Zen Haiku: Poems and Letters of Natsume Soseki

by Natsume Sōseki, Sōiku Shigematsu (Translator)

Book by Natsume, Soseki, Shigematsu, Soiku, Soseki, Natsume

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Japan, Japanese Literature

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1994

About the author

Natsume Sōseki (夏目 漱石), born Natsume Kinnosuke (夏目 金之助), was a Japanese novelist. He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, kanshi, and fairy tales. From 1984 until 2004, his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1000 yen note. In Japan, he is often considered the greatest writer in modern Japanese history. He has had a profound effect on almost all important Japanese writers since.

Reviews

[Peycho Kanev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walking under the moon,
Soseki has forgotten
All about his wife.

Moonlit night:
Each silhouette
Moving

Just before me
The Spirit's moving:
Tip of my pen.

Drizzling:
A muddy cat asleep on
The holy sutra.

Passing year:
Our cat squats
Down in my lap.

Early winter:
The road to enlightenment,
Its gate closed yet.

Not knowing why,
I feel attached to this world
Where we come only to die.

[Capsguy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know it's retarded to read Japanese Haiku in other languages, but I'm never going to be reading it in Japanese so I should check it out as best I can in English.

[Stephen Rowland · Rating 1 out of 5]

Soseki was one of the greatest Japanese novelists of all time, I love many of his works. This is lousy haiku, though, and the tiny book is a crap product. For completists only.

[Tanmay Jadhav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book was like an poetic evolution for me.

Initially I thought it was about trying to find a deeper meaning in the author’s words and that made the book open to a hundred interpretations.

Then I realised that poetic form of a haiku is so elegantly created that it represents very particularly the feeling of the writer in that very moment. Most of the prose didn’t have a deeper meaning. They didn’t have symbolism. It was just Soseki telling me about his core sensations when he penned down those thoughts.

This book isn’t meant to be read in one go. Though I did, I don’t think that I’ll never revisit it again. It lends you a lot of warm feelings when you try to picture yourself in place of Natsumi in his journey through zen and the seasons.

This book is beautiful. I hope I’ll learn enough Japanese to read that original text some day.

[Kristyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

These haiku feel both settled and fluid in turns.

[Abhidev H M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dose of calmness

[Rick Jackofsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice point of reference and a few good poems here, but I prefer Soseki's novels to his haiku.

[Azin · Rating 4 out of 5]

به وقت خوشامدگویی
و سر خم کردن،
دانه ی تگرگی،
از مویِ زن افتاد..

[Marina Klimova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soseki has a simple profound haiku style. I love how he alludes to the human condition or has a surprising ending. All characteristics of good haiku writing.

[إســرٰاء☾]

Crazy butterfly Flirting with flowers Honoring the dead.