Basho was born near Kyoto in 1644. A poet and diarist, he spent his youth as companion to the son of the local lord, and with him studied the writing of poetry. In 1667 he moved to Edo (now Tokyo) and continued to write verse. Eventually, he became a recluse. His writings are strongly influenced by the Zen sect of Buddhism. Lucien Stryk is a well-known translator.
Bashi, the 17th-century Japanese poet and diarist, was a great master of haiku. This verse form, of 17 syllables divided into three lines of five, seven and five syllables, is a spare, intense poetic utterance, often invoking nature. Lucien Stryk's elegant translations do not reproduce the numbered syllables in English, but dive to the heart of the meaning. (Kirkus UK)