{"product_id":"sun-at-midnight-poems-and-letters-9781556594397","title":"Sun at Midnight: Poems and Letters","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"An undisputed master.\"--\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLong out of print, this reissue is the first translation into English of the work of Muso Soseki, the thirteenth-century Zen roshi and founder of the rock garden. A gorgeous introduction by co-translator W.S. Merwin sets the stage for 130 poems and six letters to the Emperor that combine delicacy and lightness with penetrating plainness. Essential for poets, gardeners, and students of Zen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eToki-no-Ge (Satori Poem)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eYear after year\u003cbr\u003eI dug in the earth\u003cbr\u003elooking for the blue of heaven\u003cbr\u003eonly to feel\u003cbr\u003ethe pile of dirt\u003cbr\u003echoking me\u003cbr\u003euntil once in the dead of night\u003cbr\u003eI tripped on a broken brick\u003cbr\u003eand kicked it into the air\u003cbr\u003eand saw that without a thought\u003cbr\u003eI had smashed the bones\u003cbr\u003eof the empty sky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn ten years after Dante Alighieric, \u003cb\u003eMuso Soseki\u003c\/b\u003e was the most famous Zen monk of his time, and is considered the father of the rock garden. Muso spent much of his early life practicing Zen in remote temples and hermitages. In spite of this isolation, his reputation grew, and he served as an advisor and teacher to several emperors, as well as to more than thirteen thousand students.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eW.S. Merwin\u003c\/b\u003e is one of the world's foremost translators of poetry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCo-translator \u003cb\u003eSoiku Shigematsu\u003c\/b\u003e is a Zen scholar, poet, and translator who serves as the abbot of Shogen-ji Temple in Shimizu, Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Muso Soseki\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Copper Canyon Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/16\/2013\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 200\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.6lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.40h x 5.40w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781556594397","brand":"Copper Canyon Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42710593372297,"sku":"9781556594397","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0636\/9240\/6921\/files\/img_c2897739-3ce3-400b-a192-05f0ff8bc9b9.jpg?v=1719539374","url":"https:\/\/sonsanddaughtersbooks.com\/products\/sun-at-midnight-poems-and-letters-9781556594397","provider":"Sons and Daughters Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}