Love Poems from the Japanese (Shambhala Library) - Hardcover

Hamill, Sam

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1570629765 ISBN 13: 9781570629761

Publisher: Shambhala, 2003

Synopsis

Drawn from classical, medieval, and modern sources—including the imperial collections of the Manyoshu and Kokinshu—the poems in this collection are some of the greatest love poems from the Japanese tradition. The poems range in tone from the spiritual longing of an isolated monk to the erotic ecstasy of a court princess—but share the extraordinary simplicity and luminosity of language that marks Kenneth Rexroth's verse style. An introduction by the poet and translator Sam Hamill, the editor of this collection, and short biographies of the poets are included.

The Shambhala Library is a series of exquisitely designed and produced cloth editions of the world's spiritual and literary classics, both ancient and modern. Perfect for collecting or as gifts, each volume features a sewn binding, decorative endsheets, and a ribbon marker—a delightful-to-hold 4 ¼ x 6 ¾ trim size.

About this title

About the Author:

Sam Hamill is the author of more than thirty books of poetry, essays, and translations from the classical Chinese and Japanese, ancient Greek, Latin, and other languages. He has been a recipient of fellowships from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission. He lives near Port Townsend, Washington.

Review:

"Kenneth Rexroth's readings from the Japanese master poets are breathtaking in their simplicity and clarity."— New York Times Book Review
"Rexroth's subtle translations influenced a generation of American writers. As the examples in this miniature anthology demonstrate, he refused to flatten the text by spelling out every reference and allusion, preserving the Japanese ideal of offering a spring board for the reader's imagination."— L.A. Times Book Review

About this edition

• Publisher: Shambhala
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1570629765
• ISBN 13: 9781570629761
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176