Friday, January 24, 2014

Song of the Soul

Song of the Soul 
by Kahlil Gibran

In the depth of my soul there is 
A wordless song - a song that lives 
In the seed of my heart. 
It refuses to melt with ink on 
Parchment; it engulfs my affection 
In a transparent cloak and flows, 
But not upon my lips. 

How can I sigh it? I fear it may 
Mingle with earthly ether; 
To whom shall I sing it? It dwells 
In the house of my soul, in fear of 
Harsh ears. 

When I look into my inner eyes 
I see the shadow of its shadow; 
When I touch my fingertips 
I feel its vibrations. 

The deeds of my hands heed its 
Presence as a lake must reflect 
The glittering stars; my tears 
Reveal it, as bright drops of dew 
Reveal the secret of a withering rose. 

It is a song composed by contemplation, 
And published by silence, 
And shunned by clamor, 
And folded by truth, 
And repeated by dreams, 
And understood by love, 
And hidden by awakening, 
And sung by the soul. 

It is the song of love; 
What Cain or Esau could sing it? 

It is more fragrant than jasmine; 
What voice could enslave it? 

It is heartbound, as a virgin's secret; 
What string could quiver it? 

Who dares unite the roar of the sea 
And the singing of the nightingale? 
Who dares compare the shrieking tempest 
To the sigh of an infant? 
Who dares speak aloud the words 
Intended for the heart to speak? 
What human dares sing in voice 
The song of God?  



A veiled beauty by Frederick Arthur Bridgman


4 comments:

  1. Beautiful!

    I was delighted with your blog.
    My best wishes.
    Sónia

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  2. Thank you, Sonia. I can assure you that I am equally happy to have found your own writings and beautiful presence!

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  3. Kahlil Gibran is such a masterly poet! His imagery and words are truly beautiful evoking a recognition in us of something ephemeral and hard to define. It is interesting that the title of the Song of the Soul, but in his last line he writes "What human dare sing in voice, the Song of God?" It touches upon the mystical and points to the divine within us. I like the juxtaposition of opposites in his final stanza: the 'roar of the sea' and the 'nightingale,' the 'shrieking tempest' and the 'sigh of the infant.' I feel that he is point to that which embraces all polarities and unites them. This is the mystical, divine love, the highest expression of the oneness that underlies all things. Beautiful! Thank you for sharing this with us.

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  4. Such a tender light you shed upon these mystic words of Kahlil Gibran, Joseph. Thank you.
    Namaste.

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