Gibran (1883～1931), Lebanese poet, prose writer and painter. Born in Bousheli, a mountainous town in northern Lebanon. When he was 12 years old, he went to Boston, USA with his mother. Two years later, he returned to his motherland and studied Arabic, French and painting at the "Hikma (Wisdom)" school in Beirut. During his studies, he founded the magazine "Truth" with a radical attitude. In 1908, he published the novel "Rebellious Soul", which angered the authorities. His works were banned and burned, and he was expelled and went to the United States again. Later he went to France to study painting and sculpture at the Paris Academy of Fine Arts, and was awarded by the art master Rodin. He returned to Boston in 1911 and moved to New York the following year to live permanently and engage in literary and artistic creation activities until his death.
Gibran mainly wrote novels in his youth. After settling in the United States, he gradually turned to writing prose poems. Almost all of his novels are written in Arabic, including the short story collection "The Prairie Bride" (1905), "The Rebellious Soul" and the novel "Broken Wings" (1911). "Broken Wings" describes the tragic fate of oriental women and their hard struggle with fate, denounces greed, fraud and submission, and praises self-esteem, will and strength. His novels win with the philosophical monologues, dialogues and narrations of the protagonists, especially the passionate outpourings of the oppressed and harmed. His published works in Arabic include the prose "Musical Short Chapters" (1905), the prose poetry collections "Tears and Laughter" (1913), "The Tempest" (1920), the poetry collection "Hymns of Processions" (1918), and "Tips" "Talk with Fun" (1923), "Whispering with the Soul" (1927), etc. His first work in English was a collection of essays, The Madman (1918). After that, Lu Ji published prose poetry collections "Pioneer" (1920), "Prophet" (1923), "Sand and Foam" (1926), "Jesus, Son of Man" (1928), "Prophet's Garden" (1931), "Wanderer" etc., as well as the poetic dramas "Gods of the Earth", "Lazarus and His Lover", etc. "The Prophet" is considered to be his masterpiece. The author uses the farewell words of a wise man to discuss a series of topics such as love and beauty, life and death, marriage and family, work and happiness, law and freedom, reason and passion, good and evil and religion. Life and social issues are full of metaphors and philosophy, with an oriental flavor. Gibran also drew his own illustrations full of romantic sentiment and profound meaning.
Gibran believed that the poet's duty is to sing "the song of the mother's heart". Most of his works take "love" and "beauty" as themes, expressing deep emotions and lofty ideals through bold imagination and symbolic techniques. His thoughts were greatly influenced by Nietzsche's philosophy. His works often reveal a cynical attitude or express some mysterious power. He was the first writer to use prose poetry in the history of modern Arab literature. He organized and led the famous Arab overseas literary group "PEN" and made significant contributions to the development of new Arabic literature. His works have been translated into many languages ????around the world and are welcomed by readers from all over the world. The first work of his to be introduced to China was "The Prophet" (translated by Bing Xin, 1931). Since the 1950s, his other works have gradually become known to Chinese readers.
Introduction to Kahlil Gibran
Gibran (1883-1931), the pride of Lebanese literary circles, as a philosophical poet and outstanding painter, was a pioneer of modern oriental literature to the world like Rabindranath Tagore. At the same time, he is the main founder of modern Arab novels and artistic prose, and one of the pioneers of new Arab literature in the twentieth century. In the early 1920s, the first Arab literary school, the "Semi-American School" (i.e. "Arab Diaspora Literature"), with Gibran as its backbone and representative, was famous all over the world.
Literature and painting are the two wings of Ji Bo’s artistic life. Gibran's early creations were mainly novels, and his later creations were mainly prose poems. In addition, there are poems, poetic dramas, literary criticism, letters, etc. "The Prophet" is Gibran's pinnacle work in the world of literature. It has been translated into more than 20 languages ??and published around the world.
In the history of Eastern literature, Gibran's artistic style is unique. His works contain both the seriousness and coldness of rational thinking and the romance and lyricism of arias. He is good at discovering the meaningful in the ordinary and revealing profound philosophy in the wonderful metaphors. On the other hand, Gibran's style can also be seen in his highly personal language. He is a bilingual writer who can write in Arabic and English, and he uses each language clearly and fluently. The language style of his works has conquered generations of Eastern and Western readers. Americans once praised Gibran as "like a storm blowing from the east and sweeping across the west", and his works with a strong oriental consciousness are regarded as "the best gift from the east to the west".
As early as 1923, Gibran’s five prose poems were first introduced to China by Mr. Mao Dun. In 1931, Mr. Bing Xin translated "The Prophet", which opened up the literary window for Chinese readers to further understand Gibran. In the past ten years or so, our country has successively published some works by Kahlil Gibran. This Lebanese literary darling has more and more close friends in China.