Reddit reviews Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death

Here it is, yo:

https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Death-Poems-Written-Monks/dp/0804831793

One of my favorites is a haiku by the poet Kiba, who died in 1868 at the age of ninety.

In Japanese:

Oi no mi ya
hazue no omoru
tsuyu no tama

An english translation:

My old body:
a drop of dew grown
heavy at the leaf tip.

I got this from Hoffman's compilation of jisei called Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death.

Unfortunately, I dont recall any names. They were all a part of this volume, however. http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Death-Poems-Written-Monks/dp/0804831793/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415892669&sr=8-1&keywords=japanese+death+poems

Nicely done. Puts me in mind of a book of Japanese death-poems, which was largely haiku based. (Link for those who wish: http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Death-Poems-Written-Monks/dp/0804831793/)

Thank you, I used to be able to write a lot better but it's faded with time. It's like I'm on a steam ship, first I burned the coal, then the furniture and now there's nothing left to burn.

This is my favorite poetry book, it gives an excellent history of haiku Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death I always have two copies of it, one to read and give away to someone that I think might like it and a second as a backup.

Staring off into
the distance I find myself
in this waking dream.

I don't really read poetry, in fact I only own one poetry book but it's by far the best I've ever read. Japanese death poems. In Japan there was a tradition among Samurai and Haiku poets to write a Haiku poem on their death bed. Some are poignant, some are even funny here's a few of my favourites.


Kashiku

Mount Fuji's meling snow

is the ink

with which I sign

my life's scroll,

"Yours sincerely."

-------------

Moriya Sen'an

Bury me when I die

beneath a wine barrel

in a tavern.

With luck

the cask will leak.

-------------
Dairin Soto

My whole life long I've sharpened my sword

And now, face to face with death

I unsheathe it, and lo-

The blade is broken-

Alas!


To fully understand them you need to read the introduction which takes up about a third of the book and is very interesting in itself. Highly recommended.