INTO THE GARDEN
A Wedding Anthology (with Robert Hass)
HarperCollins, 1993

For every bride and groom who want to give their ceremony new depth and meaning, two noted poet-translators have gathered poems and prose, old and new, religious and nonreligious, that will make any wedding a richer experience.

In this wise and delight-filled book, Robert Hass, formerly poet laureate of the United States, and Stephen Mitchell have compiled a collection of poetry and prose that celebrates the mystery of love and the meaning of the marriage pledge. They have discovered some of the most beautiful and profound statements about love and marriage in the prayers and meditations of various cultures — Native American, old Chinese, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian; pieces by Biblical psalmists, Sufi mystics, and Zen sages; traditional European love poetry, and work by modern poets and essayists.

With an introduction by Robert Hass on the wedding ceremony as ritual and celebration, a chapter of longer selections on love and marriage for private reading, a chapter containing examples of wedding ceremonies from various American traditions, and a brief afterword by Stephen Mitchell about marriage as a spiritual practice, this anthology is a lasting treasure for all couples.