Before The Throne Of Beauty Xxvi Poem by Kahlil Gibran

Before The Throne Of Beauty Xxvi

Rating: 3.2


One heavy day I ran away from the grim face of society and the dizzying clamor of the city and directed my weary step to the spacious alley. I pursued the beckoning course of the rivulet and the musical sounds of the birds until I reached a lonely spot where the flowing branches of the trees prevented the sun from the touching the earth.

I stood there, and it was entertaining to my soul - my thirsty soul who had seen naught but the mirage of life instead of its sweetness.

I was engrossed deeply in thought and my spirits were sailing the firmament when a hour, wearing a sprig of grapevine that covered part of her naked body, and a wreath of poppies about her golden hair, suddenly appeared to me. As she she realized my astonishment, she greeted me saying, 'Fear me not; I am the Nymph of the Jungle.'

'How can beauty like yours be committed to live in this place? Please tell me who your are, and whence you come? ' I asked. She sat gracefully on the green grass and responded, 'I am the symbol of nature! I am the ever virgin your forefathers worshipped, and to my honor they erected shrines and temples at Baalbek and Jbeil.' And I dared say, 'But those temples and shrines were laid waste and the bones of my adoring ancestors became a part of the earth; nothing was left to commemorate their goddess save a pitiful few and the forgotten pages in the book of history.'

She replied, 'Some goddesses live in the lives of their worshippers and die in their deaths, while some live an eternal and infinite life. My life is sustained by the world of beauty which you will see where ever you rest your eyes, and this beauty is nature itself; it is the beginning of the shepherds joy among the hills, and a villagers happiness in the fields, and the pleasure of the awe filled tribes between the mountains and the plains. This Beauty promotes the wise into the throne the truth.'

Then I said, 'Beauty is a terrible power! ' And she retorted, 'Human beings fear all things, even yourselves. You fear heaven, the source of spiritual peace; you fear nature, the haven of rest and tranquility; you fear the God of goodness and accuse him of anger, while he is full of love and mercy.'

After a deep silence, mingled with sweet dreams, I asked, 'Speak to me of that beauty which the people interpret and define, each one according to his own conception; I have seen her honored and worshipped in different ways and manners.'

She answered, 'Beauty is that which attracts your soul, and that which loves to give and not to receive. When you meet Beauty, you feel that the hands deep within your inner self are stretched forth to bring her into the domain of your heart. It is the magnificence combined of sorrow and joy; it is the Unseen which you see, and the Vague which you understand, and the Mute which you hear - it is the Holy of Holies that begins in yourself and ends vastly beyond your earthly imagination.'

Then the Nymph of the Jungle approached me and laid her scented hands upon my eyes. And as she withdrew, I found me alone in the valley. When I returned to the city, whose turbulence no longer vexed me, I repeated her words:

'Beauty is that which attracts your soul, and that which loves to give and not to receive.'

Before The Throne Of Beauty Xxvi
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Rus Mer 04 April 2018

'Beauty is that which attracts your soul, and that which loves to give and not to receive...sweet

10 2 Reply
Susan Williams 04 April 2018

Risking all the haters 'replies, but I do not understand why this gorgeous piece of prose is called poetry.? In translation was it turned into paragraphs of prose? I have seen some prose poems and they seemed to fit being called poetry. This doesn't make the jump in my eyes? Helpful comments anyone?

5 3 Reply
HB Rita 04 April 2019

This writing is the most reflective of conversational speech, as prose. It can not be a poetry. It is prose because it has no formal metrical structure. In this writing, natural flow of speech, and ordinary grammatical structure is more visible than rhythmic structure.

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Janie Greville 23 May 2023

Im inclined to believe that in it's original form this would have been most poetic- even here we have to admit that it is an unusually compressed and articulafe/eloquent expression of 'deep' and 'moving' thought-meanings.

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Janie Greville 23 May 2023

Ah - I've just read that Gibran was fluent in English-American, so my previous comment is superfluous…. and frankly wrong headed..

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M. Asim Nehal 09 May 2023

Ni matter how many times you read it always learn few things about the philosophy.

0 0 Reply
yefera3214 yefera3214 05 May 2023

y last month paycheck was for 11000 dollars…

0 0 Reply
paul amrod 04 April 2020

Khalil is the Legend of Lebanon who lived as well in Boston and New York. He commanded the English language like his own language, a dialectic of Arabian. I wish to somehow compose a Melodrama for his Prophet in the Garden.

1 1 Reply
Tamara Beryl Latham 04 April 2020

Gibran is one of my favorite poets. Years ago I had his complete works, but lost it when I moved. One of his best is " On Children" and it gives some great parenting advice. I especially like how Kalil equated beauty to nature in this poem. Great poet and an enjoyable read. : -)

1 1 Reply
Dr Antony Theodore 04 April 2020

Then I said, 'Beauty is a terrible power! ' And she retorted, 'Human beings fear all things, even yourselves. You fear heaven, the source of spiritual peace; you fear nature, the haven of rest and tranquility; you fear the God of goodness and accuse him of anger, while he is full of love and mercy.' the great Gibran.. tony

1 1 Reply
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