The Sound of Water: Haiku by Basho, Buson, Issa, and Other Poets (Shambhala Centaur Editions) (Paperback)

by Sam Hamill (Translator) "How very noble!..." (more)
Key Phrases: cherry blossoms

Editorial Reviews

Review
"The Zen aesthetic, so often imitated, is presented here without embellishment—full of earthy humor, poignant description, and subtle spirituality."—The Bloomsbury Review

"This is an enjoyable collection . . . and perfect for a Christmas stocking."—The Japan Times

Product Description
Here are more than two hundred of the best haiku of Japanese literature translated by one of America’s premier poet-translators. The haiku is one of the most popular and widely recognized poetic forms in the world. In just three lines a great haiku presents a crystalline moment of image, emotion, and awareness. This illustrated collection includes haiku by the great masters from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala; illustrated edition edition (November 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570620199
• ISBN-13: 978-1570620195
• Product Dimensions: 4.9 x 4.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #261,337 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #50 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Japanese & Haiku
  #82 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Japanese
  #85 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Foreign Language Fiction > Japanese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!!!, November 8, 2003

By	merrymousies (Waterford, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Sound of Water (Shambhala Centaur Editions) (Paperback)

I've been a fan of Basho and the others since I was in college. They have such a wonderful way of capturing the subtlties of nature in their poems and the haikus in this little book are no exception. It amazes me how with so few words so much activitiy and imagery can be conveyed. The Great Mystery is captured through these haiku. The book is small, about 4"x4" which is a nice size to take on a walk.

Here are a couple to sample:

At a roadside shrine,
before the stony buddha
a firefly burns

The clouds come and go,
providing a rest for all
the moon viewers

Anyway, I'm really happy with this set of Haiku. Highly recommended!!

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sound of Enlightenment in Few Words, April 27, 2004

By	Hortensia Anderson "Hortensia Anderson" (nyc, ny, usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sound of Water (Shambhala Centaur Editions) (Paperback)

Oh, such a delightful book! The title is taken from one
of my favourites by Basho beautifully and interestingly
translated as:

At the ancient pond
a frog plunges into
the sound of water

The book has over two hundred treasures. Buy copies
for your friends and don't forget one for yourself!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take It With You On A Walk In The Woods, October 29, 2007

By	Grumple Dumple - See all my reviews

I brought this small book of haiku along with me on a nature walk last autumn to read for the first time. Being rather small, it easily fit inside my jacket pocket. It was a little after the beginning of the hike that I pulled it out and began to read the haiku starting in the section of Basho's poems.

I would read a haiku and then think about it as I walked along the path. I can only describe it as being a wonderfully therapeutic process for the mind and spirit, and for the body too (from the walking itself).

I thoroughly enjoyed Hamill's renderings of the haiku from the three recognized Japanese haiku masters and I also liked the poems from other somewhat lesser known Japanese poets.

I recommend this for reading anywhere if you enjoy the haiku poetic artform -- but I especially recommend it to read on a walk in the woods.