Hundred Verses from Old Japan

Discover this classic translation of one of Japan's most famous poetry anthologies.

This gem of Japanese poetry has preserved its charm for over a century. Dating from the 13th century, this collection of Hyaku-nin-isshiu (literally "one hundred poems by one hundred poets") contains one hundred evocative and intensely human poems. The selections are written as Japanese tanka (featuring a five-line thirty-one syllable format in a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern) and were composed between the seventh and 13th centuries before being compiled by Sadaiye Fujiwara in 1235. These short poems consist almost entirely of love poems and picture poems intended to bring some well-known scene to mind: nature, the cycle of the seasons, the impermanence of life, and the vicissitudes of love. There are obvious Buddhist and Shinto influences throughout.

To make the sounds more familiar to English readers, the translator has adopted a five-line verse of 8-6-8-6-6 meter, with the second, fourth, and fifth lines rhyming. His accompanying notes put the poems into a cultural and historical context. Each poem is illustrated with an 18-century Japanese woodcut by an anonymous illustrator. Despite the centuries that have passed since these poems were written, modern readers are certain to connect with their themes and their beauty.