The Illustrated Book of Haiku: A Journey Through the Seasons with Japan’s Best-Loved Poets (Free Online Audio)

A beautifully illustrated volume of haiku poetry from the 100 most famous Japanese poets.

Ongoing spring;
a nameless mountain
under a light mist
-- Basho

This beautifully illustrated collection of seasonal haiku poems by Japan’s best-known poets is the perfect book for poetry lovers or anyone who wants to learn more about Japanese haiku. Selected and exquisitely translated by William Scott Wilson, the book features more than 385 haiku by over 100 famous poets with commentary by the translator.

Seasonal poems by the ＂Great Four＂ haiku poets (Basho, Shiki, Buson and Issa) are featured alongside the works of other well-known poets like Ryokan, Kikaku and Santoka. Wilson provides fresh new translations of the classic works and includes many other delightful work of poets who are rarely found in English anthologies, including the female poets Kaga no Chojo and Hisajo, as well as haiku written by the famous Japanese novelist Soseki Natsume.

The book is illustrated with 30 lovely haiga illustrations by award-winning French artist Manda, who has received the Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government for her work, the highest civilian honor given. All of the poems are presented in Japanese script with Romanized text and English translation. Audio recordings of the Japanese and English versions of the haiku are available online.

William Scott Wilson was raised in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; he holds BAs from Dartmouth College and The Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies, and an MA from the University of Washington. He has worked as a translator and advisor on cultural affairs for the Japanese Consulate-General in Seattle, Washington; a teacher of Japanese language; and a guide for Japanese tourists in South Florida. He has had 20 books published, variously translated into 21 foreign languages, including The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi. His translation of Hagakure, an 18th century treatise on samurai philosophy, was featured in the film Ghost Dog, by the director Jim Jarmusch. Wilson was awarded a Commendation from the Foreign Ministry of Japan, and inducted into the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese emperor.

Illustrated by:
Around thirty years ago, Manda felt the need to free herself from academic artistic practices, to distance herself, to undo links established for too long with Western culture. She then decided to go to Japan. Frequent stays in the archipelago gave her the opportunity to freely adopt new practices. She learned, from Japanese masters, the ＂art of the line＂ as well as the mysteries of haiga, a composition where painted elements and calligraphic signs of a haiku coming from the same brush, form one and the same entity. She has published many books of her haiga illustrations in her native France, notably of the works of Basho and Santoka.