A masterful translation of one of the most-loved classics of Japanese
literature--part travelogue, part haiku collection, part account of
spiritual awakening
Bashō (1644-1694)--a great luminary of Asian literature who elevated the
haiku to an art form of utter simplicity and intense spiritual
beauty--is renowned in the West as the author of Narrow Road to the
Interior, a travel diary of linked prose and haiku recounting his
journey through the far northern provinces of Japan.
This edition, part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series, features a
masterful translation of this celebrated work. It also includes an
insightful introduction by translator Sam Hamill detailing Bashō's life
and the art of haiku, three other important works by Bashō--Travelogue
of Weather-Beaten Bones, The Knapsack Notebook, and Sarashina
Travelogue--and two hundred and fifty of his finest haiku, making this
the most complete single-volume collection of Bashō's writings.
The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable
teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic
texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert
Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of
the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a
compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to
everyday life.
