Haiku--seventeen-syllable poems that evoke worlds despite their brevity--have captivated Japanese readers since the seventeenth century. Today the form is practiced worldwide and has become established as part of our common global heritage. This beautiful traditionally hand-bound volume presents new English translations of classic poems by the four great masters of Japanese haiku--Matsuo Bashō, Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa, and Masaoka Shiki--accompanied by both the original Japanese and a phonetic transcription.