Haiku

ganjitsu ya kino ni toki asaborake
The dawn of New Year's Day--
yesterday
how far off
Ichiku
In Japan, the natural scene and the details of human life are the common focus of the haiku poet and many artists. The inspiration of this book is to bring them together, revealing the talents of both the artists and poets in making the obvious seem remarkable, and the everyday seem extraordinary.
Works of art from the extensive British Museum collections are matched with a selection of the most celebrated haiku, in both their original Japanese and in sympathetic English translations.
David Cobb's informative introduction and biographical notes on the poets explain the history and development of haiku from earliest to contemporary times. Haiku: The Poetry of Nature is a celebration of the art of Japanese painting and poetry.