In the pale dawn
your coldness as we parted
froze my heart—
nothing now so chills me
as morning's early light—Mibu no Tadamine
This completely new translation of the most famous collection of Japanese poetry ever produced, the Hyakunin Isshu ("A hundred poems by a hundred poets"), contains works written between the 7th and 8th centuries that were collected and published by the poet Fujiwara no Teika at the end of that era. The collection is still widely read in Japan today by school children and everyday people.
These poems provide insights on daily life in ancient Japan while addressing universal themes of love, loneliness, aging and the beauty of nature—all highly relevant today.
The poets whose works are featured here include:
- Sei Shonagon, author of The Pillow Book
- Lady Murasaki Shikibu, author of The Tale of Genji
- Emperor Gotoba, who ruled from 1193-1198
- Sugiwara no Michizane, a renowned Confucian scholar
Each poem is presented in the Japanese script with a Romanized version and English translation. An introduction by translator Michael Freiling provides essential information about the collection, an overview of the poems and poets, and reflections on why the work remains so popular in Japan today.
This new hardcover gift edition is illustrated in full-color with stunning woodblock prints created for the poems by the famous 19th-century artists Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi and Kunisada. Free online audio recordings of all the poems are available in Japanese and English.
