One of Japan's most important modern poets, Tada Chimako (1930-2003) gained prominence in her native country for her sensual, frequently surreal poetry and fantastic imagery. This title presents a selection from Tada's extraordinary oeuvre, including nontraditional free verse, poems in the traditional forms of tanka and haiku, and prose poems.

Translator's Acknowledgments Note on the Translation Introduction From Fireworks (1956) From The Gladiator's Arena (1960) From Universe of the Rose (1964) From The Town of Mirrors, or Forest of Eyes (1968) From A False Record of Ages (1971) From The Four-Faced Path (1975) From A Spray of Water: Tanka (1975) From Lotophagi (1980) From Ceremonial Fire (1986) From Along the Riverbank (1998) From The Land of the Long River (2) From A Souvenir of Wind: Haiku (2003) From Upon Breaking the Seal (2004) From Person of the Playful Sta: Tanka (2005) Translator's Notes Chronology Selected Works Index of Titles and First Lines

"Tada Chimako was one of the few overtly intellectual modern Japanese poets, but she donned her erudition with lightness and humor. She was also one of the few who went beyond the realm of "free verse" and tried the traditional forms of tanka and haiku, even occasionally using rhymes. Jeffrey Angles brings across Tada's distinct voice and approach with elegance and skill in his translations, making her poems come alive."—Hiroaki Sato"Marvelous. An important introduction to modern Japanese literature for the English-reading world."—Liza Dalby, author of Geisha "Up until now, a few translations in scattered sources have suggested something of the range and depth of the poetry of Tada Chimako; now, this new and extensive collection of translations by Jeffrey Angles reveals an astonishing talent, confirming for readers everywhere the respect and admiration which Japanese readers have long felt for this body of work. Hers is a poetry of that possesses a virtual tactile energy, moving across time and space, absorbed in nature, glancing at the literary heritage of the world (in particularly those of Japan, China, France, and ancient Greece), as well experimenting with literary form (modern verse, tanka, and haiku). All this is accomplished with an astonishing grace and a spiritual fastidiousness, as serene as a mathematic equation. In these limpid and elegant translations, Mr. Angles proves himself at the forefront of his generation in his skill at gently and firmly moving this elegant poetry from one language to another. With this collection, postwar Japanese poetry seems suddenly, wonderfully, different, and truly enriched."—J. Thomas Rimer, co-editor, The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature