Like Underground Water

Naoshi Koriyama, Edward Leuders, trans.

This is the first comprehensive anthology of post-World War II Japanese poetry. The poems trace the introduction and influence of western traditions such as symbolism, surrealism, Beat poetry and advances made by women poets, as well as presenting a deep response to Japan’s darkest moments and the remarkable regenerative powers of its postwar poets.

Paperback: $15.00 list price

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ISBN: 9781556591037

Format: Paperback

Imperfect Poetry and Meaningless Poetry

Iijima Koichi (1930–2013)

Perfectly tired

of being caught perfectly
in fiction that is perfection,
I try to write imperfect poetry with perfect imperfection;
but I can only write imperfect poetry
imperfectly.

Fed up
with meaningful poetry,
I try to write
meaningless poetry,
but
nothing can be more difficult
than writing meaningless poetry.
Words have meaning—
infinite meaning—and meaning multiplies, multiplies;
words counterblow,
never ceasing to insist
meaninglessly
that they cannot help meaning by any means.

About the Translator

Naoshi Koriyama was born on Kikai Island in the Amami chain of islands between mainland Japan and Okinawa in 1926. He studied English literature at Kagoshima Normal College, the University of New Mexico, and the University at Albany, SUNY. He seldom write poetry in Japanese, but, while in Albany, he started writing poetry in English. He was a professor of English at Toyo University in Tokyo from 1961 to 1997 and is the author or translator of several volumes of …

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About the Translator

Edward Lueders taught at the University of Utah for twenty-eight years, serving as director of the MFA program and editor of Western Humanities Review. He is the author of twelve books, including The Clam Lake Papers and The Salt Lake Papers, meditations and poetry on the interplay of nature and human thought. He presently works as a jazz pianist.

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Reviews

“Lueders’ anthology is a major coup… This great sampling of poets and poetic styles is united here with an excellent, historically-based introduction. This book is significant for its comprehensive look at this century through Japanese eyes, for its well-thought-out format, and for the quality and accessibility of the translations.” —Booklist

“This handsome volume presents lucid translations of eighty-one Japanese poets… A short review cannot do justice to the vivid imagery, humor and poignancy of so many poets. Put this on your shelf to drink from again and again.” —Harvard Review

“[An] overflowing wealth of creativity… emerges in this fine anthology.” —Asahi Evening News

“[Naoshi Koriyama and] Edward Lueders give contemporary Japanese poetry increased accessibility with brilliant English translations in Like Underground Water… Love of word and image… are vibrantly conveyed in these translations.” —Continuum

“Like Underground Water is an incredibly rich and remarkable collection that uplifts its readers while broadening their minds to myriad possibilities contained in the human spirit.” —Japanophile

“How straightforward, beautiful and moving the writing is… Even without the vast riches of the Japanese language, these are enjoyable and enriching works to read… Anyone interested in poetry might be pleased to own the volume… The opportunity to meet a splendid array of poets previously unavailable to us should not be missed.” —Pacific Reader