Khalil Gibran

Khalil Gibran (1883-1931)

Say not, 'I have found the truth,'

but rather, 'I have found a truth.'





Gibran was a Lebanese-American philosopher, mystical poet, artist, essayist and author. Born in Lebanon, he was a renowned Arabic language author. He moved to America at the age of 12. He became famous for his art works and books. His most well known book was called, 'The Prophet.' It has been translated into over 20 languages.

Here is an interesting montage of visual footage of Khalil Gibran's home and other aspects of his life.



(This 45 seconds of original footage of Khalil Gibranis said to be the only live footage of him in the public domain.)



Extracts and famous quotes


We choose our joys and sorrows

long before we experience them.



You pray in your distress and in your need;

would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy

and in your days of abundance.



I have learned silence from the talkative,

tolerance from the intolerant

and kindness from the unkind.

I should not be ungrateful to those teachers.



The appearance of things change according to the emotions,

and thus we see magic and beauty in them,

while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.



You give but little when you give of your possessions.

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.



Love knows not its own depth

until the hour of separation.



Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet

and the winds long to play with your hair.



Faith is an oasis in the heart

which can never be reached by the caravan of thinking.



Doubt is a pain

too lonely to know

that faith is his twin brother.



Every man loves two women;

the one is the creation of his imagination

and the other is not yet born.



Generosity is giving more than you can,

and pride is taking less than you need.



God made Truth with many doors to welcome every believer who knocks on them.

One of Khalil Gibran's paintings below.

(All these pictures and paintings as far as we know are in the public domain. If you know otherwise please let us know.)



I have learned silence from the talkative,

toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind;

yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.

If indeed you must be candid,

be candid beautifully.

If you cannot work with love but only with distaste,

it is better that you should leave your work.

If you reveal your secrets to the wind

you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.



In the sweetness of friendship;

let there be laughter and the sharing of pleasures.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.



It is well to give when asked,

but it is better to give unasked,

through understanding.

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls;

the most massive characters are seared with scars.

Say not, 'I have found the truth,'

but rather, 'I have found a truth.'



The deeper sorrow carves into your being the more joy you can contain.



The lights of stars that were extinguished ages ago still reaches us. So it is with great men who died centuries ago, but still reach us with the radiations of their personalities.

The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns;

the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious of the rose.

To understand the heart and mind of a person,

look not at what he has already achieved,

but at what he aspires to do.





Yesterday is but today's memory,

tomorrow is today's dream.

In battling evil,

excess is good;

for he who is moderate in announcing the truth is presenting half- truth.

He conceals the other half out of fear of the people's wrath.



It is well to give when asked but it is better to give unasked, through understanding.

- Khalil Gibran 'On Giving,' The Prophet, 1923





Yes, there is a Nirvanah; it is leading your sheep to a green pasture, and in putting your child to sleep, and in writing the last line of your poem.

- Kahlil Gibran, Essay on Robert Frost, quoted in N. Y.. Times: Obit-Editorial, April 1982



And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter and the sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

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