Ten Thousand Leaves [Paperback]

Anonymous (Author), Harold Wright (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Compiled during the eighth century, the Manyoshu is a sweeping anthology of 4516 poems on a range of subjects from the bawdy to the heroic. Wright, a scholar of Oriental poetry, has drawn from it 136 lyrical love poems written by royalty and peasants, warriors and priests. As he explains in his enlightening introduction, all the love poems were originally written in tanka, a 31-syllable form divided into five units. His translations each contain five lines, with each line comprising the designated number of syllables, except where too rigid a structure would interrupt the flow of a line. The poems are arranged thematically. Many look to nature for an outward, physical expression of mood, emotion, the passing of time. We read about the anticipation of love, the memory of love, and the constancy of love into old age. But by far the most prevalent theme is the longing for lovelonging for a spouse away at war, for a lover, for a person glimpsed but still unknown. Over 30 beautiful black-and-white illustrations accompany the poems.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Language Notes

Text: English, Japanese (translation) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 198 pages
• Publisher: Overlook TP (June 6, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879512407
• ISBN-13: 978-0879512408
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #853,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TEN THOUSAND LEAVES, June 21, 2008

By 

A. Colon "SPIZZARRI" (CHICAGO, USA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ten Thousand Leaves (Paperback)

THIS BOOK IS ONE OF MY MOST LOVED JAPANESE POETRY BOOKS... THESE POEMS OF LOVE AND LONGING... TOUCHES MY HEART LIKE WAVES OF CRASHING TEARS OR BREEZES OF BLISS... EXCELLENT... 10 STARS...!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love and Longing in Old Japan, March 29, 2006

By 

Martha Jensen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ten Thousand Leaves (Paperback)

The poignancy in these poems speaks as directly to the heart today as it must have in the eighth century. Separation of lovers, whether by war or by the necessity of maintaining secrecy, intensified the longing. The illustrations are very nice, and the introduction and notes provide a helpful and interesting context.