Matsuo Basho is widely considered one of the great masters of haiku (along with Buson, Issa, and Shiki). Basho lived in 17th century Japan, and was born Matsuo Kinsaku. He took the name "Basho" from a banana tree given to him as a gift by one of his disciples. His poems are heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism, and he spent years traveling Japan as a pauper and a monk.
Basho's haiku and haibun have been translated into numerous languages by numerous translators. On Love and Barley is a rather slim collection -- 253 haiku on 93 pages -- translated by Lucien Stryk. The book provides a good representation of the range of Basho's poems.
Stryk is an accomplished translator, and his translations embody the Japanese minimalist spirit of the haiku themselves. He does not waste words, nor does he insert extra ones solely to meet a syllable count.
Cherry blossoms --
lights
of years past.
Every translator is different, and no two will translate the same haiku the same way. The more translations an English-speaking haiku enthusiast reads, the better sense he will have of the original Japanese poem.
Poor boy -- leaves
moon-viewing
for rice-grinding.
Stryk writes the introduction for this book as well, discussing Basho's life and the environment he lived in. He also describes the influence Zen had on the master poet, as well as the influence Basho's poems and legacy had on his successors.
What makes On Love and Barley unique from many other haiku collections are the pages of notes provided after the poems -- each haiku is numbered, and many have their own endnotes. These notes are very helpful to Western readers (especially those new to haiku) for clearing up any obscurity over Basho's ancient Japanese allusions. Situated at the end of the book, they don't break up the pace of the poems at all, yet are still easy to reference.
On Love and Barley is a Penguin Classics paperback, available from most major booksellers (including Barnes & Noble and Amazon [commissions earned]). Its listed retail price is $9.95 -- higher than it should be, like many books of poetry -- but used copies can often be found on eBay [commissions earned]. (Collectors might prefer the hardcover edition, published by the University of Hawaii Press, which currently sells for $27.00.)
For those just starting out on the haiku path, On Love and Barley is a good jumping off point, but this collection would be a good addition to any haiku fan's library.
Girl cat, so
thin on love
and barley.
(Originally posted on Helium.com, 2009)
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