The Prophet

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

58585

Title

The Prophet

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Kahlil Gibran's timeless masterpiece offers profound wisdom on love, marriage, children, work, and death. Through poetic prose, the Prophet Almusta’fa addresses the people of Orphalese, guiding them toward spiritual freedom and self-knowledge. A lyrical exploration of the human condition that resonates across generations.

Summary up to 500 words

Almusta’fa, a beloved prophet, waits twelve years in the city of Orphalese for his ship to return him to his homeland. As he prepares to depart, the city's elders, priests, and citizens plead with him to stay, but he insists on leaving to avoid freezing his spirit. He promises to speak his truth before departing. He addresses various figures, offering guidance on life's essential topics. On clothes, he argues they should not be chains but that the earth delights in bare feet. On buying and selling, he emphasizes exchange must be rooted in love and justice, honoring all laborers. Regarding crime and punishment, he teaches that the wicked and righteous are intertwined; one cannot separate them, and the guilty often bear the burden of the guiltless. On pain, he describes it as the breaking of the shell enclosing understanding, necessary for growth. On self-knowledge, he warns against measuring the soul with scales, for it is boundless. On teaching, he asserts that a wise teacher leads others to their own minds rather than imposing wisdom. On friendship, he defines it as needs answered and a deepening of the spirit without emptiness. On love, he delivers his most famous passage: love beckons, wounds, and crucifies, pruning and threshing the beloved to make them sacred bread for God's feast. It gives naught but itself. On talking, he notes that speech often arises when peace with thoughts is lost. On time, he suggests it is undivided, with today embracing past and future. On good and evil, he states evil is merely good tortured by hunger; one is good when striving to give. On prayer, he urges praying in joy as well as distress, entering the invisible temple for ecstasy, not just requests. On death, he declares life and death are one, like a river and sea; fearing death is like a shepherd trembling before a king. Death is standing naked in the wind and melting into the sun. In his farewell, Almusta’fa tells the people he is like mist, gathering and falling again. He speaks of the “vast man” within them, stronger than their weakest link. He warns against judging by failures alone. He blesses their kindness, noting that good deeds calling themselves by tender names can become curses if not selfless. He admits to being both hunter and hunted, believer and doubter. He tells them they are not enclosed in bodies but are spirits enveloping the earth. He promises to return with the tide. As the ship leaves, only Almitra, the seeress, remains silent, remembering his words about another woman bearing him again.

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4.5/5

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Categories

• Poetry
• Mysticism