The Spring of My Life

Kobayashi Issa (1763–1827), along with Bashō and Buson, is considered one of the three greatest haiku poets of Japan, known for his attention to poignant detail and playful sense of humor. Issa’s most beloved work, The Spring of My Life, is an autobiographical sketch of linked prose and haiku in the tradition of Bashō’s celebrated Narrow Road to the Interior. This edition also includes more than 160 of Issa’s most revered haiku and an introduction that provides essential background on Issa’s life as well as valuable information on translating (and reading) haiku.