Japanese/English Poetry Books [Bilingual] - Recommendations?

[celticflower]

Hello,

Any recommendations of Japanese poetry books that include English translations?
Haiku, maybe death poems? I'd like something that has a dark or melancholy theme.

I've searched the forum [Google, Amazon and Ebay], and not found what I'm looking for, though that doesn't mean it's not there!

I'd prefer book recommendations over websites, I love books

Thank you for your time,

Clare

P.S. I found this in the shop - 'A Hundred Verses From Old Japan Bilingual Edition'. Anyone got it? Is it what I'm looking for? http://www.thejapanshop.com/product.php ... =68&page=1

[Valatunda]

I could recommend The Classic Tradition of Haiku: An Anthology. The haiku are in romaji followed by at least one translation and some have notes. I don’t think there is a dark theme, but there are ones related to death.

Example:

Nadeshiko no / naze oreta zo yo / oreta zo yo
Why did the pink break, oh why did it break? MB

Written on the death of his son in 1819. Issa had six children, five of whom died in infancy. The sixth was born posthumously. The pink or daisy (nadeshiko) is a delicate potted plant symbolic of Japanese virtue.

MB is for the translator Max Bickerton.

There is a good number of haiku and it is only £1.90.

[chikara]

I have Basho - The Complete Haiku. In the front sections of the book it has the translated haiku while in the Notes section it has the haiku in romaji as well as the original Japanese and a brief explanation. In my opinion this is an excellent book.

I also have Classic Haiku - A Masters Selection. This is a much smaller paperback with one haiku per page. Each page has the English translation the romaji and the original Japanese. It also contains mini-bios of the authors.

[celticflower]

Valatunda, chikara, thank you! I'll add those to my 'to buy' list.

Valatunda, I really liked the example you gave, the extra information was interesting and put the poem in context. I love that.

Speaking of poetry, I found one on the internet that made me laugh, though I’m not sure it was supposed to

Wakaishu ya
shinu ga iya nara
ima shiniyare
hito-tabi shineba
mo shinanu zo ya

O young folk--
if you fear death,
die now!
Having died once,
you won't die again.

"(Frontispiece). Calligraphy by Japanese Zen master Hakuin ( 1685-1768). The poem is written above the character (shi, death)." http://www.questia.com/read/59933743?ti ... 3a%20Jisei


Thanks again for the help!

[samlauncher]

hey guys m looking for some sad poetry plz help!!!