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1020 Haiku in Translation: The Heart of Basho, Buson and Issa features the most representative works of the three greatest haiku poets, Basho, Buson, and Issa. Professors Takafumi Saito and William R. Nelson of Osaka University of Foreign Studies in Osaka, Japan completed their five-year project during which they translated the 1020 Japanese haiku into English from the original Japanese. What is significant and unique about these translations is their accuracy and their poesy. Each of the 1020 haiku has been meticulously translated into a poetic English form, while preserving the exact content, mood and flow of the original.

In addition to these painstakingly rendered haiku, elegant artwork and calligraphy appear throughout the book. Notes, a One-Line Index (Romanized form), and a Pronunciation Guide are also included. Notes, focusing on the meaning of uncommon words, geographical features, historical information, and cultural background have been provided to help non-Japanese readers to more fully understand the meaning and the situation of all the haiku that are not easily understood. The One-Line Index is alphabetized across seasons, but separated into three sections, one for each author. It is provided to help those who know some haiku (or know the beginning word or words) to be able to find them quickly.

By using the Pronunciation Guide with the Romanized form of each of the translations; it is hoped that readers (those who do not speak and read Japanese, that is) will be able to closely approximate the sounds of the words used in each of the haiku. It is further hoped that some of the readers would enjoy the challenge, as well as the sound of the Japanese language along with the fun, the insights, and the scenes depicted in haiku.

1020 Haiku in Translation: The Heart of Basho, Buson and Issa is an ideal book for all educators/students of Japanese literature, anyone interested in translation and bilingual education, and all those interested in poetic forms. While it is true that reading poetry in the original language is best, 1020 Haiku in Translation will prove to be an invaluable tool in presenting haiku in a form that most closely maps the originals for those who lack the requisite language proficiency. It is an equally invaluable tool for those interested in the translation of poetic forms.

www.Amazon.co.uk also carries the paperback edition. ISBN: 1-4196-2765-1.

The paperback edition is also available from: www.Alibris.com, www.Borders.com as well as book stores and other on-line booksellers.

Wholesale Ordering is available for booksellers and libraries at BookSurge Direct and from Baker and Taylor.

1020 Haiku in Translation is also available from other wholesale and retail outlets. To order copies of the hard-bound edition (ISBN: 1-4196-3685-5), please call BookSurge Publishing in the U.S.A. at 866-308-6235 ext 5120, or email orders@booksurge.com.