Khalil Gibran

HOME	Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. 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. The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream. 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. Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. It is well to give when asked but it is better to give unasked, through understanding. Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation. And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself, Love possesses not nor would it be possessed: For love is sufficient unto love. You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts. If you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work. I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers. If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were. Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. If your heart is a volcano, how shall you expect flowers to bloom? We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them. I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires. For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one. Khalil Gibran 1883 to 1931 (48)
Khalil Gibran was a Lebanese poet and writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in northen Lebanon, his family was very poor and Gibran didn’t receive a formal education. He only learned to read and write from a priest. Around 1891, Gibran's father was imprisoned for embezzlement and his family's property was confiscated. His mother decided to follow her brother to the United States so she took Khalil, his 2 younger sisters and his elder half-brother and moved to Boston. Gibran's father was released in 1894, but his parents never rejoined, his father never left Lebanon. His mother in USA made their living by selling lace and linens from door to door. Gibran started school in a special class for immigrants in order to learn English; he also enrolled in an art school and started to draw. In 1898, a publisher used some of his drawings for book covers. In order to learn his own heritage, he was send back to Lebanon at the age of fifteen. In Beirut, Gibran studied at a higher-education institute. He returned to Boston in 1902. Two weeks before his arrival, his sister Sultana died of tuberculosis, at the age of 14. In 1903 his half brother died of the same disease and his mother died of cancer. He stayed with his sister Marianna who supported him by working at a shop. In 1904 Gibran held his first art exhibition of his drawings in Boston, and in 1908, he went to study art in Parisq he stayed for two years. By that time he had already started to write, in the beginning in Arabic and after 1916 in English. In 1923 he published the book “The prophet” a series of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose. The book sold well and some decades later, in the 1960s, became extremely popular. In 1928 wrote the “Prophet’s garden” and in between many poems and books with fiction. From 1929 he had health problem and he died on April 10, 1931 in New York, from cirrhosis of the liver and tuberculosis. YOUR CHILDREN YESTERDAY TODAY AND TOMORROW 7 SELVES PITY THE NATION

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Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
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.
The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.
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.
Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.
It is well to give when asked but it is better to give unasked, through understanding.
Love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.
And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself, Love possesses not nor would it be possessed: For love is sufficient unto love.
You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts.
If you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work.
I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.
If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were.
Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.
If your heart is a volcano, how shall you expect flowers to bloom?
We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.
I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.

Khalil Gibran 1883 to 1931 (48)

Khalil Gibran was a Lebanese poet and writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in northen Lebanon, his family was very poor and Gibran didn’t receive a formal education. He only learned to read and write from a priest. Around 1891, Gibran's father was imprisoned for embezzlement and his family's property was confiscated. His mother decided to follow her brother to the United States so she took Khalil, his 2 younger sisters and his elder half-brother and moved to Boston. Gibran's father was released in 1894, but his parents never rejoined, his father never left Lebanon. His mother in USA made their living by selling lace and linens from door to door. Gibran started school in a special class for immigrants in order to learn English; he also enrolled in an art school and started to draw. In 1898, a publisher used some of his drawings for book covers.

In order to learn his own heritage, he was send back to Lebanon at the age of fifteen. In Beirut, Gibran studied at a higher-education institute. He returned to Boston in 1902. Two weeks before his arrival, his sister Sultana died of tuberculosis, at the age of 14. In 1903 his half brother died of the same disease and his mother died of cancer. He stayed with his sister Marianna who supported him by working at a shop. In 1904 Gibran held his first art exhibition of his drawings in Boston, and in 1908, he went to study art in Parisq he stayed for two years. By that time he had already started to write, in the beginning in Arabic and after 1916 in English. In 1923 he published the book “The prophet” a series of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose. The book sold well and some decades later, in the 1960s, became extremely popular. In 1928 wrote the “Prophet’s garden” and in between many poems and books with fiction. From 1929 he had health problem and he died on April 10, 1931 in New York, from cirrhosis of the liver and tuberculosis.

YOUR CHILDREN YESTERDAY TODAY AND TOMORROW 7 SELVES PITY THE NATION