non-sequitur "twist" ending that juxtaposes the imagery, or sets it's final scenery. Often, the important final line is first in the English translation, removing some of the power. Of course, the Japanese original is always given as well, so you are welcome to make your own judgment Weaknesses aside, at the price of a Dover Thrift Edition, there is no reason for someone interested in haiku not to have this book in their collection.

Dover Thrift Editions...is there a better bargain to be found? I love Haiku and enjoy reading multiple translations of the same poem so have a pretty extensive library. This is a handsome book with a nice cover. The typeset is clean and legible. Footnotes are large enough to be read and are very interesting, giving insights about the poets and their situations. I especially like the layout. In the front is a great intro to Haiku and the various translators. The poems are collected and presented by author. Each poem is presented in Japanese (phonetic not characters, whew!) so the reader can savor the flow and sound in the original language. Below that is at least one translation and often more. Each translator is identified. I love this little book, so much poetry and information, well presented at a bargain price. You won't be disappointed.

I enjoy reading about poetry and haiku concepts. However, this book was a little bit short. Still a good read though.

If you are seeking an excellent basic introduction to the Japanese Haiku poetry tradition, this book is for you. This Dover thrift edition is a fantastic value. Even though it only has 78 pages, this text has Haiku from some 48 Japanese poets known for their poetry. The forward explains the basic meaning and grammar of what makes a haiku poem. The acknowledgments to translators are provided for each poem. There are several things that make this a must have collection for haiku lovers. Each poem names the author, the years they lived, each poem is written in Japanese and in English. At the bottom of each page an explanation of the poem is provided so readers can better understand the nature of the haiku written. In conclusion, as an avid collector of Japanese Haiku, this small volume has become one of my favorite little books in my haiku collection. For the price, this is a fantastic bargain. Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Haiku Moments: How to read, write and enjoy haiku)

The interesting thing about translating Japanese haiku to English is how much can be lost, (or gained?) in the translation, depending on not only who is doing the translating, but also their contemporary poetic aesthetics. Translations made in the early twentieth century are wordier and more likely to stick to the 5-7-5 format than those made by poets influenced by modern freestyle English haiku. Some early translators even tried to utilize Western rhyme schemes in their translations. That being said, a big plus for this book is that along with phonetic versions of the Japanese there are also multiple translations of many of the poems. All in all this is a nice collection with an interesting introduction and notes about the poets and their work.

I am a fan of uta/waka, however I am also a fan of hokku/haiku. "Traditional Japanese Poetry an Anthology" is a great compilation of uta/waka, but it does not contain as many haiku. This is the best collection of haiku that I have found, though I dont like all of the translations. There are more than one translation for some of the haiku, which is wonderfull. My only cavet with this book is that it contains only roomaji and the English translations and is lacking kana and kanji, but the roomaji helps. This, in my opinion, is the best Japanese haiku compilation I have yet to find and the price is unbeatable. The price is amazing! In my opinion, this is a great book to add to any fan of Japanese poetry's collection. I also recomend "Traditional Japanese Poetry an Anthology."

For Christmas dinner this year, I shall be gifting all the guests Dover's "The Classic Tradition of Haiku," a 78-page gem that is priced at only $3. The 17-syllable Japanese haiku is undoubtedly the most studied and practiced poetic form among Americans, including public school students, so the question is what makes this book so valuable for readers both familiar and unfamiliar with other volumes of the poems. Among its virtues are the expertise of the book's editor, Faubion Bowers, and the wide range of poets represented, including several famed kabuki actors. But even more important are three other features. The first is the diversity of the scholars who have translated the poems and the provision of multiple translations for a portion of the haiku presented. Such multiple renderings in English assist the reader unfamiliar with Japanese to understand how very fluid this language can be and why variant translations of literary classics like "The Tale of Genji" have been justified over time. Second, each poem is rendered in a romanized version, so any non-Japanese can appreciate the original sounds of the haiku. And finally, Bowers's footnotes provide cultural background information that a well-educated Japanese would bring to a reading of the poem. For my money, this last feature alone justifies adding this volume to any library of haiku-related books.

I was hoping that I will find something by Ishikawa Takuboku, but I'll look for another book. Thank you!

This not only a great selection of Haikus but it comes packed with notes and references that make it into a very enjoyable and immersive experience. Cannot recommend enough.

Anche questa raccolta, seppur in inglese, vale la pena di essere letta. Si trovano i testi originali a fronte. Gli haiku non deludono mai!

Preciso dizer: eu amo demais os haikais, sou obcecado por eles desde que li pela primeira vez os do Leminski, louvado seja. Então minha paixão pelo haikai me levou a colecionar tudo o que consegui comprar em sebos, até montar uma coleçãozinha de respeito. Agora pesquei esse livrinho que se propõe a ser uma Antologia do Haiku. Nele você lerá um aperitivo de 48 grandes poetas japoneses, mas sem nenhuma informação sobre os autores a não ser as datas de nascimento/morte, um poema em japonês e a tradução para o inglês com muitas notas de rodapé. Pelo preço e pela dificuldade em encontrar livros bons sobre o tema, vale a compra. Para amantes do haikai.

Excellent