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The Prophet (A Borzoi Book) Hardcover – September 23, 1923
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Gibran’s musings are divided into twenty-eight chapters covering such sprawling topics as love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, housing, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.
Each essay reveals deep insights into the impulses of the human heart and mind. The Chicago Post said of The Prophet: “Cadenced and vibrant with feeling, the words of Kahlil Gibran bring to one’s ears the majestic rhythm of Ecclesiastes . . . If there is a man or woman who can read this book without a quiet acceptance of a great man’s philosophy and a singing in the heart as of music born within, that man or woman is indeed dead to life and truth.”
With twelve full-page drawings by Gibran, this beautiful work makes an incredible gift for anyone seeking enlightenment and inspiration.
- Print length96 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherKnopf
- Publication dateSeptember 23, 1923
- Dimensions5.74 x 0.58 x 8.54 inches
- ISBN-109780394404288
- ISBN-13978-0394404288
- Lexile measure990L
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"Cadenced and vibrant with feeling, the words of Kahlil Gibran bring to one's ears the majestic rhythm of Ecclesiastes... If there is a man or woman who can read this book without a quiet acceptance of a great man's philosophy and a singing in the heart as of music born within, that man or woman is indeed dead to life and truth." --Chicago Post
From the Inside Flap
From the Back Cover
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Then said Almitra, Speak to us of Love.
And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said:
When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
• • •
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.
When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am in the heart of God.”
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.
Product details
- ASIN : 0394404289
- Publisher : Knopf (September 23, 1923)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 96 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780394404288
- ISBN-13 : 978-0394404288
- Lexile measure : 990L
- Item Weight : 10.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.74 x 0.58 x 8.54 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #11,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Kahlil Gibran: full Arabic name Gibran Khalil Gibran, (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) was a Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer of the New York Pen League.
Kahlil Gibran was born in the town of Bsharri in the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, Ottoman Empire (north of modern-day Lebanon), to Khalil Gibran and Kamila Gibran(Rahmeh). As a young man Kahlil emigrated with his family to the United States, where he studied art and began his literary career, writing in English and Arabic. In the Arab world, Gibran is regarded as a literary and political rebel. His romantic style was at the heart of a renaissance in modern Arabic literature, especially prose poetry, breaking away from the classical school. In Lebanon, he is still celebrated as a literary hero.
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, gaining popularity in the 1930s and again, especially in the 1960s counterculture. Gibran is the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Laozi.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by unknown [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
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Customers find the book full of deep insight and inspiration. They also say it's very readable, with simple answers to big questions. Readers describe the book as always relevant, powerful, and complex. They say it makes a great gift. Opinions are mixed on accuracy, with some finding it profoundly true while others are disappointed.
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Customers find the book full of deep insight and inspiration, with poetic statements that hit the nail on the head. They also appreciate the timeless message and wonderful sense it makes of relationships and everyday living. Readers also mention that the non-denominational philosophy leaves no one out.
"...Not usually my kind of book, but it hits you right in the heart and mind. I just bought this for my gf for our anniversary...." Read more
"...It is also textural. The Prophet is poetic and it inspires a sense of inner peace and harmony just by reading the words written on its pages;..." Read more
"...It was truly inspired by God himself, so profound are its truths.This edition is equally perfect...." Read more
"...that is deceptively simple, stunningly beautiful and potent in their spiritual depth...." Read more
Customers find the book very readable, with great ideas and words that flow like a song. They also say it's the greatest work of literary art in existence, with a nice printing. Customers also mention that the poetry is deceptively simple, stunningly beautiful, and potent.
"...Aside from the passages in the Bible, this is the greatest work of literary art in existence...." Read more
"...His answers come in precisely crafted poetry that is deceptively simple, stunningly beautiful and potent in their spiritual depth...." Read more
"Nice printing of the classic but sad that they couldn't bother to wrap the book or something... anything." Read more
"...And holy crap is the language beautiful. It's prose but it reads like poetry...." Read more
Customers find the book relevant, covering almost every aspect of life. They also appreciate the teachings and how they can apply them to day-to-day life. Readers describe the book as timeless, powerful, and suited for today's world. They say it's an easy read, but complex and deep.
"...This is a seminal work and should be required reading for any person who considers himself/herself to be 'educated'...." Read more
"I like how you can apply many teachings from the book to day to day life today." Read more
"...I read just one page and Gibran's words were so beautiful, so powerful, so truthful that I had to get a copy of my own...." Read more
"...They cover almost every aspect of life and provide inspiring, poetic and though-provoking words in answer to questions raised about them...." Read more
Customers find the book a great gift and a true gem to be passed down.
"...It really does make a simple but valuable gift for occasions such as weddings or for others you love...." Read more
"...It is not only Gibran's masterpiece, but his loving gift to the world...." Read more
"...I love the short, poetic sprints of wisdom. It makes a wonderful gift for those who like to think but don't want to spend a lot of time reading." Read more
"...It makes for a great gift as well!" Read more
Customers find the book's length excellent, with short stories and poems. They also say the story is intriguing, with passion that does not cloud the mind.
"...The Prophet is a relatively short book that can be read in an afternoon, but its impact will endure for a lifetime...." Read more
"...I am proud to include it in my collection. Intrigueing story full of the sort of passion that does not cloud the mind or divert truth but instead..." Read more
"...He touches on every aspect of life with short, poetic statements that hit the nail on the head on almost everything that man or women could use..." Read more
"A magnificent collection of stories and poems. My favorite is 'Joy & Sorrow' and I live by it. I should read it more often than I do...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the accuracy of the book. Some mention that it's profoundly true and honest, while others say that it is a poor copy with no real substance.
"...man begged for something that was beautifully expressed and was profoundly true, something that was man's greatest achievement in an area of his..." Read more
"Pretentious garbage.. I could barely make myself finish it. It’s so revered by people I thought it would be deeply moving...." Read more
"...just one page and Gibran's words were so beautiful, so powerful, so truthful that I had to get a copy of my own...." Read more
"Honest, fast shipping, great value" Read more
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The first time I read this book I was 15 years old. A great friend's father (a high school guidance counselor) gave it to me in an attempt to broaden my philosophical, intellectual and literary horizons. The book had the desired effect. I opened it that afternoon and did not put it down until I had read every last page in one sitting. I was transfixed. I finished reading it in approximately three hours, front to back. My philosophy, my world view and my life were all changed forever.
Tons of people have reviewed the textual content of the book but it is more than that. This work is arguably the greatest literary accomplishment of Gibran's lifetime and it isn't just textual. It is also textural. The Prophet is poetic and it inspires a sense of inner peace and harmony just by reading the words written on its pages; simple messages which resonated like a cannon in a young mind. As it turns out they still resonate in exactly the same way now that I am older. I have read The Prophet a total of 22 times during the course of my life and each time I read it I discover some new facet of my existence that I can apply its wisdom to.
Over the years I have shared this amazing book with loved ones, friends, coworkers, even a university professor, who to my great surprise, had never read it. This is a seminal work and should be required reading for any person who considers himself/herself to be 'educated'.
Aside from the passages in the Bible, this is the greatest work of literary art in existence. Whatever booksellers are charging nowadays for a copy of The Prophet, it is worth it.
Michael E. Burgess
The Prophet is a relatively short book that can be read in an afternoon, but its impact will endure for a lifetime. I have given copies to friends on the occasion of their weddings, and read it to every woman I ever loved. I have also recommended it to countless patients in my psychiatry practice. One would have to be dead inside not to be moved by the poetic beauty of Gibran's carefully chosen words on life, love, marriage, joy and sorrow, children and the like. It was truly inspired by God himself, so profound are its truths.
This edition is equally perfect. It is hardcover and contains Gibran's own unique drawings. The paper is heavy and softly feathered, giving it an expensive appearance appropriate to the value of the writing within. It really does make a simple but valuable gift for occasions such as weddings or for others you love.
If you have never read The Prophet, then you must buy some copies, read one and keep it, and give the others away to people you care about. After all these years, I cannot count the number of times that I have quoted it. It is my favorite book of all times and easily garners MY ABSOLUTE HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!!!!!
One of my favorit books that I have used for many moments over many years.
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2023
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Es gibt viel innere und auch poetische Schönheit!
Viel Spass!























