Seven times I despised my own soul
"Seven times I despised my own soul" is Gibran's way of seeing through everything in human nature in the name of "my own soul" A poem of weakness. The poem is simple, powerful and thought-provoking, urging people to have a higher spiritual realm, calling on people to cleanse their souls, spurn ugliness and pursue nobility.
Title of the work
Seven times have I despised my soul
Foreign title
Seven times have I despised my soul
Source of the work
Sand and Foam
Kahlil Gibran
About the author
Original English text
p>Seven times have I despised my soul:
——Kahlil Gibran
The first time when I saw her being meek that she might attain height.
The second time when I saw her limping before the crippled.
The third time when she was given to choose between the hard and the easy, and she chose the easy.
The fourth time when she committed a wrong, and comforted herself that others also committed wrong.
The fifth time when she forbore for weakness, and attributed her patience to strength.
The sixth time when she despised the ugliness of a face, and knew not that it was one of her own masks.
And the seventh time when she sang a song of praise, and deemed it a virtue.[2 ]
Translation
Version 1
The first time, when it could have been aggressive, it pretended to be humble;
The second time The third time, when it was empty, it filled it with love;
The third time, between difficulty and ease, it chose easy;
The fourth time, it committed It makes mistakes, but comforts itself by knowing that others will make mistakes;
The fifth time, it is free and weak, but regards it as the tenacity of life;
The sixth time, when When it despises an ugly face, it doesn't know that it is one of its own masks;
For the seventh time, it stands sideways in the mud of life, unwilling but timid. [3]
Version 2
The first time was when I saw that she could be aggressive but was pretending to be humble.
The second time was when I saw her limping in front of the cripple.
The third time was when she chose easy between difficult and easy.
The fourth time was when she made a mistake but comforted herself by thinking that others would make mistakes too.
The fifth time was when she gave in because of weakness, but claimed it as her own tenacity.
The sixth time was when she despised an ugly face, but did not know that it was one of her own masks.
The seventh time is when she sings a hymn but calls it a virtue. [3]
Version 3
The first time is when it wants to ascend through the humble path;
The second time is when it is paralyzed The third time is when it chooses between difficult and easy and chooses easy;
The fourth time is when it makes a mistake but fails because of When it masturbates for other people's mistakes;
The fifth time is when it endures weakly and calls this endurance as strong;
The sixth time is when it faces the challenges of life The seventh time is when it stands in front of God and sings hymns, thinking that singing hymns is one of its virtues.
For the seventh time, it stood sideways in the sludge of life, unwilling but timid.
[3]
Version 4
When you can make progress, you choose to obey the status quo. This is one of them;
Limping in front of a lame person is two of them. ;
When faced with a difficult and easy choice, choosing the latter is the third reason;
After making a mistake, using the excuse that everyone else will make mistakes is the fourth reason;
To be patient because of weakness, and to attribute this patience to strength and take comfort, these are the five;
Despise the ugly face, but don’t know that you already have that face, This is the sixth one;
Singing hymns and boasting of virtues is the seventh.
Version 5
Translated by Bing Xin:
The first time was when she could rise but was humble.
The second time was when I saw her limping in front of the lame man.
The third time was when she was asked to choose between easy and difficult, and she chose easy.
The fourth time she did something wrong, but she comforted herself by saying that others also did something wrong.
The fifth time she tolerated weakness and called her endurance strength.
The sixth time was when she scorned an ugly face, not knowing that it was one of her own masks.
The seventh time was when she sang a carol, believing it to be a virtue. [1]
Version 6
Translated by Qian Mansu:
For the first time, when I saw that she could be promoted but was willing to be humble.
The second time, when I saw her limping in front of the person with a disabled leg.
The third time, when I saw her choose easy between difficult and easy.
The fourth time, when she made a mistake, she comforted herself with the reason that others would make similar mistakes.
The fifth time, when she tolerated because of vulnerability, she said it was a kind of perseverance.
The sixth time, when she despised an ugly face, but didn’t know that it was her own mask.
The seventh time, when she sang carols but thought it was a virtue. [1]
About the author
Kahlil Gibran (?) is an American Lebanese-Arab writer. Known as an "artistic genius" and "the pride of Lebanese literary circles", he is the main founder of Arabic literature and one of the pioneers of new Arab literature in the 20th century. His main works include "Tears and Laughter", "Prophet", "Sand and Foam", etc., which contain rich social and oriental spirit. They do not focus on plot and aim to express rich emotions. Gibran, Lu Xun and Rabindranath Tagore were the pioneers of modern Oriental literature going global.