One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each

A prize-winning translation of the most widely known and popular collection of Japanese poetry. Hyakunin Isshu is the most famous and popular collection of Japanese poetry, and the first work of Japanese literature ever to be translated into English. Compiled in the fourteenth century, the book is a collection of one hundred waka poems (a precursor of haiku), dating back to the seventh century. It’s had a huge influence on Japanese culture ever since it was first published, and is considered one of the three most important works of Japanese classical literature along with The Tale of Genji and Tales of Ise.

Author Biography

Peter MacMillan was born in Ireland and has lived in Japan for more than twenty years. He has been a visiting researcher at the universities of Princeton, Columbia and Oxford, and is currently a translator, poet and print-maker. He has translated Tales of Ise and One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each for Penguin Classics.