4umi Khalil Gibran : The Vision / Prologue

The Anthem of Humanity

I have existed from all eternity and, behold, I am here; and I shall exist till the end of time, for my being has no end.

I soared into limitless space and took wing in the imaginal world, approaching the circle of exalted light; and here I am now, mired in matter.

I listened to the teachings of Confucius, imbibed the wisdom of Brahma, and sat beside Buddha beneath the tree of insight. And now I am here, wrestling with ignorance and unbelief. I was on Sinai when Yahweh shed His effulgence on Moses; at the River Jordan I witnessed the miracles of the Nazarene; and in Medina I heard the words of the Messenger to the Arabs. And here I am now, a captive of confusion. I beheld the might of Babylon, the glory of Egypt, and the grandeur of Greece; and I still see the weakness, degradation, and pettiness in all those works. I sat with the sorcerers of Endor, the seers of Assyria, the prophets of Palestine; and I persist in singing the truth. I memorized the wisdom revealed to India, the heartfelt odes wrought by the inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula, and the music that embodies the sentiments of the Western people: yet still I am blind and do not see, deaf and do not hear. I endured the brutality of grasping conquerors, suffered oppression at the hands of tyrannical rulers, and was enslaved by despots: yet a power remains whereby I struggle against the days.

I saw and heard all that while still a child, and shall see and hear the exploits of youth and their consequences; then I shall grow old, and archieve perfection, and return unto God.

I existed from all eternity and, behold, I am here; and I shall exist till the end of time, for my being has no end.

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 Khalil Gibran Introductory biography Spirits Rebellious The Broken Wings A Tear and a Smile The Madman The Forerunner The Prophet The New Frontier Sand and Foam Jesus, The Son Of Man The Earth Gods The Wanderer Al-Nay The Garden of the Prophet Lazarus and His Beloved Satan My Countrymen I Believe In You Your Thought And Mine You Have Your Lebanon History and the Nation The Vision Prologue On Rebellion and Liberty On Defeat On Faults On Human Unity On Beauty On Progress On Body and Soul On Giving On Wisdom On Loyalty On Learning On the Next World Visual art