Forerunner

Kahlil Gibran

Description

Readers who found meaning and beauty in Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet will appreciate this engaging volume of the author's poetry, aphorisms, thoughts, and observations. Published a few years before The Prophet, The Forerunner traces the trajectory of Gibran's development as an artist and thinker.

Sujets

• Mind
• Body
• Spirit

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781775458340
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE FORERUNNER
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KAHLIL GIBRAN
 
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The Forerunner First published in 1920 ISBN 978-1-77545-834-0 © 2012 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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The Forerunner God's Fool Love The King-Hermit The Lion's Daughter Tyranny The Saint The Plutocrat The Greater Self War and the Small Nations Critics Poets The Weather-Cock The King of Aradus Out of My Deeper Heart Dynasties Knowledge and Half-Knowledge "Said a Sheet of Snow-White Paper" The Scholar and the Poet Values Other Seas Repentance The Dying Man and the Vulture Beyond My Solitude The Last Watch
The Forerunner
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You are your own forerunner, and the towers you have builded are butthe foundation of your giant-self. And that self too shall be afoundation.
And I too am my own forerunner, for the long shadow stretching beforeme at sunrise shall gather under my feet at the noon hour. Yet anothersunrise shall lay another shadow before me, and that also shall begathered at another noon.
Always have we been our own forerunners, and always shall we be. Andall that we have gathered and shall gather shall be but seeds forfields yet unploughed. We are the fields and the ploughmen, thegatherers and the gathered.
When you were a wandering desire in the mist, I too was there awandering desire. Then we sought one another, and out of our eagernessdreams were born. And dreams were time limitless, and dreams werespace without measure.
And when you were a silent word upon life's quivering lips, I too wasthere, another silent word. Then life uttered us and we came down theyears throbbing with memories of yesterday and with longing fortomorrow, for yesterday was death conquered and tomorrow was birthpursued.
And now we are in God's hands. You are a sun in His right hand and Ian earth in His left hand. Yet you are not more, shining, than I,shone upon.
And we, sun and earth, are but the beginning of a greater sun and agreater earth. And always shall we be the beginning.
You are your own forerunner, you the stranger passing by the gate ofmy garden.
And I too am my own forerunner, though I sit in the shadows of mytrees and seem motionless.
God's Fool
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Once there came from the desert to the great city of Sharia a man whowas a dreamer, and he had naught but his garment and staff.