Secrets of the Heart.

New York, NY New American Library: Signet , 1965. Paperback First Edition Thus [1965]. This translation was first published in 1947. First Edition Thus [1965]. Very Good+ in Wraps: shows indications of very careful use: just a hint ofwear to the extremities; very mild rubbing and the faintest soiling to the white background field of the wrapper covers; the binding is square and secure; the text is clean. Free of any creases. Free of any ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, plates, or labels. A handsome, nearly-new copy, showing mild wear and a couple very minor flaws; not quite absolutely pristine, but remains close to it. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 12mo. (7.05 x 4.25 x 0.5 inches). x, 158 pages. Edited by Martin L. Wolf. Translated from the Arabic by Anthony Rizcallah Ferris. Language: Weight: 4 ounces. This translation was first published in 1947. Mass Market Paperback. Khalil Gibran (1883 – 1931) was a Lebanese artist, poet, and writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in the north of modern-day Lebanon (then part of Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, Ottoman Empire), as a young man he immigrated with his family to the United States, where he studied art and began his literary career, writing in both English and Arabic. In the Arab world, Gibran is regarded as a literary and political rebel. His romantic style was at the heart of a renaissance in modern Arabic literature, especially prose poetry, breaking away from the classical school. In Lebanon, he is still celebrated as a literary hero. He is chiefly known in the English-speaking world for his 1923 book The Prophet, an early example of inspirational fiction including a series of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose. The book sold well, gaining popularity in the 1930s and again especially in the 1960s. Gibran is the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Laozi. Gibran was born into a Maronite Christian family and raised in Maronite schools. He was influenced not only by his own religion but also by Islam, and especially by the mysticism of the Sufis. His knowledge of Lebanon's bloody history, with its destructive factional struggles, strengthened his belief in the fundamental unity of religions, which his parents exemplified by welcoming people of various religions in their home. The poetry of Gibran often uses formal language and spiritual terms; as one of his poems reveals: "But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls." Many of Gibran's writings deal with Christianity, especially on the topic of spiritual love. But his mysticism is a convergence of several different influences: Christianity, Islam, Sufism, Judaism and theosophy. He wrote: "You are my brother and I love you. I love you when you prostrate yourself in your mosque, and kneel in your church and pray in your synagogue. You and I are sons of one faith—the Spirit." I love this collection. It's deeply moving and inspiring. Gibran's essays are the kind that will resonate with you, long after you've closed the book.