Amazon.com Book Description (ISBN 0231039476, Hardcover)

Whether he was a blind, wandering lute player or a beggar who was once a prince, the legend of Semimaru has endured in Japan for over one thousand years. From origins in the Golden Age of classical Japan, he attracted a significant quantity of written lore up through the 13th century, and his legend inspired many of Japan's greatest literary giants. Their works about Semimaru form a fascinating map of culture, class, and religion in the tumultuous last days of the Heian period. The Legend of Semimaru is the definitive study on the subject in English.

Semimaru is a recurring figure in poems, prose narratives, No drama and bunraku puppet plays; the three most important Semimaru works are included in their entirety here in English translation. Professor Susan Matisoff also explores the sociological background behind the legend and analyzes the various works in which Semimaru appears as a literary character, as well as the seven classic waka poems that have been attributed to him. English translations of all seven poems are included here.

This new edition of Legend of Semimaru includes a new preface, a revised translation of the play Ausaka Madman, and a supplementary bibliography.