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The Spring of My Life: And Selected Haiku
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The Spring of My Life: And Selected Haiku Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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Superfluous Words are powerful . . . BECAUSE they are never used.
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The power, the beauty of each poem comes from words erased, struck out. OR, in the minds of the greatest writers of haiku, may never have been considered.
Translator Sam Hamill has a heightened sensitivity for nuance. He 'listens' to any subtle variation of sound or meaning, and also the changes that evolve through generations. This reviewer considers him the "translator-of-choice". Wouldn't it be a joy and honor to have your own writings translated into Japanese by this man?
Hamill's thorough knowledge of the writings of the greatest authors of haiku is rich from a friendship that spans the ages. It rewards him - and his study doubtless brings occasional surprises still. Kobayishi Issa lived from 1763-1827 and in his "Song of My Life" we find travel notes interspersed with haiku. These "seventeen syllables" are interludes that expand our understanding of the author's progression of work and philosophy and bring readers deep joy.
In the next section poems are presented in English and Japanese. A wide range of subjects give the expected seasonal connections, from which I have chosen these examples:
With my folding fan
I measured the peony --
as it demanded
So many breezes
wander through my summer room:
but never enough
Before this autumn wind
even the shadows of mountains
shudder and tremble
I know everything
about the old householder,
even his shiver
Inspiration, contemplation and meditation each play a role in Issa's creative mind. He was sad about the loss of his daughter and son but wrote verses that brought laughter to other children:
The firefly departs
so quickly, so breathlessly
it leaves behind its light
A watercolor by Kaji Aso decorates the cover of "The Spring of My Life" and there are many 'haiku paintings' that speak to the meaning of Issa's words. Reviewer mcHAIKU believes the most rewarding way to read haiku is to allow its music into your soul with gratitude.
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