Selected Haiku of Shiki (Companions for the Journey, 25)

Shiki's distinctive vision and direct expression create a tone that is uniquely his own, beautifully conveyed in these translated pages. We hear Shiki's haiku as the voice of a friend imparting complex news in a few intimate words. These haiku are drawn from a world that feels close to our own, and they bring our own lives and world closer. Shiki's poems are necessary and delicious like mountain water, carrying the hidden minerals of the mountain from inside it to inside us.

Jane Hirshfield, author of The Heart of Haiku and The Ink Dark Moon, captures the essence of Shiki's work. Last year's dream, she writes, I wake to this year's reality. Shiki is considered by the Japanese as one of the masters of haiku, having radically reformed the art form by suggesting "sketching from life" as an aesthetic.

Shiki's haiku possess a distinctive, recognizable tone, made beautiful through the translations presented in these pages. We experience Shiki's voice as that of a friend imparting complex ideas in a few intimate words, drawing us into a world that feels close to our own and bringing our own lives and reality closer. Shiki's poems are as necessary and delightful as mountain water, carrying the hidden minerals of the mountain from within it to within us.

As Jane Hirshfield, author of The Heart of Haiku and The Ink Dark Moon, eloquently states, "Last year's dream, I wake to this year's reality." Shiki is revered in Japan as a master of the haiku form, having radically reformed the art by championing "sketching from life" as a guiding aesthetic.

product information: