Free Treasured Writings of Kahlil Gibran by Kahlil Gibran

to greet the dawn.
    Look at the bride of Death standing like a column of light
    Between my bed and the infinite;
    Hold your breath and listen with me to the beckoning rustle of
    Her white wings.
    Come close and bid me farewell; touch my eyes with smiling lips.
    Let the children grasp my hands with soft and rosy fingers;
    Let the aged place their veined hands upon my head and bless me;
    Let the virgins come close and see the shadow of God in my eyes,
    And hear the echo of His will racing with my breath.
    PART TWO — THE ASCENDING
    I have passed a mountain peak and my soul is soaring in the
    Firmament of complete and unbound freedom;
    I am far, far away, my companions, and the clouds are
    Hiding the hills from my eyes.
    The valleys are becoming flooded with an ocean of silence, and the
    Hands of oblivion are engulfing the roads and the houses;
    The prairies and fields are disappearing behind a white spectre
    That looks like the spring cloud, yellow as the candlelight
    And red as the twilight.
    The songs of the waves and the hymns of the streams
    Are scattered, and the voices of the throngs reduced to silence;
    And I can hear naught but the music of Eternity
    In exact harmony with the spirit’s desires.
    I am cloaked in full whiteness;
    I am in comfort; I am in peace.
    PART THREE — THE REMAINS
    Unwrap me from this white linen shroud and clothe me
    With leaves of jasmine and lilies;
    Take my body from the ivory casket and let it rest
    Upon pillows of orange blossoms.
    Lament me not, but sing songs of youth and joy;
    Shed not tears upon me, but sing of harvest and the winepress;
    Utter no sigh of agony, but draw upon my face with your
    Finger the symbol of Love and Joy.
    Disturb not the air’s tranquility with chanting and requiems,
    But let your hearts sing with me the song of Eternal Life;
    Mourn me not with apparel of black,
    But dress in colour and rejoice with me;
    Talk not of my departure with sighs in your hearts; close
    Your eyes and you will see me with you forevermore.
    Place me upon clusters of leaves and
    Carry me upon your friendly shoulders and
    Walk slowly to the deserted forest.
    Take me not to the crowded burying ground lest my slumber
    Be disrupted by the rattling of bones and skulls.
    Carry me to the cypress woods and dig my grave where violets
    And poppies grow not in the other’s shadow;
    Let my grave be deep so that the flood will not
    Carry my bones to the open valley;
    Let my grave be wide, so that the twilight shadows
    Will come and sit by me.
    Take from me all earthly raiment and place me deep in my
    Mother Earth; and place me with care upon my mother’s breast.
    Cover me with soft earth, and let each handful be mixed
    With seeds of jasmine, lilies, and myrtle; and when they
    Grow above me and thrive on my body’s element they will
    Breathe the fragrance of my heart into space;
    And reveal even to the sun the secret of my peace;
    And sail with the breeze and comfort the wayfarer.
    Leave me then, friends—leave me and depart on mute feet,
    As the silence walks in the deserted valley;
    Leave me to God and disperse yourselves slowly, as the almond
    And apple blossoms disperse under the vibration of Nisan’s breeze.
    Go back to the joy of your dwellings and you will find there
    That which Death cannot remove from you and me.
    Leave this place, for what you see here is far away in meaning
    From the earthly world. Leave me.

THE PALACE AND THE HUT
    PART ONE
    A S NIGHT fell and the light glittered in the great house, the servants stood at the massive door awaiting the coming of the guests; and upon their velvet garments shone golden buttons.
    The magnificent carriages drew into the palace park and the nobles entered, dressed in gorgeous raiment and decorated with jewels. The instruments filled the air with pleasant melodies while the dignitaries danced to the soothing music.
    At midnight the finest and most palatable foods were served on a beautiful table embellished with all