The Moon in the Pines
2000
First Published
4.02
Average Rating
109
Number of Pages
An illustrated collection of translations of classical and contemporary Japanese "haiku". This popular art form is the poetic expression of Zen Buddhism. Traditionally, a haiku poem is just 17 syllables long, which requires the poet, like the follower of Zen, to cut through surface appearances to the heart of an experience. In this collection, translator Jonathan Clements seeks to capture the elusive spirituality that enabled the Japanese poets to preserve their experience of the moment in a mere three lines. This collection, drawing on three centuries of haiku, features haiku poets from Basho, Buson and Issa to Shiki, Hakuin, Ikkyu and Chiyo-Ni. The poems are sympathetically illustrated with Japanese prints from the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Avg Rating
4.02
Number of Ratings
190
5 STARS
39%
4 STARS
36%
3 STARS
15%
2 STARS
7%
1 STARS
3%
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Author
Jonathan Clements
Author · 45 books
Jonathan Clements is an author, translator, biographer and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Marco Polo, Mao Zedong, Koxinga and Qin Shihuangdi. He also writes for NEO magazine and is the co-author of encyclopedias of anime and Japanese television dramas.
