<DIV><p>&ldquo;Just as Ryokan&rsquo;s life is inseparable from his poetry, the translation&rsquo;s clarity of diction is inseparable from the sensitive brushwork on each page. A book to be gazed into again and again.&rdquo;&mdash;Charlotte Mandel, <I>Small Press</I></p><p><I>What shall remain</I><BR><I>as my legacy?</I><BR><I>The spring flowers</I><BR><I>the cuckoo in summer,</I><BR><I>the autumn leaves.</I></p><p><B>Ryo</B><B>kan</B> (1758&ndash;1831) was a poet, master calligrapher, Zen hermit, and is one of the most beloved poets of Japan. Instead of becoming the head of a Zen temple, he preferred the simple and independent life of a hermit. Ryokan&rsquo;s poetry is simple, direct, and colloquial in expression.</p></DIV>