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This classic work showcases the early brilliance and philosophical foundation of Kahlil Gibran, one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet and one of the twentieth century's most revolutionary, inspiring writers, effortlessly blends his unique perspective on Eastern and Western philosophy in this early collection of work, written when he was just twenty years old. From delicate turns of phrase to strong assertions of equality, show more delightful rejoicings to frightening prophecies, Gibran's poetry and prose reveal his eternal hunger for love and beauty. This expanded edition includes key works of social justice such as "The Bride's Bed" and firmly establishes Gibran's role as champion of human rights and individual liberty. show lessTags
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Couldn't decide on 2 - 2.5 - 3 stars for this one. I've read some of Kahlil Gibran's other works (notably The Prophet and Voices of the Master), and while this was still good in that vein.... it was a lot more of the "I am the soul" or "wholeness of one deity" ala Paulo Coehlo style stuff. Not really my bag, my cup of tea, or my 'hipster new-age' beliefs.
This collection of poems/short stories (Tears and Laughter), much as the title gives the impression of - was rather maudlin and depressing. The 'laughter' came from that of death and the joy of the release of it. This was basically a collection singing the praises of death, dying, being dead, suicide, and the joy of the release of life on 'such a grim [insert: shitty - my vocabulary, show more not his] world' and the embrace of it into this overarching heaven that includes those of all denominations and religions (primarily the Abrahamic ones, Judaism, Islam, Christianity).
Its 94 short quick easy to read pages solely devoted to the release of life into this embrace of heaven, through death, particularly suicide in some cases. Eh, I guess not the greatest choice of reading for me - especially lately, and especially in winter. show less
This collection of poems/short stories (Tears and Laughter), much as the title gives the impression of - was rather maudlin and depressing. The 'laughter' came from that of death and the joy of the release of it. This was basically a collection singing the praises of death, dying, being dead, suicide, and the joy of the release of life on 'such a grim [insert: shitty - my vocabulary, show more not his] world' and the embrace of it into this overarching heaven that includes those of all denominations and religions (primarily the Abrahamic ones, Judaism, Islam, Christianity).
Its 94 short quick easy to read pages solely devoted to the release of life into this embrace of heaven, through death, particularly suicide in some cases. Eh, I guess not the greatest choice of reading for me - especially lately, and especially in winter. show less
Couldn't decide on 2 - 2.5 - 3 stars for this one. I've read some of Kahlil Gibran's other works (notably The Prophet and Voices of the Master), and while this was still good in that vein.... it was a lot more of the "I am the soul" or "wholeness of one deity" ala Paulo Coehlo style stuff. Not really my bag, my cup of tea, or my 'hipster new-age' beliefs.
This collection of poems/short stories (Tears and Laughter), much as the title gives the impression of - was rather maudlin and depressing. The 'laughter' came from that of death and the joy of the release of it. This was basically a collection singing the praises of death, dying, being dead, suicide, and the joy of the release of life on 'such a grim [insert: shitty - my vocabulary, show more not his] world' and the embrace of it into this overarching heaven that includes those of all denominations and religions (primarily the Abrahamic ones, Judaism, Islam, Christianity).
Its 94 short quick easy to read pages solely devoted to the release of life into this embrace of heaven, through death, particularly suicide in some cases. Eh, I guess not the greatest choice of reading for me - especially lately, and especially in winter. show less
This collection of poems/short stories (Tears and Laughter), much as the title gives the impression of - was rather maudlin and depressing. The 'laughter' came from that of death and the joy of the release of it. This was basically a collection singing the praises of death, dying, being dead, suicide, and the joy of the release of life on 'such a grim [insert: shitty - my vocabulary, show more not his] world' and the embrace of it into this overarching heaven that includes those of all denominations and religions (primarily the Abrahamic ones, Judaism, Islam, Christianity).
Its 94 short quick easy to read pages solely devoted to the release of life into this embrace of heaven, through death, particularly suicide in some cases. Eh, I guess not the greatest choice of reading for me - especially lately, and especially in winter. show less
I read this book during a very stressful and busy time of my life. It is such powerful writing that each time I opened up this book of Gibran's writing, I would have to stop after a few pages, not wanting to spoil the beauty of the words by reading too quickly or in the wrong setting.
I'm not much for poetry but this is a beautiful and tragic work.
This short book is compilation of poetry by jibran on human emotions about love, marriage, children, giving, eating , drinking, joy , sorrow, houses, clothes, buying, selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom , reason and passion, pain, self knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time , good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty , religion, death, farewell, trait of greed and all the things are used as metaphor , if you read his prophet then you can relate he now wrote separately about every emotion , season feeling of wind, soul, flower , love of wave to only give love but don't demand, common insect, love, fortune in search of peace rich and poor life, rich but not satisfied soul , poor but contented soul , clearing his point and show more how one should live the life.
A tear and a smile summary:
God gave happiness to those who are able to forget past and move on.
2 infants born same day but different fate one born in rich family with everything under him and another born to poor field worker who died the same night he born due to condition, fortune in search of contentment, respect of the poet after death. A beggar with good body was not getting job for shabbiness, so he criminal to survive. a man in search of someone who love him unconditionally, comparing himself with rain and it process, people remember the dead but forgot the living and that is cruel reality of world. A beloved who went for year away from his love so become something in life and ask her wait for him. One should not caged themselves with other rule to live life. Two wishes one want death to visit eternity other want life for worldly materialistic pleasure. One should forget to worldly riches and work on wisdom because riches make. your.. slave of himself and corrupt your thinking good for other
Donot blame other for your misery, and pain Death is not always bad if you can take and live life seriously thing can be much better and death will not felt like pain but a way to reach salvation or new life . poet is liberal didn't believe in divison or partail to a community, poet believe in humanity not in hatred, preach equally didn't get agiated to kill someone for the mere act of, making People happy. Every weather they like to enjoy and feels the change, the weather bring with it and adding sowing harvesting, cutting, reaping and enjoy the year around. love should be selfless like waves in the seac who only give not take anything
Pease is the only way to safeguard interest of everry harmon, live every moment with dreams to fulfill it with peace and patience
Every destination arrival is through god. Mother taught her son all the positive thing to him.
God speak through every human, flower are part of every celebration and death and fill every moment with the scent.
Without love, earth cannot survive as he is only reason that ruin or create in the world under name of religion and their ideology of religion
Beauty attract soul, which loves to give not to receive. King with everything but not with peace of mind but loneliness and poor with family and children but with contented life. show less
A tear and a smile summary:
God gave happiness to those who are able to forget past and move on.
2 infants born same day but different fate one born in rich family with everything under him and another born to poor field worker who died the same night he born due to condition, fortune in search of contentment, respect of the poet after death. A beggar with good body was not getting job for shabbiness, so he criminal to survive. a man in search of someone who love him unconditionally, comparing himself with rain and it process, people remember the dead but forgot the living and that is cruel reality of world. A beloved who went for year away from his love so become something in life and ask her wait for him. One should not caged themselves with other rule to live life. Two wishes one want death to visit eternity other want life for worldly materialistic pleasure. One should forget to worldly riches and work on wisdom because riches make. your.. slave of himself and corrupt your thinking good for other
Donot blame other for your misery, and pain Death is not always bad if you can take and live life seriously thing can be much better and death will not felt like pain but a way to reach salvation or new life . poet is liberal didn't believe in divison or partail to a community, poet believe in humanity not in hatred, preach equally didn't get agiated to kill someone for the mere act of, making People happy. Every weather they like to enjoy and feels the change, the weather bring with it and adding sowing harvesting, cutting, reaping and enjoy the year around. love should be selfless like waves in the seac who only give not take anything
Pease is the only way to safeguard interest of everry harmon, live every moment with dreams to fulfill it with peace and patience
Every destination arrival is through god. Mother taught her son all the positive thing to him.
God speak through every human, flower are part of every celebration and death and fill every moment with the scent.
Without love, earth cannot survive as he is only reason that ruin or create in the world under name of religion and their ideology of religion
Beauty attract soul, which loves to give not to receive. King with everything but not with peace of mind but loneliness and poor with family and children but with contented life. show less
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Khalil Gibran, also known as Kahlil Gibran, was born on January 6, 1883 in Northern Lebanon. As a result of his family's poverty, he received no formal education as a small child but had regular visits from the local priest who taught him about the Bible as well as the Syrian and Arabic languages. After his father was imprisoned for embezzlement show more and his family's property was confiscated by the authorities, his mother decided to emigrate to the United States in 1895. They settled in Boston's South End. He attended public school and art school, where he was introduced to the artist, photographer, and publisher Fred Holland Day. A publisher used some of Gibran's drawings for book covers in 1898. His family forced him to return to Lebanon to complete his education and learn the Arabic language. He enrolled in Madrasat-al-Hikmah, a Maronite-founded school, which offered a nationalistic curriculum partial to church writings, history and liturgy. He learned Arabic, French, and exceled in poetry. He returned to the United States in 1902. In 1904, he hosted his first art exhibit, which featured his allegorical and symbolic charcoal drawings. During this exhibition, he met Mary Elizabeth Haskell, who would go on to fund Gibran's artistic development for nearly his entire life. Not only was he an artist, but he also wrote poetry and other works including The Madman, The Prophet, and Sand and Foam. He died of cirrhosis of the liver and tuberculosis on April 10, 1931. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- A Tear and a Smile
- Original title
- Dam'a wa ibtisama; دمعة وابتسامة
- Alternate titles
- Tears and Laughter; A tear and a smile
- Original publication date
- 1947
- Dedication
- To M.E.H I offer this book, the first breath in the tempest of my life, to that noble spirit who loves with the breeze and walks with the tempests. Gibran
To Yvonne from the translator - First words
- I would not exchange the sorrows of my heart for the joys of the multitude.
I would not exchange the laughter of my heart for the fortunes of the multitudes; nor would I be content with converting my tears invited by my agonized self, into calm. Â [tr. Anthony Rizcallah Ferris] - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)When the multitude vacated the place, she dropped down and wept with the crying angels.
- Original language
- Arabic
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 892.735
- Disambiguation notice
- "Tears and Laughter" was originally published in Arabic in 1914 as "Dam'a wa ibtisama" (A Tear and a Smile). It was also published as "A Tear and a Smile" by Alfred A. Knopf in 1950.
Classifications
- Genres
- Poetry, Fiction and Literature
- DDC/MDS
- 892.735 — Literature & rhetoric Literatures of other languages Afro-Asiatic literatures Arabic (Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan) Arabic fiction 1800–1945
- LCC
- PJ7741 .G54 .T42 — Language and Literature Oriental languages and literatures Oriental philology and literature Arabic Arabic literature Individual authors or works
- BISAC
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- 804
- Popularity
- 34,440
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.73)
- Languages
- 7 — Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Croatian, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 49
- ASINs
- 38
