Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) also known as, was a Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in modern-day Lebanon, as a young man he emigrated with his family to the United States where he studied art and began his literary career. He is chiefly known for his 1923 book The Prophet, a series of philosophical essays written in English prose. An early example of Inspirational fiction, the book sold well despite a cool critical reception, and became extremely popular in the 1960s counterculture. As a result ####of his family's poverty, Gibran received no forml schooling during his youth. However, priests visited him regularly and taught him about the Bible, as well as the Arabic and Syriac languages. While most of Gibran's early writings were in Arabic, most of his work published after 1918 was in English. His first book in 1918, was The Madman, a slim volume of aphorisms and parables written in biblical cadence somewhere between poetry and prose. Much of Gibran's writings deal with Christianity, especially on the topic of spiritual love. His poetry is notable for its use of formal language, as well as insights on topics of life using spiritual terms. Gibran's best-known work is The Prophet, a book composed of twenty-six poetic essays. Having been translated into more than forty languages, it was one of the bestselling books of the twentieth century in the United States. Gibran called for the adoption of Arabic as a national language of Syria and the application of Arabic at all school levels. Gibran also wrote the famous "Pity The Nation" poem during these years which was posthumously published in The Garden of the Prophet.
Works
In Arabic:
- On Music
-Nymphs of the Valley
- Spirits Rebellious
- Broken Wings
- A Tear and A Smile
- The Processions
- The Tempests
- The New and the Marvellous
In English, prior to his death:
-The Madman
-Twenty Drawings
-The Forerunner
-The Prophet
-Sand and Foam
-Kingdom of the Imagination
- Jesus, The Son of Man
-The Earth Gods
Posthumous, in English:
• The Wanderer
• The Garden of the Prophet
• Lazarus and his Beloved
Collections:
• Prose Poems
• Secrets of the Heart
• A Treasury of Kahlil Gibran
• A Self-Portrait
• Thoughts and Meditations
• A Second Treasury of Kahlil Gibran
• Spiritual Sayings
• Voice of the Master
• Mirrors of the Soul
• Between Night & Morn
• A Third Treasury of Kahlil Gibran
• The Storm
• The Beloved
• The Vision
• Eye of the Prophet
• The Treasured Writings of Kahlil Gibran
Death
Gibran died in New York City on April 10, 1931: the cause was determined to be cirrhosis of the liver and tuberculosis. Before his death, Gibran expressed the wish that he be buried in Lebanon. This wish was fulfilled in 1932.
Sources :
wikipedia