Gazing at the Moon: Buddhist Poems of Solitude

A fresh translation of the classical Buddhist poetry of Saigyo, the wandering monk whose aesthetics of nature, love, and sorrow became foundational to the Japanese poetic tradition.

Saigyo, the Buddhist name of Fujiwara no Norikiyo (1118-1190), is one of Japan’s most famous and beloved poets. He was a recluse monk who spent much of his life wandering and seeking after the Buddhist way. Combining his love of poetry with his spiritual evolution produced beautiful, lyrical lines infused …