Basho's Narrow Road: Spring and Autumn Passages (Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature) [Paperback]

Matsuo Basho (Author), Hiroaki Sato (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1880656205 | ISBN-13: 978-1880656204 | Publication Date: September 1, 1996

Matsuo Basho (1644-94) is considered Japan's greatest haiku poet. Narrow Road to the Interior (Oku no Hosomichi) is his masterpiece. Ostensibly a chronological account of the poet's five-month journey in 1689 into the deep country north and west of the old capital, Edo, the work is in fact artful and carefully sculpted, rich in literary and Zen allusion and filled with great insights and vital rhythms. In Basho's Narrow Road: Spring and Autumn Passages, poet and translator Hiroaki Sato presents the complete work in English and examines the threads of history, geography, philosophy, and literature that are woven into Basho's exposition. He details in particular the extent to which Basho relied on the community of writers with whom he traveled and joined in linked verse (renga) poetry sessions, an example of which, A Farewell Gift to Sora, is included in this volume. In explaining how and why Basho made the literary choices he did, Sato shows how the poet was able to transform his passing observations into words that resonate across time and culture.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A remarkable translation.... the most accessible version in English." -Cor Van Den Heuvel -- -Cor Van Den Heuvel

"A remarkable translation.... the most accessible version in English." -Cor Van Den Heuvel -- Review

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Japanese

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Stone Bridge Press (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880656205
• ISBN-13: 978-1880656204
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #459,182 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Japanese

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice, November 23, 2002

By 

Daitokuji31 (Black Glass) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Basho's Narrow Road: Spring and Autumn Passages (Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature) (Paperback)

This was the first time that I have read Basho's Narrow Road to Oku, snd I enjoyed it a great deal. Actually I read it twice this week. The first time I read through it I tried to read it without using the notes. I was lazy, so it came out that I really didn't enjoy what I was reading because I really didn't know what was going on throughout most of the book, so I read it again using the notes, and I got much more out of it. The annotations are on the left page while the actual text is on the right page, so there is no flipping to the back of the book every time that you need to look up something. There are endnotes that give more information about the haiku Basho writes. This is a very cool book, that gives the reader a glimpse at the literary world of japan back during the 17th century.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful translation of a beautiful work, June 23, 2009

By 

Giant Panda (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Basho's Narrow Road: Spring and Autumn Passages (Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature) (Paperback)

Basho is an 18th century Japanese poet who was a leader in the art of Haibun - or Haiku prose. In this book he describes a pilgrimage he made across Japan, visiting sites associated with earlier poets along the way. The translation is clear and beautiful. I found the introduction and notes to be extremely helpful in understanding and appreciating the work, even though I had almost no background in Japanese poetry prior to this. Definitely recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed Basho's journey, September 27, 2006

By 

Reader Views "Reviews, by readers, for readers" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Basho's Narrow Road: Spring and Autumn Passages (Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature) (Paperback)

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/06)

Matsuo Basho (1644-94) was a famous Japanese haiku poet. In 1689, he took a 1,233 mile journey across Japan. His travels lasted five months. He was joined by his friend Kawai Sora. Basho wrote about this trip. He titled it, "Oku No Hosomichi," which translates to "Narrow Road to the Interior." This story is considered to be a masterpiece of Japanese literature. He took four years to write it and revise it.

Basho started this trip when his house burned down. He had two goals. One goal was spiritual; it involved "poetic truth." The other goal was a practical one in which he would use his travels to become well known as a poet. Sora developed stomach problems and had to end his travels with Basho. Basho wrote a short piece for him. In the second part of this book, there is a translation of "A Farewell Gift to Sora."

Basho funded his travels with donations from wealthy friends and students. He felt that there were three types of poets. The first type is confused noisemakers. The second type is wealthy people who desire to write instead of gossip. The third type is poets who work hard at writing true poetry. These poets write to "soothe their heart." Basho was the third type of poet.

Hiroaki Sato includes annotations to go along with the writings. This adds richness to the story and helps explain more about the culture and what was happening at the time. I read the story first with the annotations to gain understanding of what I was reading; then I went back and reread the story by itself so that I could feel how it flowed. Without the annotations, I would have enjoyed Basho's story, but I would not have understood much of what was written. Sato also includes pages of notes and commentaries. This is a well researched piece. "Basho's Narrow Road" is a beautiful story about Basho's travels. In it he reflects on the beauty of the countryside and the spirit of the people that he encounters.

I recommend "Basho's Narrow Road" to people that enjoy Japanese poetry, especially Haiku. It would also be a great book to use for a college literature class. I really enjoyed Basho's journey.

Received book free of charge