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Haiku: Japanese Poems for the Four Seasons
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 27, 2025
One of the best poetry collections I've ever read. I cannot wait to buy a copy for myself.
December 25, 2025
O mica bijuterie in forma si fond. Trei versuri care închid si deschid o lume. Cred ca voi mai citi haiku (a fost prima experiență) mai ales pentru ca este atat de concis, dar si pentru incredibila stare de liniște pe care mi a creat o.
September 9, 2025
I had no idea haiku’s could be so full of imagery
July 28, 2025
Simply beautiful and relaxing! Having lived in Okinawa, I have a deep appreciation for both nature and haiku.
March 3, 2026
This publication sets out to address a persistent problem in many haiku collections: how to design a book that does justice to the paradoxical richness of this modest poetic form and encourages the reader to approach it slowly and attentively. Too often publishers fail in this regard. The Penguin Classics edition of Bashō translated by Lucien Stryk (On Love and Barley), for instance, offers six haiku per page, twelve per spread. No originals, no contextual apparatus, basic notes in an appendix. Reading haiku in such a format risks becoming the literary equivalent of scrolling through an Instagram feed. That misses the point entirely. Haiku demands small doses, immersion and restraint.
Broadly speaking there are two ways to slow the reader down. One is to foreground the cultural and linguistic complexity of the form. 'Scholarly' editions — such as those by Fitzsimons, Reichold, and particularly Oseko — turn the act of reading into an active interpretative exercise. The reader is drawn into the puzzle of language and context. The second approach is aesthetic rather than philological: to create a material and visual environment that heightens sensory and emotional resonance, inviting a more contemplative engagement. The present publication clearly opts for the latter.
As an object, the book is distinctive. It comes in a compact format that sits comfortably in the hand, housed in a sturdy slipcase, with Japanese-style fold-in binding and pleasing paper stock. It has physical heft and projects a carefully curated, quasi-rustic “Eastern” exclusivity. Only one to three haiku appear per double page. Typically, the left page presents the original in kanji alongside romanised Japanese, while the facing page offers a free English translation. The generous white space reinforces the sense of pause and attentiveness.
However, the publishers have chosen to accompany the poems with numerous colourful illustrations by Kaori Yamaguchi, known primarily for her work in children’s books. Her skill and sensitivity are evident, yet the visual style gives the volume an unmistakably juvenile air. Combined with the sturdy, somewhat heavy typography, the overall impression is closer to a children’s picture book than to a contemplative poetry edition. Whether this is a successful strategy is debatable.
The scholarly apparatus is minimal. Brief notes are scattered throughout, printed within decorative leaf motifs, and a short appendix offers pointers for composing one’s own haiku, further reinforcing the pedagogical tone of the publication.
One may also question the inclusion of the Japanese originals (in both kanji and romanisation) alongside a free English translation. For most Western readers the Japanese text offers little direct hermeneutic access. While the kanji lend visual authenticity and the romanisation allows a sense of rhythm and phonetic texture, their interpretative value remains limited. The originals seem included as much for atmosphere as for genuine engagement.
More striking is the fact that the English translation is based on an Italian version, originally published by a Swiss editor. In Western poetry, translations of translations are rare and often suspect. Yet in the case of Japanese haiku this layered process is less problematic than it may seem. The translator’s task is twofold: first to establish a literal rendering of the Japanese, and then to craft a free version that conveys something of its cultural and linguistic resonance. In this edition, the foundational work was undertaken by Ornella Civardi, an experienced Italian Japanologist. Rendering her Italian versions into English is comparatively straightforward, given the formal economy of haiku.
The volume’s greatest strength, however, lies in my opinion elsewhere. It moves beyond the familiar triumvirate of Bashō, Buson, and Issa and includes a wide range of lesser-known — and in the West often neglected — poets, among them Ōsaki Hōsai, Natsume Sōseki, Hino Sōjō, and others. Such voices are not easily found in translation, and their inclusion significantly enriches the collection. This relative eclecticism is balanced by a very classic focus on the four seasons that offer a structure for the book as a whole.
Finally, it is regrettable that the book lacks an index allowing readers to locate poems by author. Without such a tool, the volume risks becoming a miscellany rather than a curated anthology. A missed opportunity in an otherwise thoughtfully conceived publication.
Broadly speaking there are two ways to slow the reader down. One is to foreground the cultural and linguistic complexity of the form. 'Scholarly' editions — such as those by Fitzsimons, Reichold, and particularly Oseko — turn the act of reading into an active interpretative exercise. The reader is drawn into the puzzle of language and context. The second approach is aesthetic rather than philological: to create a material and visual environment that heightens sensory and emotional resonance, inviting a more contemplative engagement. The present publication clearly opts for the latter.
As an object, the book is distinctive. It comes in a compact format that sits comfortably in the hand, housed in a sturdy slipcase, with Japanese-style fold-in binding and pleasing paper stock. It has physical heft and projects a carefully curated, quasi-rustic “Eastern” exclusivity. Only one to three haiku appear per double page. Typically, the left page presents the original in kanji alongside romanised Japanese, while the facing page offers a free English translation. The generous white space reinforces the sense of pause and attentiveness.
However, the publishers have chosen to accompany the poems with numerous colourful illustrations by Kaori Yamaguchi, known primarily for her work in children’s books. Her skill and sensitivity are evident, yet the visual style gives the volume an unmistakably juvenile air. Combined with the sturdy, somewhat heavy typography, the overall impression is closer to a children’s picture book than to a contemplative poetry edition. Whether this is a successful strategy is debatable.
The scholarly apparatus is minimal. Brief notes are scattered throughout, printed within decorative leaf motifs, and a short appendix offers pointers for composing one’s own haiku, further reinforcing the pedagogical tone of the publication.
One may also question the inclusion of the Japanese originals (in both kanji and romanisation) alongside a free English translation. For most Western readers the Japanese text offers little direct hermeneutic access. While the kanji lend visual authenticity and the romanisation allows a sense of rhythm and phonetic texture, their interpretative value remains limited. The originals seem included as much for atmosphere as for genuine engagement.
More striking is the fact that the English translation is based on an Italian version, originally published by a Swiss editor. In Western poetry, translations of translations are rare and often suspect. Yet in the case of Japanese haiku this layered process is less problematic than it may seem. The translator’s task is twofold: first to establish a literal rendering of the Japanese, and then to craft a free version that conveys something of its cultural and linguistic resonance. In this edition, the foundational work was undertaken by Ornella Civardi, an experienced Italian Japanologist. Rendering her Italian versions into English is comparatively straightforward, given the formal economy of haiku.
The volume’s greatest strength, however, lies in my opinion elsewhere. It moves beyond the familiar triumvirate of Bashō, Buson, and Issa and includes a wide range of lesser-known — and in the West often neglected — poets, among them Ōsaki Hōsai, Natsume Sōseki, Hino Sōjō, and others. Such voices are not easily found in translation, and their inclusion significantly enriches the collection. This relative eclecticism is balanced by a very classic focus on the four seasons that offer a structure for the book as a whole.
Finally, it is regrettable that the book lacks an index allowing readers to locate poems by author. Without such a tool, the volume risks becoming a miscellany rather than a curated anthology. A missed opportunity in an otherwise thoughtfully conceived publication.
July 30, 2026
What a stunningly beautiful book this is – physically and in the haiku, complete with painted support imagery, original Japanese and artful English translations. Bound with string, it caught my eye when perusing poetry books at a favorite local book shop…I’m glad it did! You learn about a Japanese culture, the history of haiku, and are even encouraged to write your own.
This is one I’ll go back to. So many beautiful reflections that I will want to read again and share with others in the correct season.
This is one I’ll go back to. So many beautiful reflections that I will want to read again and share with others in the correct season.
March 27, 2026
Questi haiku riprendono i vari temi delle stagioni, e all’interno di essi, si parla di attività quotidiane o di quello che si vede nella vita.
Rispetto ai sijo, gli haiku sono più facili da comprendere.
Voto finale: 9
Rispetto ai sijo, gli haiku sono più facili da comprendere.
Voto finale: 9
April 8, 2026
Gli haiku sono sempre di una profondità e meraviglia nella loro semplicità che ogni libro è un piacere. Questo forse non ne contiene molti e ho letto altri libri/raccolte su haiku con maggiori informazioni e più dettagliati. Comunque molto molto bello.
May 13, 2026
Really beautiful haikus and enjoyed the format of this a lot. The illustrations in each season are paired with the poems so well and the way the leaves are little pop outs to share a bit more info is so creative 🍃 🌸 🥰
February 10, 2026
This book is filled with a variety of haiku writers. I enjoyed reading through them in order of seasons. I also enjoyed that it provided a guide on how to write your own haiku at the end of the book!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews