Kahlil Gibran Books

I picked up this book later in life after many family hardships befell me. Rather than looking to religion or self help books an honest and humble friend read versus from this book to me. Having loved poetry and free verse most of my life I was struck with vivid beauty in the simplicity of the words that graced my ears that night. Kahlil Gibran in his day was renowned for his prose and how he carried it with the same simplicity that met my ear that night. In his finest work he left an indelible mark on my soul, not just for his words but how his words and their importance can change to the reader throughout their life. Regardless of religion, social preference or upbringing his words have the ability to stir the soul and to channel emotion to a strong degree. Once a gift for my late mother in her dying days it remains not a pillar of strength but a pedestal on life. Not a road map but a way to look at your surroundings when the path before you seems clouded. It gives you not direction but focuses on finding a clearer path. I've read several of Gibran's other works since then but this stands the test of time. If I could ever call any writing a masterpiece, this would be it, for I still read it and still draw from it every time I pick it up.

I've just recently been introduced to Khalil Gibran's work, and I am very thankful for it! His words are profound and thought-provoking. I find myself reading his lines over and over -- there's more to ponder everytime. Not only is his writing beautiful, but truly meaningful.

One of the most profound books I have ever read. You can learn alot about love, life and relationships after reading this book. Very insightful.

When I first started writing poetry at age 12 or 13, I was encouraged to read other poets. Something I refused to do because I thought it might influence, "My Style"...

:)

OK, so I was hard headed... I later was introduced by a Brother In Law to Kahlil Gibran and it was like finding a kindred soul. I now totally encourage any one that want's to excel in poetry to read the greats. And you won't find many of the caliber of this man!!! His words sing from the page both in his poetry and in his short stories! I love "Martyr's To Man" (It's been a while but some of the words are still singed in my brain... And I think it truly speaks of the time we are living in now more than ever... From memory so not verbatim...

Are you a soldier?
Who must forsake wife and children?
And go fourth into the fields of battle?
For the sake of greed
Which your leaders miscall duty?
Than you are a martyr to man!

There's more but the gist of what I am saying is if you love poetry and you haven't read any Kahlil Gibran you're missing out on one of the greatest poets to ever live!

And if you write poetry, I firmly believe Kahlil Gibran should be recquired reading!!!

Not that you will feel you have to plod your way through it...

You too, will fall in love with his immense gifts!!!
Sincerely,
And best wishes to all
Chase von
Your Chance to Hear The Last Panther Speak

I read this about a year ago and can't recall a great deal of the book. From what I do recall it was like a poem all the way through. While the writing was beautiful, I found it ambiguous and befuddled with meaning that I could not identify with. When Gibran speaks of God, I cannot identify because I have since abandoned those philosophies. It is thus difficult to revisit them in this book. I have the feeling a may have missed something great about this book. Indeed, I pulled wisdom from parts, but rather than go back and read it again, for now, perhaps I will move on to another of the many books out there that are enlightening and worth reading. Someday, I would like to read this again and dig deeper.

This is the third book I read by Gibran. I started with "The Prophet" and "Voice of the Master". "Broken Wings" is the first novel I read by this author. It is a love story between two young people at the tender age of 18 that meet and establish spiritual connection between each other immediately. The girl, Selma is raised by her wealthy widower father, who in spite of his wealth seems to be ignorant of the way the world works. The young man, our narrator, is somewhat of a dreamer and idealist who believes that patience and perseverance will grant him the hand of the woman he loves (Selma). But world, being the cruel place that it is has different plans. Everyone pure and true ends up being hurt in the process, only the cruel and greedy get to go on with their lives as if nothing happened. Beautiful story beautifully told and wise as only Gibran can make it so.

"Every beauty and greatness in this world is created by a single thought or emotion inside a man. Every thing we see today, made by past generation, was, before its appearance, a thought in the mind of a man or an impulse in the heart of a woman. The revolutions that shed so much blood and turned men's minds toward liberty were the idea of one man who lived in the midst of thousands of men. The devastating wars which destroyed empires were a thought that existed in the mind of an individual. The supreme teachings that changed the course of humanity were the ideas of a man whose genius separated him from his environment. A single thought build the Pyramids, founded the glory of Islam, and caused the burning of the library at Alexandria.

One thought will come to you at night which will elevate you to glory or lead you to asylum. One look from a woman's eye makes you the happiest man in the world. One word from a man's lips will make you rich or poor."

--Khalil Gibran, Broken Wings

We have all the tools to keep us connected that our forefathers never could have dreamed of. Cars and airplanes allow regular visitations between friends thousands of miles apart. The telephone and the internet allow direct connection with those not in our presence, the cell phone extends this connection to all times and virtually all places. Yet, do we take the time see what we do to those who really are around us, when we leave the guest in our living room to check and see who is signed on to our buddy list on our computer? Do we see our friends' hopes and dreams, joys and sorrows, when we ignore them across the booth in the restaurant to answer our cell phones?

Every action I perform has an effect on someone else. Many people that we meet, we only see that one time. I wonder what their impression of me is. I wonder if I have uplifted them, or hurt them, or barely made an imprint at all. I wonder if they ever look beyond how I have changed them to see me, to see beyond the generally relaxed, goofy, at ease outlook I put on the situation to see how I really am feeling at the time.

Our feelings, our outlook on life, our hopes and expectations can change in an instant. When that person you are thinking about calls or emails, elation ensues. When you don't hear back for awhile, doubt and yearning go through you mind. Yet, it could just be random, the person deciding to send a message just to say hi, like I often do to my friends.

Okay, I am rambling again. That passage above by Khalil Gibran comes from his short book Broken Wings, written from a first person perspective about a man's first love, Selma, who was betrothed to another. This passage was from one of the middle chapters. It caught my eye, and I am still trying to make sense of it, what it is really saying. Any thoughts? Feel free to share. You can post comments on my blog anonymously.

Kahlil Gibran once again tells a beautiful love story. I fell in love with this novel, and would recommend it to anyone who loves to read a beautiful, and realistic love story. It made me cry!

Khalil Gibran's fiery book on first love and its undying potency. A must have read for fans of the Prophet. A fictional tale that captures the essence of love awakening energy in the context of culture, social rules, and family ambition. A juxtaposition on the distinction between a love marriage and a marriage as a merger and acquisiton.

Gibran says, "I was eighteen years of age when love opened my eyes with its magic rays and touched my spirit for the first time with its fiery fingers and Selma Karamy was the first woman who awakened my spirit with her beauty and led me into the garden of high affection, where days pass like dreams and nights like weddings."

In his typical lyrical prose, interlaced with subtle imagery and deep philosophy, Kibran creates a masterpiece of first love. The story is poignant, and is full of platonic ideals, so characteristic of first love, especially in the East. I say so, as in the East, be it South Asia or the Middle East, first love is a cherished territory where spirituality overwhelms every idea of sexuality. The prose is delightful in content as well as intent, and is laced with a wisdom, so reminiscent of his most famous work, the Prophet.

Gibran always wrote short novels, and this one too is a short, but intense read. The sentences are rich with poetic descriptions, and the way author describes nature and love is refreshing, soothing, and beautiful.

I recommend Gibran to one and all. His writings may not appeal to you if you are looking for cheap thrills, but if you pine for a love story that defies the usual pot-broiler stuff, a love story full of purity and selflessness, read this one.

I'm stuck in the first few chapters of this collection. It is much darker compared to the immediately uplifiting through positive insight book, The Prophet. It is however still filled with Gibran's signature wisdom just in a slow and gloomy kind of way. It is a must have for any Gibran lover just be prepared.

Everyone seems to have known about this book but me! Where have I been? The poems and stories in this book absolutely give me those wonderful goose-bumps that come when I experience something very special.

My father first gave me a copy of this powerful, and yet distant writer who exposed my mental eye to a world far away; yet close to home. Kahlil Gibran inspired me beyond words, and I know as a writer that every word written inspires someone; however, this author is my prime example of how race has no matter in words that scatter ignorance. He'd addressed the heart and mind on subjects with great story telling power. My original copy of his book is so old that it is falling apart, and so I bought this collection in order to share his words with others without concern for the condition of the book. I read a few pages to a young lady in one of my classes and she went out and bought her a copy, too. I had no idea that I was missing out on so much more incredible stories and poems until I'd made this purchase. I leave it to you form your own opinion.

I am very pleased with this purchase. The book was shipped quickly and in excellent condition and I love the book!

"I know that the principles upon which I base my writings, are echoes of the spirit of the great majority of the people of the world..." (656)
-Kahlil Gibran in a letter to his cousin, Nakhli Gibran, in 1908.

"The Treasured Writings of Kahlil Gibran", is a compilation of three other books of Gibran's treasury of writings, that each contained several books in one volume. They were: "A Treasury of Kahlil Gibran" (1947), "A Second Treasury of Kahlil Gibran" (1957), and "A Third Treasury of Kahlil Gibran" (1965). A total of ten books in all, this volume contains earlier books by Gibran such as, "Tears And Laughter", and more mature and widely acclaimed books such as, "The Broken Wings." In addition to the beautiful prose, verse, and imaginative stories, there is also biographical information and letters written by, and to Gibran. This is perhaps the most comprehensive book of Kahlil Gibran's writings, and one of the most informative about the man himself.

Philosopher, artist, and poet; these are some of the titles that are used to describe Kahlil Gibran. In order to fully describe this remarkable man, and this book, "The Treasured writings of Kahlil Gibran", one must reach beyond a mere title and use words such as passion, purity, and even divinity. To read this book is to realize this was a mortal man who sincerely understood the difficulties of being human, and yet often looked into the tender eyes of the divine, and shares his belief that he can see this light in the eyes of others.

"The riches of the spirit beautify the face of man and give birth to sympathy and respect. The spirit, in every being is made manifest in the eyes..." (488)

To absorb the depth of Gibran is to discover your own soul's longing for light and life, for beauty and joy. It is to hear the cries of your own heart's ecstasy as a friend, companion, and lover. With his writings, Gibran seems to gently take us by the hand, and listen with us, for our own whisper of echoing spirit.

Brian Douthit
Author Of Perfectly Said: when words become art

Very nicely writen, warms the heart and reminds me to follow my heart regardless of the outside pressures.

Love isn't supposed to hurt. A sage's perspective on the matters of real love.

This book was ok, but didn't touch me as much as "the prophet" did.

For Khalil Gibran, love was a way perhaps a supreme way of achieving self-realization and completeness as a human being. Anyone can live their life transformed by the all consuming power of an encounter with "The Beloved". Particularly in the Eastern cultures there are people trapped in joyless or organized marriages; their passions sacrificed to convention. It is these segments of people that Gibran has brilliantly targeted. Gibran can write very complex social issues in quite simple terms. He can make these issues in a way that can make the reader feel one is taking a walk in a quiet wood, or bathing in a cool stream.

During the course of his reading one can observe that Gibran is a fervernt and outspoken champion of the cause of human rights. He has waged a struggle to strengthen the recognition of youth's freedom of action in love, and abolish from the social structure some of the prevailing ancient marriage customs. He has a strong condemnation of traditions of pre-arranged marriages of children by their parents, in complete disregard of the wishes of those so betrothed.

The ill-fated story of Lyla in `The Brides Bed' is an eye witness account recorded by Khalil. Lyla with courage, anguish and heroism broke in fury from this custom. She brought as a result on her self consequences extremely tragic. This is best described in Khalil's prose:

"... Come you cowards! Fear not the specter of death whose greatness will refuse to approach your littleness and dread not this dagger, for it is a divine instrument which declines to touch your filthy bodies and empty hearts. Look at this handsome youth, he is my beloved and I killed him because I love him. .... We sought a bed worthy of our love in this world which you have made so small with your ignorance and traditions. .... Then the bride lifted her dagger towards the sky, and like a thirsty person who brings the edge of a drinking glass to her lips, she bought it down and planted it in her chest..."

In the `Vision' he describes the social convention issue faced by one:

".. I am a lost human heart, imprisoned in the foul dungeons of mans dictates; tied with chains of earthly authority, dead and forgotten by laughing humanity whose tounge is tied and whose eyes are empty of visible tears. ..."

"His power came from some great reservoir of spiritual life else it could not have been so universal and so potent, but the majesty and beauty of the language with which he clothed it were all his own." -- Claude Bragdon



Kahlil Gibran, on Love:
Love was the central theme of Gibran's life which he expressed in prose poems, and drawings; "Just reading the English translation for this collection of his love-related Arabic works makes my bones ache with the amazing insights he portrays through moving language." ankh fire

"Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart,
and a song of praise upon your lips."
G. Khalil Gibran

The Beloved:
For Gibran, love was the eternal way for any human being to reach completeness, in self realization transforming their life by the power of the encounter with the beloved;
"Who among you would not cross the seas, traverse deserts,
go over mountains and valleys to reach the woman whom his spirit has chosen?
What youth would not follow his heart to the ends of the earth
to breathe the sweetness of his lover's breath, feel the soft touch of her hands,
delight in the melody of her voice?"

The Arkana Edition:
This Penguin Arkana edition of the unique selection of Gibrans writings on the mystical union in love and marriage which he dedicated to the spirit that embraced his spirit and the heart that poured its secrets into his heart, will kindle a fire in the emotions of poetry responsive readers like Ankh fire.
The introduction by Robin Waterfield is concise but eloquent and informing. The translator John Walbridge of Indiana University, who lived and studied in the Middle East introduced G. Khalil Gibran, in a nice biography analyzing his thought, and how he liberated traditional Arabic of his time, writing in a simple diction of modern new form. He compares the passion expressed in his early writings, with the its Lebanese setting and American influence. This new translation of the gifted poet's early Arabic composition is a contemporary fresh one which reflects the original text more closely.

G. Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931:
I encountered Gibran before appreciating Arabic poetry, as a young kid I was amazed by the beauty of his art and the romance of his expression, in 'The Prophet.' Later, I read him in Arabic, before I found out how the Libanese emigrant poet has touched the Western hearts. This collection of Gibran's early stories, parables and poetic prose, were written in Arabic before his works were translated into English, earning him the nickname 'the Shelly of the Orient.' Many Arabic speaking intelligentsia, including my dad thought he has qualified to have been a Nobel Laureate!

Vague enough to enfuse with personal meaning. Meaningless read hard, and broad read softly. A good book if you want to sway in the romantic waters of an indefinite God, but hardly the work to peak behind the curtain. It studies the fabric. Full of delicious quotes, irresistable.

Kahlil Gibran is a very powerful, dynamic writer. He does it brilliantly each time a book goes live.

Wisdom is poetry that sings in the mind. If we could enchant man's heart and at the same time sing in his mind, Then in truth he would live in the shadow of God.

The quotes from "SAND AND FOAM" enhances the thought process and I find better understanding of the people around me.

Our god exists in ourself. It takes thought provoking book to make us aware.

What a beautiful compilation!

I read Kahlil, when i was 14.
I was astounded by his words,
and compostion.
He seemed to define them very well.
When i read this work?
i kept learning the aphorisms,
and the value of his thoughts.
I had never seen, or read another book
without some knowledge of great worth, and wisdom.
besides the Bible.
Gibrans paintings, also speak to the soul
The painting of The Prophet?
depicts a man who seems to
be an ancient, and of whom Kahlil
says he had never been without
since Lebanon .
When i first started to read Gibran?
i knew that i would read
all his works.
And they will continue
singing theyre words, and theyre thoughts
to the serinity and the solitude
of my mind.

Gibran continues to inspire me in this book. It is written from the depths of his soul and from every beat of his heart, as every one of his works are. Some readers criticize his writings becasue they say it is "too hard to understand". This is a complement to Gibran, because the most precious things in life are not supposed to be easily understood. One must read his books and reflect the meaning into their own lives in order to even began to understand. Don't be afriad to challenge yourself.

The book is phenomenal. Got the shipment within a week and a half!

"The Forerunner" is a collection of poems and short stories that will leave you laughing, crying, and swimming in irony. It brings you into people's minds and emotions flawlessly to provide insights to life that you would never have imagined. One becomes the characters, instead of just reading about them. I can only go a few months before I have to read it again. It soothes the soul and leaves the mind at peace with society and nature. Quiet reflection is the only way you can end this book: it demands nothing less. This is a book that must be read.

"When you were a wandering desire in the mist, I too was there, a wandering desire. Then we sought one another, and out of our eagerness dreams were born."
-Kahlil Gibran, Untitled, page 1

In reality, this book is a collection of 25 poems and parables, rather than 24. The first poem, which is untitled, is not listed in the table of contents and is not indicated as an introduction or preface. This first untitled poem appears on pages 1 and 2, and could be aptly titled, "The Forerunner".

In this first untitled poem, Gibran speaks to us in his usual, beautiful fashion of life and death, of love and desire, and of birth and rebirth. He asserts that we are all our own forerunners, meaning that we originate from nothing less than ourselves, our own spirit, and our own karma.

"Then Life uttered us and we came down the years throbbing with memories of yesterday and with longing for tomorrow, for yesterday was death conquered and tomorrow was birth pursued."
-Kahlil Gibran, untitled, page 2

The Forerunner, was published three years prior to Gibran's most famous work, The Prophet. Occasionally, the poems and parables within The Forerunner are not the best examples of the highly polished writing that most are accustomed to from Kahlil Gibran. However, even the most casual reader of Gibran will find the contents worthwhile and will note that he often slightly changes style within the book. This is evident in the parable of The Scholar And The Poet, where he depicts the scholar as an all-wise, but perhaps evil, serpent. The poet, on the other hand, is symbolized as a songbird in the form of a lark. In The Scholar And The Poet, Gibran appears to be heavily influenced by The King James Bible, not only in his use of the symbol of the serpent, but also in the language the two exchange:

"Said the serpent to the lark, 'Thou flyest, yet thou canst not visit the recesses of the earth where the sap of life moveth in perfect silence.'

"And the lark answered, 'Aye, thou knowest over much, nay thou art wiser than all things wise--pity thou canst not fly.'"
-page 41

In addition to the poems and parables, The Forerunner contains five drawings created by Gibran. In a letter to May Ziadeh in 1920 he spoke of one of them in particular:

"The book, Towards God, is still in the mist factory, and its best drawing is in The Forerunner..."

Kahlil Gibran was a great master at expressing deep spiritual insight into the human condition. This book contains some of his most wonderful writings such as, "God's Fool", "The Greater Self", and "Out Of My Deeper Heart". Admirer's of Kahlil Gibran will appreciate these earlier writings. As always, Kahlil Gibran speaks to our greater selves with a profound sense of love and humility.

Brian Douthit
Editor of Eyes Of The Poet: Love and Passion in Lasting Splendor

The Prophet was given to me when I was 16 years old. As I grew to love and understand it, I made it a guideline for my development. It became my standard gift for my good friends weddings and Birthdays. I have loaned my copy out and not get it back, numerous times. Now I am 78 years old and am having to replace it again. Never have I found it so easy to buy and recieve. Thank You, Jean Logsdon

I recieved this book the first time I met my father when I was a teenager. It is a gift I hold dear to this day over 30 years later. It is thought provoking. The truths are as relevant today as they were in the early 1970s.

This book still holds all the philosophical magic 70 years after Gibran wrote it. He managed to distill some basic truths about life and they are as applicable now as they were then.

Before I purchased this book I would like to have known that the translator was not up to the task. El Profeta/the Prophet (Alba) is a translation of Kahil (Jalil) Gibrán's wonderful book The Prophet. The original is not under review here but the translation. The quality of the translation, sometimes reasonable, is often not good:
Gibran often repeats a phrase and the translator has deemed it necessary to change this by changing the language for the repeat, thus disturbing the rhythm and the simplicity (Say not... Say not ... Say rather becomes No digías... Tampoco digías... Decid, sin embargo...).
Sometimes words are not even understood - longing is translated as something to do with a long time (longing equals long). This is in De las casas - ...nor shelter your longing becomes por mucho tiempo.
On one occasion a whole paragraph of the original is omitted in the translation (In De la razón y de la pasión).
Plural words (of the days and the nights) are translated in the singular (del día y de la noche); (the songs and the silences of night) becomes (la música y el silencio de la noche).
'That which you have always known in thought' is translated as 'lo que ya sabías desde un principio.'
'Dreams' are translated as 'fantasía'.
In De la Alegría y de la tristeza, Joy and Sorrow are described in the original English as 'inseperable'. Mr. Cruz Martínez has translated this with 'insuperables'.
The book is peppered with triple asterisks to divide each section into subsections. Why? those subdivisions are not in the original. And the pictures are in the wrong places.
Why all this? Why treat such a wonderful book with such arrogance and superficiality? On the back of the book is written: ... las obras, con frecuencia maltradas, de Jalil Gibrán. ...and now again.

No es solo mi favorito sino tambien uno de los mas bellos libros que he leido hasta ahora,Kahlil Gibran con magnifica destreza y una sensibilidad incomparables sabe llegar a la escencia de la sabiduria;el corazon.

I was fortunate to read Dr. Carlos Seguin's translation (Peru). He added a chapter to his Spanish language translation: About the Good Bye. He said there is no real good bye, like the river that passes through... its water remains on the land or the trees it touches. In the same way, this book and its wonderful teaching will never leave you.. they will remain with you and be part of your life. You will never say good bye to The Prophet, his teachings will be with you forever.

Gibran's most popolar piece of writing. It forces one to think about life in it's sheer beauty, reality as it is. A must-read for any and everyone, no matter where you might be, whatever your back-ground. You *will* enjoy it.

Gibran will take you on a trip deep into the true human nature, and answers some of your most asked questions. A book for all times and seasons. The complexity and seriousness of the issues combined with the simple and colorful answers, make this book, a masterpiece. I strongly recommend reading it.

Well, I have to admit I have just ordered the book. I haven't read it yet... What I want to share, though, are my impressions from a presentation of Dr. Suheil Bushrui I attended last night. Dr. Bushrui is a man who has the enormous talent to love and inspire. Truly, I envy his students. If the goal of his lecture last night was to inspire more people to read the poetry of Kahlil Gibran, he surely succeeded. He succeeded in sparkling my interest in Arabic poetry and in partucular, the poetry of Kahlil Gibran. More importantly though, he succeeded in making me look at poetry as the point where the truth meets the heart, and at poetry as the path of spirituality to building a world based upon unity in diversity.

Dr. Bushrui is the world's top Gibran scholar. He has done justice to Gibran like no other person in history with this thorough biography. He has succeeded in grasping the historical aspects of Gibran's life, and most importantly, the spiritual essence. I have had the luck and pleasure of hearing Dr. Bushrui speak in person and can say he is a truly amazing orator, poet, and scholar. He lived in Lebanon, like Gibran, and has taught at Universities such as Oxford. This mix of eastern and western culture is the pivotal attribute of anyone who desires to truly understand Gibran.