Reviews

Because of the Rain: An Anthology of Korean Zen Poetry by

astrangewind's review against another edition

funny reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.0

I didn't really think I would be interested in zen poetry - it often seemed too lecturey to really get into without having a full academic background in zen. However, the translators / editors only included poems that didn't need hundreds of pages of research to understand. Many of the poems are simple and easy to understand; many are about nature; some even made me laugh. It's amazing to think that I have something in common with an eighth century Chinese man.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable, relaxing read. 

gusabus's review against another edition

3.0

Quite pretty, but I keep thinking that some of the charms of Chinese and Japanese poetry are lost in translation; I feel as though I'm missing a lot of the nuance.

annisnovels's review against another edition

3.0

uni read, some boring, some slap, such as:

Song of the Dream Garden

PILLOWED on your thighs in a dream garden,
little flower with its perfumed stamen,
singing, sipping from the stream of you—
Sunset. Moonlight. Our song continues.

IKKYŪ SŌJUN

ben_miller's review against another edition

5.0

This book gets five stars just for existing as an aesthetic object. Reading it cover-to-cover may be a necessary part of the process, but the best use is probably just keeping it close at hand and opening it at random whenever you have a few minutes, to get an insight like this one from Buson:

With no underrobes,
bare butt suddenly exposed-
a gust of spring wind

battlepoet's review against another edition

3.0

Lovely poetry. I just find I have a hard time reading a full book of poetry, cover-to-finish.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to muse and contemplate over nature, Buddhism, enlightenment, and transience.

uroybd's review against another edition

5.0

Sam Hamill is a great translator. He has the necessary insight to translate from asian languages. I noticed that in his anthology of Bashō's works. In this book, I found Seaton excellent. Really enjoyed the translations.