a book for anyone willing to step outside of the insitutionalized perspective of life that most of America and the world finds itself in. Every line is an intuitive and insightful proclamation of the gut feelings we all have about the way life can be lived and should be lived. I have heard the quote on marriage being like two trees standing near each other with a little space between them so the wind (God) can come between them. it's an extremely popular and inspirational book!

Come ogni altro artista, nessuno scrittore possiede la chiave delle verità assolute sulla vita e sul suo più profondo significato. Eppure, forse proprio la sua capacità di penetrare gli intimi segreti del mondo a volte gli concede di scorgere piccoli frammenti di verità. Credo Gibran vantasse un simile dono. In queste pagine bellissime e toccanti, apre spiragli verso orizzonti lontani, suscita dilemmi tanti quanto fornisce risposte, concede una delle chiavi possibili per schiudere il nostro cuore con grande sincerità e lasciarci tentare, infine, di comprender noi stessi e la strada che siamo destinati a percorrere.

Der Prophet ist ein klassisches spirituelles Werk, welches viele wahre Worte und Weisheiten enthält, die mich aber nicht berührten, sondern die ich mehr oder weniger zur Kenntnis genommen habe. Ein Prophet mischt sich unter das Volk, er bekommt 24 Themen an den Kopf geworfen, die er mit einem jeweils kurzen Monolog philosophisch-humanistisch abhandelt. Erstaunlicherweise ist ein kein religiöses Buch, auch wenn man aufgrund des Handlungsortes im Orient und der alttestamentarischen Sprache des Propheten darauf schließen könnte. Doch der Prophet meidet die Erwähnung eines höheren göttlichen Wesens wie der Teufel das Weihwasser. Was der Autor vor 90 Jahren damit bezwecken wollte. Fast klingt es für mich so, als wenn er einen gemeinsamen Nenner der Nächstenliebe und des Verständnisses unter den Weltreligionen finden wollte. Vielleicht ist das auch der Grund, warum das Buch immer noch so populär ist (und vor allem in der Hippiezeit war).

Die Abhandlung über die Liebe klingt wie die Aussage im Kollosser-Brief. Die Abhandlung über Gesetz und Freiheit wie aus der Bergpredigt. Seine Aussagen zur Arbeit könnten aus dem Gleichnis der Arbeiter im Weinberg stammen. Da bleibe ich doch lieber beim Original. Für Menschen ohne Glauben könnte es gegebenfalls eine Möglichkeit zum Zugang zur Spiritualität sein.

The song of love ,love of nature, and all other creatures
, love that illuminates the wonderful aspects of life and that gives life meaning and depth. ……
He believe in the purity of human being and the goodness hidden in every soul, that is devoid of any evil … it is a whisper on spirituality……

A quote that I liked….

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 to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

The richness of his poetic prose and its inherent musicality is what I take with me from Al-Mustafá, Gibran’s famous Prophet.
There is also a universal spirituality that doesn’t succumb to the pressure of organized dogma that makes of this short fable a classic that might appeal to any reader regardless of his present, absent or muddled religious beliefs.
The roundness of the last chapter reminds me of the serene wisdom of the ancient aphorisms in The Tao Te Ching because it allows multiple interpretations that don’t compete against each other: philosophy and mysticism go hand in hand along the natural cycle of existence rather than being at odds in constant disparity of visions that often lead to uncertainty, and eventually, to corroding guilt.

Precious gifts arrive at the right moment and allow joy to coexist with misery, hope with despair, gratitude with frustration, without forcing us to choose one over the other. One door closes so that many others might be opened if we are courageous enough to persist, if we keep on walking. Accepting life as it comes with all its imperfect balances is far from easy and sometimes we crave for that comforting presence that will becalm the stirred waters of a troubled conscience, the disparate chorus of contradictory longings, the festering pain of unhealed wounds.
May you be fortunate to find that soothing voice that will appease storms within you, be it in the form of poetic allegory, unconditional support from those who truly care about you, or both; and be blessed, like I was, like I am.

A work of dazzling beauty and deep meaning. Its the kind of work that can lift a sagging spirit and tame an abusive flame. As much a friend at beginning as at the end; its an inspiring account of leading a worthwhile life.

Verily I say unto you that
you will find no profundity here
unless, perhaps, you take up that bong
or eat that mushroom.
Nor will you find anything that thousands of others
did not say long, long before, far more magnificently.
And you may very well sob, asking yourself,
"Why did I waste an hour of my time thus?"
Fear not. You may happen upon an opportunity to weave it
into a novel.
Now, return to Plato, Aeschylus, Aristophanes... for your profundity,
and do not forget that life is too short for tripe.

Of course I remember almost nothing of this book, except that it was an arduous journey through the elementary and unspecific explanation of religious doctrine that tries to be open and liberal, but is actually very conservative and full of ideology that I feel is unrewarding mostly due to the difficulty in actual application. If anyone reads this, although I see no reason why they would, listen to my words. The truth, however you define it, however you need it, is simple. When you see it you know. When you don't, or can't, there is doubt. Do not fill yourself with the doubt of uncertainty. Know thyself, and be good to others.

As the great Prophet has done before me, I shall tear off the shroud of mystic truth which has become my body and mind and shed it upon the streets where the needy walk, so that they might find compassion and knowledge in the tattered cloth of my foolish youth. For the Prophet offers his own words as truth for others and in turn so shall I lay the same trap, in the hope that the darkness in which I wrap you shall make you forge your own dagger with which to cut yourself free from the books you once called teachers. Because I will not deny anyone that truth; all things are teachers. But all teachers lie, by accident or intention, to make others see the world their way. And of course you will blame me for doing the same, but I will try my best not to impose any other doctrine than to not be led astray by the nectar of another's truth. The wine tastes fine until it is drunk in full, and then one cannot find their way home. Allow me to sober you many who have lavished Gibran with 5 stars. His is the work of dreamers and that is what everyone loves, but dreamers do just that, wasting their lives into the infinite circles of their mind, calculating the perfection of time and space. I would rather you lower yourself to the plain of human excrement, so that you one day exclaim in great truth, "The Prophet is a shit stick! Good for nothing more than wiping away reality." Because that is what Gibran wants you to do. Wipe away reality, and live in a fantasy that cannot exist.

In truth Gibran oscillates a great deal in his tackling of his subject matter, life. In some regards he appears dead on because of his continued juxtaposition of opposites often claiming things embody their "other," saying each is to be taken in measure. "For even as love crowns you, so shall he crucify you." As much as I would agree with this sentiment (no one could really ever disagree with it), it is too general, like most of his assertions.

He excites his audience to be good, as if this were an inherent part of our nature, just bursting though the seems of our mortality. There just really isn't anything to disagree with, and that is what makes his statements so dangerous and a plague on the unwary. He gives us hope beyond measure, and humanity, in all its desire, fills its tiny cup with all that it can hold. Gibran gives us too much and consequently too little. What would one do with boundless love? Quit their job, leave home, become a traveler on a distant shore whom others beg for knowledge and truth. Though we all may have the capacity to become prophets, it is likely most of us won't. The children of god are fed with food, not promises of the eternal.

Ah, so much to write, but not all is bad. Gibran does say some nice things here and there, but I just happen to take issue with religious folk who don't think the dissemination of their message is harmful. What is harmful? The incomplete is harmful. To knowingly give someone a jigsaw puzzle with pieces missing or withheld is a dangerous business. At which point you will want to ask me, if their is no accessible truth that can be put into words, they why not go to the philosophical fish mongers and beg for scraps at the end of their business day? The only answer I can give, ironically, is to become your own paragon through the study of books and then the burning of them. Gibran will set you on a path with a happy ending, and as I've said I find it hard to disagree with some of his more choice observations, "He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked."

But as one of my favorite philosophers said "There are no happy endings, because nothing ends.(Schmendrick the Magician). Gibran offers us daily peace, and life and death in one hand, and the promise of the wandering life of the spirit in our daily toil, a place to recline when the world overwhelms. I commend his attempt to sooth the mind of his listeners but we have all received a lolly from the dentist or doctor, whose truth fades quickly in the passing of sugary time. And at the end we are left with the stick of truth, as the Prophet's listeners are left with nothing, because they cannot stand on their own. He leaves them with a host of unfinished dreams and unrefined motivations. They have inherited an unwieldy burden, one they cannot overcome if they take the Prophets words as truth.

The problem is that this is a philosophy book masquerading as a beautiful story...which is the poison in the ear. It's easy to gobble up "truth" when it's coated in confection. So just be careful out there and remember what the Prophet said.

"If the teacher is indeed wise, he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom (even if you beg), but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind"

Gibran gets a second star just for that line.

Kahlil Gibran was one of the leading Maronite philosophers of the first half of the twentieth century. Born in Lebanon in 1883, his poetry accompanied by artwork has been translated into over twenty languages. I decided to read his opus The Prophet, which is awe inspiring poetry written in novella form. A classic that often surfaces on goodreads classics groups, The Prophet is a worthy edition to one's classics collection.

Gibran's philosopher Al-Mustafa has traveled by boat to visit the Orphalese people and speak words of wisdom to them. Almitra becomes especially enamored in Al-Mustafa's teachings and either hangs onto or collaborates with him in his words as he wows the Orphalese with both his wisdom and knowledge. Gibran's words translated into English are like reading any religion's scriptures and flow like the honey of the Middle East. Passages speak of "a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly" and "knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream" yet each page of this thin volume evokes powerful philosophy. It is of little wonder that Almitra and her people would become enamored with the words of Al-Mustafa.

Almitra was also a seeress in her own right and desired that Al-Mustafa remain in Orphal and that they join forces in prophecy. I found this thinking to be progressive for its time or any time. Some of Almitra's forward thinking included: "Blessed be this day and this place and your spirit that has spoken." She is keen in her perceptive skills and values having one like Al-Mustafa in her midst. Yet, his destiny is not to remain in one sea faring village but to travel the region preaching words of wisdom to all people.

The version I read was a pocket book that also included a few of Gibran's sketches of Al-Mustafa. Between the poetry and drawings, he has created a masterpiece that flowed on the pages. While I am used to reading psalms and prophetic teachings, I did not find Gibran's words to be anything that out of the ordinary but in comparison to the majority of secular works, his words are powerful. Although not my absolute favorite, I am glad that I read this opus and would read more of Gibran's poetry. 3.75 stars rounded to 4.

The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran

The Prophet is a book of 26 prose poetry fables written in English by the Lebanese-American poet and writer Kahlil Gibran. It was originally published in 1923 by Alfred A. Knopf.

It is Gibran's best known work. The Prophet has been translated into over 100 different languages, making it one of the most translated books in history, and it has never been out of print.

The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.

این کتاب با عنوانهای بسیار نشر شده است: «پیامبر»؛ «پیامبر و باغ پیامبر»؛ «باغ پیامبر»؛ «برانگیخته»؛ «پیام آور»؛ عنوان اصلی «النبی»؛ نویسنده: خلیل جبران؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: در ماه آوریل سال 2001میلادی

عنوان: پیامبر؛ نویسنده: خلیل جبران؛ مترجم: جعفر مویدشیرازی؛ شیراز، دانشگاه شیراز؛ 1372؛ در 171ص؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان لبنانی تبار ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م

عنوان: پیامبر؛ نویسنده: خلیل جبران؛ مترجم: مهدی مقصودی؛ مشهد، نشر برکه؛ 1373 چاپ سوم ؛ در 149ص؛

عنوان: پیامبر؛ نویسنده: خلیل جبران؛ مترجم: حسین الهی قمشه ای؛ تهران، روزنه؛ 1378؛ در هشتاد و چهار و 105ص؛ شابک 9643342522؛ چاپ دوم تا چهارم 1378؛ پنجم 1379؛ ششم تا هشتم 1380؛ دهم و یازدهم 1382؛ پانزدهم 1385؛ شانزدهم 1386؛ شابک 9789646176348؛چاپ بیستم 1392؛ در هشتاد و 120ص؛ شابک 9789643342524؛

با عنوان «باغ پیامبر مترجم کبری روشنفکر»؛

با عنوان «باغ پیامبران و خدایان زمین؛ خدیجه علیزاده»؛

با عنوان «ب‍وس‍ت‍ان‌ پ‍ی‍ام‍ب‍ر؛ ح‍ورزاد ص‍ال‍ح‍ی‌، سید‌رضا افتخاری، مهدی سرحدی»؛

با عنوان: «پیامبر؛ محمد شریفی‌نعمت‌آباد، ح‍ی‍در ش‍ج‍اع‍ی‌، م‍ح‍م‍د ع‍ام‍ل‌‌م‍ح‍راب‍ی‌، محمد‌رضا چنگیز، م‍ح‍م‍درض‍ا ج‍ع‍ف‍ری‌، ماه‌گل سالاری‌توسه‌سرا، آزاده مسعودنیا، م‍رت‍ض‍ی‌ خ‍ب‍ازی‍ان‌زاده‌، م‍ه‍دی‌ ق‍رب‍ان‍ی‌، م‍ج‍ی‍د اح‍م‍دی‌، ع‍ص‍م‍ت‌ اف‍ش‍ار؛ م‍صطفی علم، م‍ه‍دی‌ م‍ق‍ص‍ودی‌، مریم فتاحی، رضا صفریان، وح‍ی‍د ف‍ری‍دف‍ر، حسین الهی‌قمشه‌ای، مرتضی مشتاقی، ه‍رم‍ز ری‍اح‍ی‌، ن‍ات‍ال‍ی‍ن‍ا ای‍وان‍وا، مهوش شریعت‌پناهی، ش‍اپ‍ور م‍ش‍ع‍وف‌»؛

با عنوان «پیامبر دوست‌داشتنی، رضا محمودی‌فقیهی»؛

با عنوان «پیامبر و باغ پیامبر؛ موسی اسوار»؛

با عنوان «پ‍ی‍ام‍ب‍ر و رازه‍ای‌ دل‌، م‍س‍ی‍ح‍ا ب‍رزگ‍ر»؛

با عنوان «تندیس پیامبر؛ اکبر شادبخت»؛

با عنوان: «چ‍ش‍م‌ پ‍ی‍ام‍ب‍ر؛ رض‍ا رام‍ز»؛

با عنوان کردی «راسپارده، ئه‌سرین خه‌یات، موحه‌ممه‌ده‌هادی مورادی»؛

با عنوان «م‍رگ‌ پ‍ی‍ام‍ب‍ر، م‍ح‍س‍ن‌ ن‍ی‍ک‍ب‍خ‍ت‌»؛

با عنوان کردی «ن‍اردراو؛ ع‍ه‌ب‍دول‍لا س‍ه‌م‍ردی‌»؛

با عنوان «ال‍ن‍ب‍ی‌؛ ث‍روت‌ ع‍ک‍اش‍ه‌»؛

فهرست کتاب: مقدمه؛ رسیدن کشتی؛ از عشق؛ از زناشوئی؛ از کودکان، از بخشش، از خوردن و آشامیدن؛ از کار؛ از شادی و غم؛ از خانه؛ از پوشاک؛ از داد و ستد؛ از جرم و جزا؛ از قانون؛ از آزادی؛ از اشتیاق و عقل؛ از درد؛ از خودآگاهی؛ از تعلیم؛ از دوستی؛ از گفتار؛ از وقت؛ از نیک و بد؛ از دعا و نیایش؛ از لذت؛ از زیبایی؛ از دین؛ از مرگ؛ بدرود؛ از خلیل جبران

داستان این کتاب درباره‌ ی مردی به نام «مصطفی» است که در شهر «اورفالیس» است؛ او در حال ساختن یک کشتی است تا با آن به خانه برود؛ جبران در بیست و شش قسمت این کتاب «مصطفی» را در مسیر آشنایی با افراد گوناگون قرار می‌دهد؛ افرادی که هر کدام زندگی و انسانیت را به نوعی بیان می‌کنند؛ در جای جای این کتاب کوچک موضوعاتی همچون ازدواج، بخشش، لذت، جنایت، قانون، آزادی، دوستی، آموزش، دین، نمازگزار، نیک و شر، زمان و غم نام‌گذاری کرده است و هر کدام از این فصل‌ها شعری منثور درباره‌ ی یکی از موضوعات حیات معنوی انسان دارد

نقل از آغاز: (آن برگزیده ی محبوب، که سحرگاهی روشن بود به روزگار خویش، دوازده سال به شهر «اورفالیز» در انتظار بود، تا کشتی رفته بازآید، و او را به جزیره ی زادگاهش باز برد؛ و در سال دوازدهم، و در روز هفتم از ماه «ایلول»، ماه درو، فارغ از دیوارهای شهر، تپه را به فراز آمد، و جانب دریا نگریست، و کشتی را دید که در مه و ابهام میآمد، ...)؛

نقل دیگر:(من آماده رفتنم و اشتیاقم با بادبان‌های مهیا در انتظار باد است؛ تنها یک آن دیگر در این هوای آرام نفس می‌کشم، تنها یک نگاه مهربانه دیگر به پشت سر می‌اندازم و آنگاه در میان شما می‌ایستم و دریانوردی میان دریانوردان می‌شوم؛ و تو ای دریای پهناور، ای مادر بی‌خوابی که به تنهایی آرامش و رهایی برای رودها و جویبارانی، بگذار این جویبار بپیچد و نجوایی دیگر از این بیشه برآید، آنگاه سوی تو می‌آیم: چکه‌ ای بیکران سوی اقیانوسی بیکران.

و گام زنان که می‌رفت، مردان و زنان را از دور دید که کشتزاران و تاکستان‌های خود را رها می‌کنند و به سوی دروازه‌های شهر می‌شتابند

و صداهایشان را شنید که نام او را صدا می‌کنند و فریاد زنان، کشتزار به کشتزار، از آمدن کشتی او به هم می‌گویند؛ و او با خود گفت: آیا روز جدایی روز ازدحام خواهد بود؟ و آیا گفته خواهد شد که شامگاهِ من همان پگاه من بود؟

و چه خواهم داد آن را که گاو آهن خود در میانه شیار رها کرده، یا آن را که از چرخش خود باز ایستاده است؟

آیا قلبم درختی پر بار خواهد شد که میوه‌ اش را برگیرم و به آن‌ها ببخشم؟ و آیا آرزوهایم چون چشمه‌ ای خواهند جوشید که پیاله هاشان را پر کنم؟

چنگی هستم آیا که دست توانا به صدایم درآورد، یا نی لبکی که نفس او از میانم بگذرد؟

جستجوگر سکوت‌ها هستم من و کدام گنج را در سکوتها یافته‌ ام که آسوده به آن‌ها ببخشم)؛ پایان

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 04/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 09/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

The Prophet is a timeless book, a book for those who want to get to know Humanity, beyond the fashions and trends of the moment. It was given to me on the eve of my departure for mandatory military service, so now decades ago, yet it is still a very current book, because it touches on the eternal themes of Man, those values and feelings that are transversal in Humanity, independent from the places of birth, from the eras, from the different educations. Anyone can recognize himself in it, whether he was born in the East or the West, in this century or in the last century, whether he is male or female, whether he is young or old. It is a very difficult book to define, since it is not a book of poetry, nor an essay, nor a novel, nor an autobiography. More than anything, it looks like a collection of speeches on various themes of everyone's daily life. It does not take place in a context defined in space and time, we only know that everything happens in the city of Orphalese, just before the Prophet Almustafa leaves it after living there for more than ten years. Before the Prophet leaves the city, the visionary Almitra asks him to leave his truths to the population as a gift, so that they can remain for the young people to come. And so the Prophet, starting from Love, and questioned by various characters, begins to talk about a series of issues that affect the lives of all men. The Prophet then speaks of friendship, gift, marriage, good, evil, work, joy, pain, life, death. A timeless wisdom, written in a simple language, but rich in symbols and metaphors; a religious and spiritual flavor, without this becoming predominant and therefore annoying. A real source for ideas for thought, reflection on one's beliefs and general questions about Humanity. A book that is part of that category of books that one can really like or don't like at all, because it is a book that leaves no one indifferent: either it touches certain points of ours in a way that we like, and then we also like the book, or it touches them in a way that confronts us with certain weaknesses of ours, and then we don't like the book also .... It is a book that can be interpreted in many ways and that is certainly full of teachings: a pocket treasure of wisdom, to always keep at hand for all times when you feel the need or desire.

I think people are making this out to be something it's not. It's bombastic nonsense.