Khalil Gibran

Who was Khalil Gibran?

Khalil Gibran (Arabic pronunciation: [xaˈliːl ʒiˈbrɑːn],^{[see note]}; born Gubran Khalil Gubran,^[1] in academic contexts often spelled Jubrān Khalīl Jubrān,^{[2]:217[3]:255} Jibrān Khalīl Jibrān,^{[2]:217[4]:559} or Jibrān Xalīl Jibrān;^[5]:189 Arabic جبران خليل جبران , January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) also known as Kahlil Gibran,^[6] was a Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in modern-day Lebanon (then part of the Ottoman Mount Lebanon mutasarrifate), 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 in the English speaking world for his 1923 book The Prophet, an early example of inspirational fiction including a series of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose. The book sold well despite a cool critical reception, and became extremely popular in the 1960s counterculture.^[7] Gibran is the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu

"Your children are not your children.

They are sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you.

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.


You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For thir souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.


For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the make upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.


Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness.

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He also loves the bow that is stable."


— Khalil Gibran