Yosa Buson is the second of the old haiku masters, writing between Basho (1644-1694) and Issa (1763-1827).
Widely known during his lifetime - more for his paintings than his poems - Buson’s notoriety and influence declined after his death only to be reestablished by Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902), who immersed himself in Buson’s haiku, understanding Buson’s work as a precursor to his own.
Shiki - the father of modernist haiku - saw Buson as perhaps the greatest of the old masters, writing that Basho has the “reputation as the incomparable haiku poet,” but Buson is “equal to, or even superior to Basho.”
Still, aspects of Buson’s work remain underappreciated and overlooked. Specifically highlighted in this collection are Buson’s warmth and dynamic portrayals of longing.
Poems of Yosa Buson is a short and varied collection of Buson’s haiku. Each translation is accompanied by the original Japanese text and English transliteration (romaji).
Available from The Economy Press.
