Haiku

Japanese Poems for the Four Seasons

Ornella Civardi, Kaori Yamaguchi

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Abbeville Press
01 August 2025

Poetry

Savor the changing seasons with this beautifully illustrated collection of classic haiku.

Perhaps no poetic form evokes nature so effectively as the haiku. Made up of just seventeen syllables, it conveys an impression with almost the same immediacy as our own senses-it can be as ephemeral as a breath and as powerful as lightning.

This delightful volume presents some 140 haiku by masters of every period-including Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki-arranged according to the kigo (or word linked to a particular season) that each haiku traditionally contains. Each poem is presented three ways, for the fullest possible enjoyment: in its original Japanese characters, in Japanese transliterated to Latin characters, and in an English translation. Original artwork by the contemporary Japanese illustrator Kaori Yamaguchi adorns this contemplative journey from the first buds of spring to the falling snow of winter.

Bound in the traditional Japanese style and housed in a handsome slipcase, Haiku: Japanese Poems for the Four Seasons will be the perfect gift for anyone who loves poetry, Japanese culture, or the natural world.

AUTHOR: Ornella Civardi has translated and edited the works of such celebrated Japanese writers as Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata, Junzaburo Nishiwaki, and Yoko Ogawara. She won the Alcantara Prize for her translation of Kawabata's Palm-of the-Hand Stories into Italian.

Kaori Yamaguchi is a Japanese illustrator based in Germany. Her work encompasses children's books, board games, textile patterns, and advertising design.

SELLING POINTS: .

A collection of classic haiku in a giftable format, with a traditional Japanese binding and an attractive slipcase .

Original illustrations by a contemporary Japanese artist highlight the seasonal aspect of this beloved poetic form. (Every haiku includes a kigo, or word evoking a particular season.) .

Each haiku is presented three ways, for the fullest enjoyment: in the original Japanese characters, in Japanese transliterated to Latin characters, and in an English translation. .

Includes haiku by masters like Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki .

An excellent companion to Abbeville's Pictures of the Floating World: An Introduction to Japanese Prints, in a similar format

Illustrated by: Kaori Yamaguchi
Translated by: Ornella Civardi
Imprint: Abbeville Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 228mm, Width: 139mm,
Weight: 540g
ISBN: 9780789215062
ISBN 10: 0789215063
Pages: 154
Publication Date: 01 August 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Ornella Civardi has translated and edited the works of such celebrated Japanese writers as Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata, Junzaburo Nishiwaki, and Yoko Ogawara. She won the Alcantara Prize for her translation of Kawabata’s Palm-of the-Hand Stories into Italian. Kaori Yamaguchi is a Japanese illustrator based in Germany. Her work encompasses children’s books, board games, textile patterns, and advertising design.