“Rexroth’s readings from the Japanese master poets are breathtaking in their simplicity and clarity.”—The New York Times I go out of the darkness Onto a

A collection of Japanese poems accompanied by their English translations.

"A wonderful introduction the Japanese tradition of jisei, this volume is crammed with exquisite, spontaneous verse and pithy, often hilarious, descriptions of

Poetry. East Asia Studies. Finalist for the 2011 Best Translated Book Award in Poetry. Translated from the Japanese by Sawako Nakayasu. Cover art by Mauro Zamor

Written by court princesses, exiled officials, Zen priests, and recluses, the 150 poems translated here represent the rich diversity of Japan’s poetic traditi