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In his perfectly crafted haiku poems, Basho described the natural world with great simplicity and delicacy of feeling. When he composed The Narrow Road to the Deep North he was a serious student of Zen Buddhism setting off on a series of travels designed to strip away the trappings of the material world and bring spiritual enlightenment. He wrote of the seasons changing, of the smell of the rain, the brightness of the moon and the beauty of the waterfall, through which he sensed the mysteries of the universe. These travel writings not only chronicle Basho’s perilous journeys through Japan, but they also capture his vision of eternity in the transient world around him
About the Author
Basho, the Japanese poet and diarist, was born in Iga-ueno near Kyoto in 1644. He began to write verse while studying as the companion of the son of the local lord, and continued write when he moved to Edo (now Tokyo) in 1667. He eventually became a recluse, and on his travels relied on the hospitality of temples and fellow poets. His work is much influenced by Zen Buddhism.
Nobuyuki Uasa teaches English at the University of Hiroshima.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Breaking the silence
Of an ancient pond,
A frog jumped into water -
A deep resonance.
Praise first to Nobuyuki Yuasa, whose lucid and natural translation throughout is a joy to read. As the haiku above amply demonstrates, Yuasa's decision to render Basho's haiku in 4 lines in English, to my eye and ear at least, captures the precision of the images and the depths of meaning beautifully. Yuasa writes a long introduction, that's highly enjoyable, introducing an overview of haiku, and some of the background to Basho's own life and story, before looking in more detail at the five texts contained within this book.
The reader will most likely concur with the translator, that the first four "sketches" (The Records of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton, A Visit to the Kashima Shrine, The Records of a Travel-Worn Satchel, and A Visit to Sarashina Village) are all steps on the journey to the classic The Narrow Road to the Deep North, whose combination of prose and haiku "illuminate each other like two mirrors held up facing each other." This journey is in the art of writing "haibun": a composition where prose and poetry meet and neither are ascendant.
Basho's personal journey, as a student of Zen Buddhism, was one in which he travelled to escape from the bonds of the material world, looking for enlightenment: "neither a priest nor an ordinary man of this world was I, for I wavered ceaselessly like a bat that passes for a bird at one time and for a mouse at another" he tells us in A Visit to the Kashima Shrine. And it's hard to say whether he found what he was looking for, ending:
So I must take to the road again,
Farewell, my friends.
Basho's work has undoubtedly transcended its own time, and nearly 350 years later fills our contemporary world, so separated from the natural rhythms of the earth, with "the very paths of the sun and moon". It captures mountains and moonrises, temples and tears wept, history and the composition of haiku as a gift: "the old seed of linked verse once strewn here by the scattering wind had taken root ... but ... these rural poets were now struggling to find their way in the forest of error ... I sat with them to compose a book of linked verse, and left it behind me as a gift."
His prose is composed with the same clarity and grace as his haiku; and his wanderings are painted in vivid colours: "the wind seemed to breathe out black soot through every rift in the hanging clouds." He rarely complains of the hardships of travelling by foot, or by occasional borrowed horse, through Japan's 17th century hinterland, though a humorous haiku hints at it:
Bitten by fleas and lice,
I slept in a bed,
A horse urinating all the time
Close to my pillow.
And so the work is part travelogue, part spiritual journey, and part evolution of an art form. Unique and inspiring, Basho has left us with "his vision of eternity in the transient world".
Of an ancient pond,
A frog jumped into water -
A deep resonance.
Praise first to Nobuyuki Yuasa, whose lucid and natural translation throughout is a joy to read. As the haiku above amply demonstrates, Yuasa's decision to render Basho's haiku in 4 lines in English, to my eye and ear at least, captures the precision of the images and the depths of meaning beautifully. Yuasa writes a long introduction, that's highly enjoyable, introducing an overview of haiku, and some of the background to Basho's own life and story, before looking in more detail at the five texts contained within this book.
The reader will most likely concur with the translator, that the first four "sketches" (The Records of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton, A Visit to the Kashima Shrine, The Records of a Travel-Worn Satchel, and A Visit to Sarashina Village) are all steps on the journey to the classic The Narrow Road to the Deep North, whose combination of prose and haiku "illuminate each other like two mirrors held up facing each other." This journey is in the art of writing "haibun": a composition where prose and poetry meet and neither are ascendant.
Basho's personal journey, as a student of Zen Buddhism, was one in which he travelled to escape from the bonds of the material world, looking for enlightenment: "neither a priest nor an ordinary man of this world was I, for I wavered ceaselessly like a bat that passes for a bird at one time and for a mouse at another" he tells us in A Visit to the Kashima Shrine. And it's hard to say whether he found what he was looking for, ending:
So I must take to the road again,
Farewell, my friends.
Basho's work has undoubtedly transcended its own time, and nearly 350 years later fills our contemporary world, so separated from the natural rhythms of the earth, with "the very paths of the sun and moon". It captures mountains and moonrises, temples and tears wept, history and the composition of haiku as a gift: "the old seed of linked verse once strewn here by the scattering wind had taken root ... but ... these rural poets were now struggling to find their way in the forest of error ... I sat with them to compose a book of linked verse, and left it behind me as a gift."
His prose is composed with the same clarity and grace as his haiku; and his wanderings are painted in vivid colours: "the wind seemed to breathe out black soot through every rift in the hanging clouds." He rarely complains of the hardships of travelling by foot, or by occasional borrowed horse, through Japan's 17th century hinterland, though a humorous haiku hints at it:
Bitten by fleas and lice,
I slept in a bed,
A horse urinating all the time
Close to my pillow.
And so the work is part travelogue, part spiritual journey, and part evolution of an art form. Unique and inspiring, Basho has left us with "his vision of eternity in the transient world".
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book after hearing it reviewed on BBC 4's programme "A Good Read".
It is beautifully written and was perfect reading for a quiet country holiday.
Each haiku portrays the landscapes Basho travels through so well that it is easy to close your eyes and 'be there'
It is beautifully written and was perfect reading for a quiet country holiday.
Each haiku portrays the landscapes Basho travels through so well that it is easy to close your eyes and 'be there'
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is one of my favourite books, a very lucid account of Basho's travels through Japan interspersed with Haiku. His descriptions of the various sites visited and encounters with other poets, monks etc are very enjoyable reading. Along with "Book of Tea" by Kakuzo Okakura this gives a really good insight into Japanese culture of the time.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
grace, gentleness and clarity in a frenetic, murky world
Basho writes of simple things with real grace and clarity. As one might expect from a student of Zen, he is quietly attentive to the world around him, and this clear attention... Read more
Published 20 months ago by silas sondanson
The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches
The book was very interesting. It gives a very good view of 17th century Japan. Especially with its selection of Haiku. Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2010 by L. M. Ingle
The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches
Having taken an interest in haiku poetry I decided to purchase this book as it is a translation of the original Basho text. Read more
Published on 9 April 2009 by Mr. Brian Muir
Briiliant insight into modern japan love of tradition
This book was written in the 17th century, and gives an account of the poet's travels in the North of Japan. Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2001
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