The Kahlil Gibran Collection

by Kahlil Gibran

  * * *

  Humanity appeals to its people but they listen not. Were one to listen, and console a mother by wiping her tears, other would say, “He is weak, affected by sentiment.”

  * * *

  Humanity is the spirit of the Supreme Being on earth, and that Supreme Being preaches love and good-will. But the people ridicule such teachings. The Nazarene Jesus listened, and crucifixion was his lot; Socrates heard the voice and followed it, and he too fell victim in body. The followers of The Nazarene and Socrates are the followers of Deity, and since people will not kill them, they deride them, saying, “Ridicule is more bitter than killing.”

  * * *

  Jerusalem could not kill The Nazarene, nor Athens Socrates; they are living yet and shall live eternally. Ridicule cannot triumph over the followers of Deity. They live and grow forever.

  Part Three

  Thou art my brother because you are a human, and we both are sons of one Holy Spirit; we are equal and made of the same earth.

  * * *

  You are here as my companion along the path of life, and my aid in understanding the meaning of hidden Truth. You are a human, and, that fact sufficing, I love you as a brother. You may speak of me as you choose, for Tomorrow shall take you away and will use your talk as evidence for his judgment, and you shall receive justice.

  * * *

  You may deprive me of whatever I possess, for my greed instigated the amassing of wealth and you are entitled to my lot if it will satisfy you.

  * * *

  You may do unto me whatever you wish, but you shall not be able to touch my Truth.

  * * *

  You may shed my blood and burn my body, but you cannot kill or hurt my spirit.

  * * *

  You may tie my hands with chains and my feet with shackles, and put me in the dark prison, but who shall not enslave my thinking, for it is free, like the breeze in the spacious sky.

  * * *

  You are my brother and I love you. I love you worshipping in your church, kneeling in your temple, and praying in your mosque. You and I and all are children of one religion, for the varied paths of religion are but the fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme Being, extended to all, offering completeness of spirit to all, anxious to receive all.

  * * *

  I love you for your Truth, derived from your knowledge; that Truth which I cannot see because of my ignorance. But I respect it as a divine thing, for it is the deed of the spirit. Your Truth shall meet my Truth in the coming world and blend together like the fragrance of flowers and becoming one whole and eternal Truth, perpetuating and living in the eternity of Love and Beauty.

  * * *

  I love you because you are weak before the strong oppressor, and poor before the greedy rich. For these reasons I shed tears and comfort you; and from behind my tears I see you embraced in the arms of Justice, smiling and forgiving your persecutors. You are my brother and I love you.

  Part Four

  You are my brother, but why are you quarrelling with me? Why do you invade my country and try to subjugate me for the sake of pleasing those who are seeking glory and authority?

  * * *

  Why do you leave your wife and children and follow Death to the distant land for the sake of those who buy glory with your blood, and high honour with your mother’s tears?

  * * *

  Is it an honour for a man to kill his brother man? If you deem it an honour, let it be an act of worship, and erect a temple to Cain who slew his brother Abel.

  * * *

  Is self-preservation the first law of Nature? Why, then, does Greed urge you to self-sacrifice in order only to achieve his aim in hurting your brothers? Beware, my brother, of the leader who says, “Love of existence obliges us to deprive the people of their rights!” I say unto you but this: protecting others’ rights is the noblest and most beautiful human act; if my existence requires that I kill others, then death is more honourable to me, and if I cannot find someone to kill me for the protection of my honour, I will not hesitate to take my life by my own hands for the sake of Eternity before Eternity comes.

  * * *

  Selfishness, my brother, is the cause of blind superiority, and superiority creates clanship, and clanship creates authority which leads to discord and subjugation.

  * * *

  The soul believes in the power of knowledge and justice over dark ignorance; it denies the authority that supplies the swords to defend and strengthen ignorance and oppression – that authority which destroyed Babylon and shook the foundation of Jerusalem and left Rome in ruins. It is that which made people call criminals great mean; made writers respect their names; made historians relate the stories of their inhumanity in manner of praise.

  * * *

  The only authority I obey is the knowledge of guarding and acquiescing in the Natural Law of Justice.

  * * *

  What justice does authority display when it kills the killer? When it imprisons the robber? When it descends on a neighbourhood country and slays its people? What does justice think of the authority under which a killer punishes the one who kills, and a thief sentences the one who steals?

  * * *

  You are my brother, and I love you; and Love is justice with its full intensity and dignity. If justice did not support my love for you, regardless of your tribe and community, I would be a deceiver concealing the ugliness of selfishness behind the outer garment of pure love.

  Conclusion

  My soul is my friend who consoles me in misery and distress of life. He who does not befriend his soul is an enemy of humanity, and he who does not find human guidance within himself will perish desperately. Life emerges from within, and derives not from environs.

  * * *

  I came to say a word and I shall say it now. But if death prevents its uttering, it will be said by Tomorrow, for Tomorrow never leaves a secret in the book of Eternity.

  * * *

  I came to live in the glory of Love and the light of Beauty, which are the reflections of God. I am here living, and the people are unable to exile me from the domain of life for they know I will live in death. If they pluck my eyes I will hearken to the murmurs of Love and the songs of Beauty.

  * * *

  If they close my ears I will enjoy the touch of the breeze mixed with the incense of Love and the fragrance of Beauty.

  * * *

  If they place me in a vacuum, I will live together with my soul, the child of Love and Beauty.

  * * *

  I came here to be for all and with all, and what I do today in my solitude will be echoed by Tomorrow to the people.

  * * *

  What I say now with one heart will be said tomorrow by many hearts.

  The Life Of Love

  Spring

  Come, my beloved; let us walk amidst the knolls,

  For the snow is water,

  And life is alive from its slumber and is roaming the hills and valleys.

  Let us follow the footprints of Spring into the distant fields,

  And mount the hilltops to draw inspiration high above the cool green plains.

  * * *

  Dawn of Spring has unfolded her winter-kept garment

  And placed it on the peach and citrus trees ;

  And they appear as brides in the ceremonial custom of the Night of

  Kedre.

  * * *

  The sprigs of grapevine embrace each other like sweethearts,

  And the brooks burst out in dance between the rocks,

  Repeating the song of joy ;

  And the flowers bud suddenly from the heart of nature,

  Like foam from the rich heart of the sea.

  * * *

  Come, my beloved; let us drink the last of Winter’s tears from the cupped lilies,

  And soothe our spirits with the shower of notes from the birds,

  And wander in exhilaration through the intoxicating breeze.

  * * *

  Let us sit by tha
t rock, where violets hide ;

  Let us pursue their exchange of the sweetness of kisses.

  Summer

  Let us go into the fields, my beloved,

  For the time of harvest approaches,

  And the sun’s eyes are ripening the grain.

  Let us tend the fruit of the earth,

  As the spirit nourishes the grains of joy from the seeds of Love,sowed deep in our hearts.

  Let us fill our bins with the products of nature,

  As life fills so abundantly the domain of our hearts with her endless bounty.

  Let us make the flowers our bed,

  And the sky our blanket,

  And rest our heads together upon pillows of soft hay.

  Let us relax after the day’s toil, and listen to the provoking murmur of the brook.

  Autumn

  Let us go and gather grapes in the vineyard for the winepress,

  And keep the wine in old vases,

  As the spirit keeps Knowledge of the ages in eternal vessels.

  * * *

  Let us return to our dwelling,

  For the wind has caused the yellow leaves to fall

  And shroud the withering flowers that whisper elegy to Summer.

  Come home, my eternal sweetheart,

  For the birds have made pilgrimage to warmth

  And lest the chilled prairies suffering pangs of solitude.

  The jasmine and myrtle have no more tears.

  * * *

  Let us retreat, for the tired brook has ceased its song ;

  And the bubblesome springs are drained of their copious weeping ;

  And their cautious old hills have stored away their colourful garments.

  * * *

  Come, my beloved; Nature is justly weary

  And is bidding her enthusiasm farewell

  With quiet and contented melody.

  Winter

  Come close to me, oh companion of my full life ;

  Come close to me and let not Winter’s touch enter between us.

  Sit by me before the hearth,

  For fire is the only fruit of Winter.

  * * *

  Speak to me of the glory of your heart,

  For that is greater than the shrieking elements beyond our door.

  Bind the door and seal the transoms,

  For the angry countenance of the heaven depresses my spirit,

  And the face of our snow-laden fields makes my soul cry.

  * * *

  Feed the lamp with oil and let it not dim,

  And place it by you,

  So I can read with tears what your life with me has written upon your face.

  * * *

  Bring Autumn’s wine.

  Let us drink and sing the song of remembrance to Spring’s carefree sowing,

  And Summer’s watchful tending,

  And Autumn’s reward in harvest.

  * * *

  Come close to me, oh beloved of my soul ;

  The fire is cooling and fleeing under the ashes.

  Embrace me, for I fear loneliness ;

  The lamp is dim, and the wine which we pressed is closing our eyes.

  Let us look upon each other before they are shut.

  Find me with your arms and embrace me ;

  Let slumber then embrace our souls as one.

  Kiss me, my beloved, for Winter has stolen all but our moving lips.

  * * *

  You are close by me, my Forever.

  How deep and wide will be the ocean of Slumber,

  And how recent was the dawn!

  Song Of The Wave

  The strong shore is my beloved

  And I am his sweetheart.

  We are at last united by love,

  And then the moon draws me from him.

  I go to him in haste and depart

  Reluctantly, with many little farewells.

  * * *

  I steal swiftly from behind the blue horizon,

  To cast the silver of my foam upon the gold of his sand,

  And we blend in melted brilliance.

  * * *

  I quench his thirst and submerge his heart ;

  He softens my voice and subdues my temper.

  At dawn I recite the rules of love upon his ears,

  And he embraces me longingly.

  * * *

  At eventide I sing to him the song of hope,

  And then print smooth kisses upon his face ;

  I am swift and fearful, but he is quiet, patient, and thoughtful.

  His broad bosom soothes my restlessness.

  * * *

  As the tide comes we caress each other,

  When it withdraws, I drop to his feet in prayer.

  * * *

  Many times have I danced around mermaids

  As they rose from the depths

  And rested upon my crest to watch the stars ;

  Many times have I heard lovers complain of their smallness,

  And I helped them to sigh.

  * * *

  Many times have I teased the great rocks

  And fondled them with a smile,

  But never have I received laughter from them ;

  Many times have I lifted drowning souls

  And carried them tenderly to my beloved shore.

  He gives them strength as he takes mine.

  * * *

  Many times have I stolen gems from the depths

  And presented them to my beloved shore.

  He takes them in silence,

  But still I give for he welcomes me ever.

  * * *

  In the heaviness of night,

  When all creatures seek the ghost of slumber,

  I sit up, singing at one time and sighing at another.

  I am awake always.

  * * *

  Alas! Sleeplessness has weakened me!

  But I am a lover, and the truth of love is strong.

  I may be weary, but I shall never die.

  Peace

  The tempest calmed after bending the branches of the trees and leaning heavily upon the grain in the field. The stars appeared as broken remnants of lightning, but now silence prevailed over all, as if Nature’s war had never been fought.

  * * *

  At that hour a young woman entered her chamber and knelt by her bed sobbing bitterly. Her heart flamed with agony but she could finally open her lips and say, “Oh Lord, bring him home safely to me. I have exhausted my tears and can offer no more, oh Lord, full of love and mercy. My patience is drained and calamity is seeking possession of my heart. Save him, oh Lord, from the iron paws of War; deliver him from such unmerciful Death, for he is weak, governed by the strong. Oh Lord, save my beloved, who is Thine own son, from the foe, who is Thy foe. Keep him from the forced pathway to Death’s door; let him see me, or come and take me to him.”

  uietly a young man entered. His head was wrapped in bandage soaked with escaping life.

  * * *

  He approached he with a greeting of tears and laughter, then took her hand and placed against it his flaming lips. And with a voice with bespoke past sorrow, and joy of union, and uncertainty of her reaction, he said, “Fear me not, for I am the object of your plea. Be glad, for Peace has carried me back safely to you, and humanity has restored what greed essayed to take from us. Be not sad, but smile, my beloved. Do not express bewilderment, for Love has power that dispels Death; charm that conquers the enemy. I am your one. Think me not a spectre emerging from the House of Death to visit your Home of Beauty.

  * * *

  “Do not be frightened, for I am now Truth, spared from swords and fire to reveal to the people the triumph of Love over War. I am Word uttering introduction to the play of happiness and peace.”

  * * *

  Then the young man became speechless and his tears spoke the language of the heart; and the angels of Joy hovered about that dwelling, and the two hearts restored the singleness which had been taken from them.

  *
* *

  At dawn the two stood in the middle of the field contemplating the beauty of Na

  The Playground Of Life

  One hour devoted to the pursuit of beauty and love is worth a full century of glory given by the frightened weak to the strong.

  * * *

  From that hour comes man’s Truth; and during that century truth sleeps between the restless arms of disturbing dreams.