The path of flowering thorn

Yosa Buson (1716-83) is a towering figure in the history of haiku. In reputation his only rival is Matsuo Basho, the very "father of haiku," who almost singlehandedly elevated the seventeen-syllable verse to a mature and viable poetic form during the seventeenth century. While Buson considered Basho his mentor and actively participated in the "Return to Basho" movement, he was also aware of his distinctly different temperament and consciously attempted to cultivate it in his poetry.

This book presents an overview of Buson's life and poetry, beginning with speculations on the mysterious circumstances of his birth and then tracing the various stages of his career as poet. In the process, the author cites some 180 of Buson's haiku in English translation, and analyzes them from a predominantly biographical point of view. He also discusses Buson's outstanding achievements in renku (linked verse), haishi (long poems in the spirit of haiku), and haibun (haiku prose).

The book is illustrated with twelve examples of Buson's work as painter and calligrapher.