The Path of Flowering Thorn: The Life and Poetry of Yosa Buson

Yosa Buson (1716-83) is a towering figure in the history of haiku. A painter by profession, Buson took delight in the natural beauty of colors and forms as well as in the artistic beauty of composition. A seeker of ideals that were more aesthetic than religious or moral, he freely let his imagination wander into a land of exotic beauty far removed from contemporary society, often evoking ancient China, Heian Japan, and the world of the supernatural. 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. The book is illustrated with twelve examples of Buson’s work as painter and calligrapher.