--- product_id: 1671540 title: "Basho: The Complete Haiku" price: "S/.202" currency: PEN in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.pe/products/1671540-basho-the-complete-haiku store_origin: PE region: Peru --- # Basho: The Complete Haiku **Price:** S/.202 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Basho: The Complete Haiku - **How much does it cost?** S/.202 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pe](https://www.desertcart.pe/products/1671540-basho-the-complete-haiku) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Review: Lots to love about this wonderful tribute to the poetry and life of Basho - I like that this is a "Complete" because you see how themes repeat or how the poet plays with variations. I also love the chronology and the biographical introductions to the different phases in Basho's life and art. I also love that it ends up being a window into another time and culture. If this were a world as into poetry as the world Basho lived in--or even half so much--it would be fun to have a weekly poetry reading group that read facing pages of these poems and discussed their favorites, why, what scene it evokes. Did any of them inspire a poem of your own? If you could choose one word to alter in one of the translations, what change would you make? Alas, that is not the world I live in. I will say that if anyone suspects that they would tire of moon, cherry blossom and chrysanthemum references, this book is not for them. I didn't mark favorites in this volume, but I'll randomly choose some to share: fading temple bell the fragrance of flowers strikes at evening the full moon coming up to the gate the tide's salty crests in summer rain the leg of the crane becomes shorter Review: Absolutely Essential - Ever since I first discovered Basho, some forty-plus years ago in a seventh grade English class, I have been influenced by the seeming simplicity and power of his poetry. But a complete collection of his haiku did not exist in English and I had to make do with the various partial collections which surfaced now and again. Now, at long last, thanks to Jane Reichhold and Kodansha International, we have all of Basho's haiku in English. Basho: The Complete Haiku is a literary tour de force which every lover of haiku, poetry, and Basho needs to have on his or her bookshelf. The book itself is beautifully done with the artwork of Shiro Tsujimura. Subtle and subdued, the illustrations please and tantalize the eye. Offering a wonderful visual counterpoint to the poems themselves. Reichhold, a haiku poet in her own right, has been on the English haiku scene from the beginning. Her understanding of the form is second to none and she stands amongst the best of English-language haikuists. What better tribute to a poet than for another to translate his work? Reichhold's labor of love enriches us all. In Basho: The Complete Haiku, we learn of Basho's life, what were the possible influences upon him, and how he in turn influenced others. We gain an understanding of his literary techniques, as Reichhold presents us with an appendix of analysis. A glossary of important terms is also provided. Then, of course, there are the poems. Basho's haiku are presented in two sections: the main section, which are the superb translations; a second which gives the Japanese, a literal rendering into English, and explanatory notes. The translations themselves are spare, clean, yet full of life. The translator has clearly been touched by the spirit of her mentor. The literal renderings and notes provide the reader an opportunity to go deeper into the poem for an even richer experience of nuanced meanings. This addition gives the book greater depth. My heartfelt thanks goes out to Jane Reichhold for translating the work of Basho and to Kodansha International for bringing the work to the world. We non-Japanese readers can now savor the full range of haiku of one of the truly great poets and philosophers. I cannot help but think the spirit of Matsuo Basho is smiling and filled with great joy. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #142,435 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #21 in Haiku & Japanese Poetry #29 in German Poetry (Books) #3,346 in Short Stories & Anthologies | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 296 Reviews | ## Images ![Basho: The Complete Haiku - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91JlelRboXL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lots to love about this wonderful tribute to the poetry and life of Basho *by J***N on March 23, 2025* I like that this is a "Complete" because you see how themes repeat or how the poet plays with variations. I also love the chronology and the biographical introductions to the different phases in Basho's life and art. I also love that it ends up being a window into another time and culture. If this were a world as into poetry as the world Basho lived in--or even half so much--it would be fun to have a weekly poetry reading group that read facing pages of these poems and discussed their favorites, why, what scene it evokes. Did any of them inspire a poem of your own? If you could choose one word to alter in one of the translations, what change would you make? Alas, that is not the world I live in. I will say that if anyone suspects that they would tire of moon, cherry blossom and chrysanthemum references, this book is not for them. I didn't mark favorites in this volume, but I'll randomly choose some to share: fading temple bell the fragrance of flowers strikes at evening the full moon coming up to the gate the tide's salty crests in summer rain the leg of the crane becomes shorter ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely Essential *by C***S on August 2, 2008* Ever since I first discovered Basho, some forty-plus years ago in a seventh grade English class, I have been influenced by the seeming simplicity and power of his poetry. But a complete collection of his haiku did not exist in English and I had to make do with the various partial collections which surfaced now and again. Now, at long last, thanks to Jane Reichhold and Kodansha International, we have all of Basho's haiku in English. Basho: The Complete Haiku is a literary tour de force which every lover of haiku, poetry, and Basho needs to have on his or her bookshelf. The book itself is beautifully done with the artwork of Shiro Tsujimura. Subtle and subdued, the illustrations please and tantalize the eye. Offering a wonderful visual counterpoint to the poems themselves. Reichhold, a haiku poet in her own right, has been on the English haiku scene from the beginning. Her understanding of the form is second to none and she stands amongst the best of English-language haikuists. What better tribute to a poet than for another to translate his work? Reichhold's labor of love enriches us all. In Basho: The Complete Haiku, we learn of Basho's life, what were the possible influences upon him, and how he in turn influenced others. We gain an understanding of his literary techniques, as Reichhold presents us with an appendix of analysis. A glossary of important terms is also provided. Then, of course, there are the poems. Basho's haiku are presented in two sections: the main section, which are the superb translations; a second which gives the Japanese, a literal rendering into English, and explanatory notes. The translations themselves are spare, clean, yet full of life. The translator has clearly been touched by the spirit of her mentor. The literal renderings and notes provide the reader an opportunity to go deeper into the poem for an even richer experience of nuanced meanings. This addition gives the book greater depth. My heartfelt thanks goes out to Jane Reichhold for translating the work of Basho and to Kodansha International for bringing the work to the world. We non-Japanese readers can now savor the full range of haiku of one of the truly great poets and philosophers. I cannot help but think the spirit of Matsuo Basho is smiling and filled with great joy. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of the most beautiful books I own. *by A***N on October 27, 2010* And that's going some. It's physically beautiful, yes. The jacket is sumptuous as is the binding; the art, the type and even the paper are feasts for the eyes; the paper is a pleasure to handle. But it's more than that. It is the most thorough treatment of Basho's work - and maybe of the haiku form itself - accessible to the casual reader. Maybe the casual reader, or the merely curious, might want to start with something else, actually; shorter and less expensive treatments abound. (Sam Hamill's translations, for example, are excellent.) Not that heavy sledding for novices is a detriment. The buyer should, however, be aware. But if you have been exposed to haiku, and feel its pull, this book does much to help you understand why. The translations are spare and intriguing, the author's apparent effort to reach for Basho's intent. This is an inevitable part of what the translator does; a translator of poetry is, unavoidably, *writing* poetry, and must be a poet. Jane Reichhold is. She is struck by Basho's consistent choice of words with the widest range of dictionary meanings, a good indicator that she knows what she is reaching for. She also provides an excellent introduction; biographical sketches of each phase of Basho's life, into which the poems, in chronological order, are grouped; the literal rendering of the original Japanese, plus historical and explanatory notes for each and every poem; an index of first lines for quick reference; and a full exposition of Basho's poetic techniques. If the name Basho means anything of significance to you, get this book. If you aren't truly ready for it yet, you will be, soon enough. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pe/products/1671540-basho-the-complete-haiku](https://www.desertcart.pe/products/1671540-basho-the-complete-haiku) --- *Product available on Desertcart Peru* *Store origin: PE* *Last updated: 2026-04-24*