Weary is my spirit of all there is.
I would not move a hand to create a world
Nor to erase one.
I would not live could I but die,
For the weight of aeons is upon me,
And the ceaseless moan of the seas exhausts my sleep.
Could I but lose the primal aim
And vanish like a wasted sun;
Could I but strip my divinity of its purpose
And breathe my immortality into space,
And be no more;
Could I but be consumed and pass from time’s memory
Into the emptiness of nowhere!
These words from Khalil Gibran’s masterpiece ’’THE EARTH GODS’’ are an indicator of the depth to which he can take you with his books. magical words and metaphors set the pace of his books and the stories of distant lands take you to a new realm. I call it the land of lost charm.
More About The Author : Gibran Khalil Gibran, born January 6, 1883, Bechari (Bsharri) in Lebanon. Records state that some political / real estate problems led to his immigration to America with all members of his family but his father. After settling in South Boston, Gibran’s curiosity led him to the artistic side of Boston life and there started his tryst with writing, painting and arts. His writing life started with works in Arabic and later English. He was also the founder of the Society For Arabic Writers (Al-Mahgar). Gibran died in New York on April 10, 1931
His works include :
ARA’IS AL MURUDJ, 1906
STONEFOLDS, 1907
ON THE THRESHOLD, 1907
AL-ARWAH AL-MUTAMARRIDA, 1908
DAILY BREAD, 1910
FIRES, 1912
AL-AJNIHA AL-MUTAKASSIRAH [The broken wings], 1912
DAM’AH WA-IBTISAMAH [A Tear and a Smile], 1914
THE MADMAN, 1918
AL-MAWAKIB [The Procession], 1919
THE FORERUNNER, 1920
SPIRITS REBELLIOUS, 1920
THE PROPHET, 1923
SAND AND FOAM, 1926
JESUS, THE SON OF MAN, 1928
THE EARTH GODS, 1931
GARDEN OF THE PROPHET, 1933
THE DEATH OF THE PROPHET, 1933
TEARS AND LAUGHTER, 1947
NYMPHS OF THE VALLEY, 1948
THE EARTH GODS : It is more of poetic verse than prose, a writing about the conflict between age old beliefs and modern philosophy. Set in the verse of three Three Gods who together lend voice to an individual entity. The soul of their song is a unique mixture of peace and chaos. It in fact is so unique, that I some times wonder how Gibran’s mind could pen these verses, because frankly speaking though the meaning is understood, it is very difficult to describe it. One definitely needs to read it to understand it. This is not a bed time story or coffee table book. It is for those of us who enjoy reading philosophy. Gibran’s book is one that can be gifted to a person who believes in the aesthetics of an artistic life. Try reading it and I am sure you will enjoy the beauty of its voice.