Cherry blossom petals. Flowers in Japanese painting and poetry.

The aesthetic concept of 'setsugekka' (literally: snow, moon, flowers) is one of the key elements of the entire Japanese culture. And for the process of admiring the beauty of flowers, there is a special term - 'hanami', which has no equivalent in other languages. Perhaps it is flowers that are the key to the entire Japanese culture... This collection features the best examples of classical Japanese poetry, consisting of 150 poems by eighty-two poets from the 2nd to the 20th centuries, all connected by a common theme - flowers and the harmony of nature. For centuries, Japanese poets and painters competed with each other, praising the beauty of blooming cherry blossoms, orange trees, chrysanthemums, carnations, irises, lotuses, and the amazing 'Fuji flower' - wisteria... Together, they created a unique 'language of flowers', the symbolism of which is distinct from European. Our anthology combines Japanese poetry, painting, and the beauty of nature. We have gathered the best poems by Japanese poets related to the theme of flowers, translated by Alexander Brandt, Konstantin Balmont, Nikolay Pozdnyakov, Nikolay Azbelev, Nikolay Novich, Vasily Mendrin, Arkady Press, Pavel Sukhotin, Sergey Alymov, Veniamin Mart, and others. They are complemented by engravings and masterpieces of Japanese 'flower' painting. Compiled by S.Z. Kodzov.