'The sea dark, The call of the teal Dimly white'The Penguin Book of Japanese Verse contains over 700 poems from the third century to the twentieth, including both tanka ('short poem') and haiku, and covering such classic themes as nature, love, partings and time. Displaying the full wit, sadness and subtlety of Japanese poetry, this collection also illustrates the continued popularity of the poetic form in Japan. Introducing the more complex 'New-Style' verse, the anthology offers a complete picture of Japan and its culture through the centuries.Geoffrey Bownas's and Anthony Thwaite's accessible translation are accompanied by two introductions, placing the poems in their linguistic and historical context. This anthology is broad in scope and content and includes a chronology, appendices and notes.Translated with introductions by GEOFFREY BOWNAS and ANTHONY THWAITE