Haiku : Volume 1 Eastern Culture; Volume 2 Spring; Volume 3 Summer-Autumn; Volume 4 Autumn-Winter. -
R. H. Blyth
1949 - The Hokuseido Press, Tokyo - Vol. 1, 2, & 4 First Editions, Vol. 3 early printing.
‘Mountains and rivers, the whole earth, –
All manifest forth the essence of being’ A lovely set of this four volume work on the origins and spirit of Japanese haiku, complete and fine in beautifully illustrated dust jackets. Tipped in the last page of each volume is the publisher’s sheet with date of printing, Blyth’s hanko (ink stamp), bookseller’s plate and other details, which are normally missing and which allow accurate dating of each volume (our thanks to a particular customer for assisting with this). Blyth is best known as a major interpreter of haiku to English speakers. These four volumes, first published from 1949 to 1952, helped introduce haiku to the post World War II world, and his translations and writings on the subject were a crucial impetus in triggering the creation of haiku outside of Japan. Many contemporary Western writers of haiku were introduced to the genre through his works. These include the San Francisco and Beat Generation writers, such as Jack Kerouac, Gary Snyder, and Allen Ginsberg, as well as J.D. Salinger. Each volume with numerous full page black and white and colour illustrations. Volume 4 contains a fold-out graph depicting the evolution of English and Japanese literature, at rear. Many haiku in Blyth’s translation are presented alongside their original Japanese characters.  More Details
Price: HK$ 6,000 |
