{"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\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuso Soseki: Born ten years after Dante, in 1275, Muso Soseki was the most famous Zen monk of his time, and is considered the father of the rock garden. Muso began studying Buddhism at the age of six, and he spent much of his early life practicing Zen in remote temples and hermitages. In spite of this isolation, Muso's reputation grew, and he served as an advisor and teacher to several emperors, as well as to more than 13,000 students, over the course of his lifetime. In his old age, Muso again withdrew from court life and devoted himself to the study of Buddha dharma, spending much of his time cultivating the Zen gardens for which he is best known. Muso died in 1351, leaving behind numerous gardens and an enormous body of poetry and prose. In honor of his influence over Japanese politics and culture, Muso was posthumously renamed Muso Kokushi, or national Zen teacher, by the Japanese Emperor Go-Daigo. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eW.S. Merwin: W.S. Merwin, U.S. Poet Laureate from 2010-11, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice, most recently for \u003ci\u003eThe Shadow of Sirius\u003c\/i\u003e (Copper Canyon, 2009), and the National Book Award for \u003ci\u003eMigration: New and Selected Poems\u003c\/i\u003e (Copper Canyon, 2005). Author and translator of over fifty books, Mr. Merwin lives in Hawaii and France. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSoiku Shigematsu: Soiku Shigematsu is a Zen scholar, poet, and translator. His past translations include \u003ci\u003eA Zen Forest: Sayings of the Masters\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Zen Harvest: Japanese Folk Zen Sayings\u003c\/i\u003e. Shigematsu has been honored with the Jerome J. Shestack Poetry Prize from \u003ci\u003eThe American Poetry Review.\u003c\/i\u003e In addition to his work as a translator, Shigematsu writes free-verse poetry in Japanese. He has also taught at Shizuoka University, San Diego State University, UC Davis, and Kansai Medical University. Simegatsu now serves as the abbot of Shogen-ji Temple in Shimizu, Japan.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Copper Canyon Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50420091552018,"sku":"9781556594397","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_7a24eaf0-3143-4165-9107-a46e517817d4.jpg?v=1729489575","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/sun-at-midnight-poems-and-letters-9781556594397","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}