shonaningyo's review against another edition
3.0
I won this in the GoodReads giveaway.
This book was okay. It is a collection of haikus from Hyakunin Isshu .
There is a very brief introduction and explanation of how haikus or tanka are written, as well as the origins of Hyakunin Isshu, who wrote it, time period, etc. as well as explaining that haikus and tanka are written in a special Japanese-y way. That is, lots of characters are read different ways.
I love Japanese culture, but as days go by I am becoming quickly frustrated by the language. Why oh why must they do the whole, "It's written like this kanji, but spelled THIS way, and pronounced THIS way!! :D " Why, Japanese people... Why? My head hurts!
Cultural and linguistic frustrations aside, this was a fair book.
I was deeply confused by the "Literal Notes" at first, because it was written fairly weird, but by poem 25 I realized that it was written EXACTLY as the Japanese had written it, if you were to translate it without rearranging anything to make it grammatically correct.
The poems were nice, but I was more distracted by my own personal challenge of , "How many Japanese words and kanji can I identify?" ... The most I correctly labelled off the top of my head with the translation for guidance is 7... Man , I wish I knew what the kanji for 'shi' was!!
A good staple for haiku and tanka lovers. I enjoyed the poems to an extent, but not as a connoussieur (sp?) of poems. Just a peruser of this book (the word 'peruse' does not actually mean 'skim or flip through' but it means 'read extensively' ).. and I did peruse this book, but mostly to crack the secret kanji.
This book was okay. It is a collection of haikus from Hyakunin Isshu .
There is a very brief introduction and explanation of how haikus or tanka are written, as well as the origins of Hyakunin Isshu, who wrote it, time period, etc. as well as explaining that haikus and tanka are written in a special Japanese-y way. That is, lots of characters are read different ways.
I love Japanese culture, but as days go by I am becoming quickly frustrated by the language. Why oh why must they do the whole, "It's written like this kanji, but spelled THIS way, and pronounced THIS way!! :D " Why, Japanese people... Why? My head hurts!
Cultural and linguistic frustrations aside, this was a fair book.
I was deeply confused by the "Literal Notes" at first, because it was written fairly weird, but by poem 25 I realized that it was written EXACTLY as the Japanese had written it, if you were to translate it without rearranging anything to make it grammatically correct.
The poems were nice, but I was more distracted by my own personal challenge of , "How many Japanese words and kanji can I identify?" ... The most I correctly labelled off the top of my head with the translation for guidance is 7... Man , I wish I knew what the kanji for 'shi' was!!
A good staple for haiku and tanka lovers. I enjoyed the poems to an extent, but not as a connoussieur (sp?) of poems. Just a peruser of this book (the word 'peruse' does not actually mean 'skim or flip through' but it means 'read extensively' ).. and I did peruse this book, but mostly to crack the secret kanji.
jackserio's review
if i decide to read i want to feel like it’s a peaceful meditation, not pages to add to a tally
8797999's review
5.0
A very enjoyable read and some very touching and beautiful poems. It would be easier to read on paper compared to kindle due to the flipping back and forth between the poems and summery.
About 1/3 of the book is a glossary as well.
I can see myself coming back to revisit this book many times in the future.
About 1/3 of the book is a glossary as well.
I can see myself coming back to revisit this book many times in the future.
little_moonflower's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
lokster71's review against another edition
5.0
Thoughts of a thousand things
fill me with melancholy
as I gaze upon the moon,
but autumn’s dejection
comes not to me alone.
Poem #23 by Oe no Chisato
One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each (Penguin Classics) (p. 29). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
This is a collection of classical Japanese poems, selected by Fujiwara no Teika, back in the 12th century. The poems themselves cover almost six centuries of Japanese history, from the reign of Emperor Tenji (r. 661–72) to Emperor Juntoku (r. 1211–21).
There are 100 of them. They are all short and most of them are wonderful.
There's something about the ambiguity of Japanese poetry and its deceptive lightness of touch that I like a lot. The poems may - mostly - be only five lines long but they pack a punch.
Peter Macmillan, who translated them, includes a really useful introduction which explains a little about the history of the collection, about Fujiwara no Teika and about Japanese poetry. He also includes a commentary on each poem (at the back of the book slightly annoyingly), which helps you to understand the context of the poems and explains how the word play or name play works. As he says in the introduction - and it is reiterated in the really useful glossary at the back - kakekotoba (literary pun) were a thing and translating them into English is not always simple. Plus he also explain other key concepts.
I really recommend this. The poetry is wonderful and you could just buy it to read the poems. You don't have to read the introduction, the commentaries or the glossary because I think the poems touch you regardless (or most of them do) but reading them with all the supporting information opens up an broader appreciation for what is them.
‘I feel so sorry for you.’
No one comes to mind
who would say that to me,
so I will surely die alone
of a broken heart.
Poem #45 by Fujiwara no Koremasa
fill me with melancholy
as I gaze upon the moon,
but autumn’s dejection
comes not to me alone.
Poem #23 by Oe no Chisato
One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each (Penguin Classics) (p. 29). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
This is a collection of classical Japanese poems, selected by Fujiwara no Teika, back in the 12th century. The poems themselves cover almost six centuries of Japanese history, from the reign of Emperor Tenji (r. 661–72) to Emperor Juntoku (r. 1211–21).
There are 100 of them. They are all short and most of them are wonderful.
There's something about the ambiguity of Japanese poetry and its deceptive lightness of touch that I like a lot. The poems may - mostly - be only five lines long but they pack a punch.
Peter Macmillan, who translated them, includes a really useful introduction which explains a little about the history of the collection, about Fujiwara no Teika and about Japanese poetry. He also includes a commentary on each poem (at the back of the book slightly annoyingly), which helps you to understand the context of the poems and explains how the word play or name play works. As he says in the introduction - and it is reiterated in the really useful glossary at the back - kakekotoba (literary pun) were a thing and translating them into English is not always simple. Plus he also explain other key concepts.
I really recommend this. The poetry is wonderful and you could just buy it to read the poems. You don't have to read the introduction, the commentaries or the glossary because I think the poems touch you regardless (or most of them do) but reading them with all the supporting information opens up an broader appreciation for what is them.
‘I feel so sorry for you.’
No one comes to mind
who would say that to me,
so I will surely die alone
of a broken heart.
Poem #45 by Fujiwara no Koremasa
autumnallune's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
5.0
kouya's review against another edition
2.0
I bought this book because I hoped to understand the poems within, but sadly the promised "extensive notes" proved to be a serious overstatement. The Literal Notes section by each poem can be looked up by anyone who knows how to use a dictionary, while the actual explanations concerning the poems are sparse and often repetitive or obvious. Some of the translations are beautiful, but all in all, I'm disappointed.
supdankosmos's review
3.0
This is my first time reading a classical Japanese verse, I thought it's going to be a hard read. How I wrong about that. So many of them are relatable to me (or maybe us?).
Here's some of my favorites:
10. Semimaru
So this is the place!
Crowds,
coming
going
meeting
parting,
those known,
unknown -
the Gate of Meeting Hill.
People come and go.
- -
44. Fujiwara no Asatada
If we had never met,
I would not so much resent
your being cold to me
or how I've come to hate myself
because I love you so.
It be like that sometimes.
- -
50. Fujiwara no Yoshitaka
I thought I would give up my life
to hold you in my arms,
but after a night together,
I find myself wishing
that I could live for ever.
THIS. IS LOVE.
When you're in love, you, too, might wish that you could live for ever.
how terrible it is to love something that death can touch.
- -
57.Murasaki Shikibu
Just like the moon,
you had come and gone
before I knew it.
Were you, too, hiding
among the midnight clouds?
- -
66. Prelate Gyoson
Mountain Cherry,
let us console each other.
Of all those I know
no ones understands me
the way your blossoms do.
'no ones understands me the way your blossoms do.' how? how do you write something so beautiful like this? how do you manage to think about yourself and a mountain cherry are the same thing? It's beautiful, excuse me but I'm going to cry.
- -
84. Fujiwara no Kiyosuke
Since I now recall fondly
the painful days of the past,
if I live long, I may look back
on these harsh days, too,
and find them sweet and good.
True. It's just one of those days. Please stay alive, there's so many beautiful things in this cruel yet so beautiful world.
--
Here's some of my favorites:
10. Semimaru
So this is the place!
Crowds,
coming
going
meeting
parting,
those known,
unknown -
the Gate of Meeting Hill.
People come and go.
- -
44. Fujiwara no Asatada
If we had never met,
I would not so much resent
your being cold to me
or how I've come to hate myself
because I love you so.
It be like that sometimes.
- -
50. Fujiwara no Yoshitaka
I thought I would give up my life
to hold you in my arms,
but after a night together,
I find myself wishing
that I could live for ever.
THIS. IS LOVE.
When you're in love, you, too, might wish that you could live for ever.
how terrible it is to love something that death can touch.
- -
57.Murasaki Shikibu
Just like the moon,
you had come and gone
before I knew it.
Were you, too, hiding
among the midnight clouds?
- -
66. Prelate Gyoson
Mountain Cherry,
let us console each other.
Of all those I know
no ones understands me
the way your blossoms do.
'no ones understands me the way your blossoms do.' how? how do you write something so beautiful like this? how do you manage to think about yourself and a mountain cherry are the same thing? It's beautiful, excuse me but I'm going to cry.
- -
84. Fujiwara no Kiyosuke
Since I now recall fondly
the painful days of the past,
if I live long, I may look back
on these harsh days, too,
and find them sweet and good.
True. It's just one of those days. Please stay alive, there's so many beautiful things in this cruel yet so beautiful world.
--
kendrastrand's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great translation-- the style and presentation of poems on their own (without footnotes) makes the text wonderfully accessible and enjoyable as literature in its own right. The inclusion of a concise introduction, detailed endnotes, and other resources such as maps makes this edition ideal for use in the undergrad classroom or as a volume through which the interested general reader can delve as deeply into the historical and social context as they wish. Looking forward to reading it again with my class in the future.