Ariake: Poems of Love and Longing by the Women Courtiers of Ancient Japan

by Rae Grant (Illustrator), Liza Dalby (Foreword)

Books like Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha have signaled the current fascination with the discreetly private side of Japan during the evocative age of dynasties and imperial rule. Ariake , a stunning gift book, offers up the passionate words of the elegant and cultured female courtesans of ancient Japan. It was customary in the late 1st and early 2nd century Japanese courts for women to express their hearts' greatest desires and sorrows through poetry. Translated and compiled in Ariake , these lyrical and poignant verses of seduction, love, and lament are both simple and extraordinary. Illustrated throughout with gorgeous collages that evoke the color, fabric, and textures of the East, Ariake brings to life the subtle eloquence of ancient Japan and the universal passions and torments of love. Ariake is an exquisite and timeless volume of the heart's longing.

Genres: Poetry, Japan, Romance, Nonfiction, Asian Literature

80 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 2 out of 5]

3 stars for the poems. The deserve more, perhaps, but they're available in translation already elsewhere, and this collection provides little context and no notes whatsoever. Since much of the nature symbolism in Japanese poem is codified in fairly specific ways, this is obviously a major lack for many non-Japanese readers.

I took a star off for the art, which takes up half the pages. I have simply zero idea why the publisher chose to pair these poems with vague collages by a white person from New York rather than using appropriate Japanese illustrations from the period in question. As far as I could tell, Grant didn't even make an effort to incorporate imagery from the specific poems into her pieces.

[Brendan Coster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I thought it was. But, for a dollar at the book sales it's fine. It contains mostly the generic poetry from the Heian Period Waka, quite a few I haven't read, actually.

My problem is because there was no room for notes in a volume like this (wrong audience) the editor could choose any volumes specifying places, customs, or specific objects since the average reader would have no idea what they were talking about.

So the editor picked through several collections of poetic and found the most abstract and timeless ones she could. That's not the problem - the problem is that you can't tell WHERE the poems are from, or WHEN they are from. It becomes a generic collection. No wonder almost every page is decorated with random pseudo Japanese art, you need it as a reminder of what the hell you're reading.

[P.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book introduced me to the love poetry by women courtiers of Japan's Heian era (A.D. 794-1192). Concise, beautiful, lovely, passionate verse from ancient times- wow, these women rocked and weren't too different from us today! According to the book's introduction- "the most renowned poets of the era were women". Interesting, right? I did not know. I'd like to read more...

[Saimi Korhonen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Look at this keepsake
And remember me, my love;
All the gem-bright year
Long as its thread of shining days
I will think of you."

3,5/5!

These love poems written by women from Ancient Japan were beautiful and pleasant to read, full of emotion and longing, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. Based on just the poems, this book would be 4/5 stars. The reason I'm lowering my rating is that I think this book really could've benefited from some notes on the poems, the metaphors used and on the authors themselves. It would've been great to learn more about the women who wrote these beautiful poems and when exactly they were written - the title of the collection says "Ancient" Japan, but it's never really made clear as to when exactly these were written (or at least I didn't get it). I also think it's a shame and a bit annoying that the job of creating the illustrations to accompany the poems wasn't given to a japanese artist. The collage art that's in the book is beautiful and I did like it, but I think it would've been more appropriate to add illustrations by japanese artists into the book.

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked this, I highly recommend Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan as well as The Ink Dark Moon: Love Poems by Ono no Komachi and Izumi Shikibu, Women of the Ancient Court of Japan. It's more of a scholarly take on things, and will provide a great deal more insight than this edition. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful book with lovely aesthetic, but you'll gain more insight into the period and the imagery being used if you also read the aforementioned titles.

[Constance Plumley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely poems. Delicate and passionate; timeless.

[Jerome Berglund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elegant and wistful collection of tankas, with an informative and captivating introduction crammed with meaningful historical and artisanal details. Highly romantical, with tones ranging from the playful at times to downright wistful, beside stunning slightly abstract artworks these selections are carefully curated and gorgeously rendered and organized. A fast read, but such an invigorating one, like a quick dip in the ocean!

[Becky Stout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful!