The Prophet (book)
Encyclopedia
The Prophet is a book of 26 poetic essays written in English by the Lebanese
artist, philosopher and writer Kahlil Gibran. It was originally published in 1923 by Alfred A. Knopf
. It is Gibran's best known work. The Prophet has been translated into over forty different languages.
, Al-Mustafa
who has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses topics such as life and the human condition
. The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.
Of a rather ambitious first printing of 2,000 in 1923, Knopf sold 1,159 copies. The demand for The Prophet doubled the following year — and doubled again the year after that. Since then, annual sales have risen almost at an exponential rate: from 12,000 in 1935 to 111,000 in 1961 to 240,000 in 1965. Worldwide, The Prophet sells more than 5000 copies a week.
, Lebanon
. The Gibran National Committee (GNC), located in Bsharri, manages the Gibran Museum
. Founded in 1935, the GNC is a non-profit corporation holding the exclusive rights to manage the Lebanese author Khalil Gibran's copyright in and to his literary and artistic works. In 2009, the GNC granted exclusive rights to create a film based on The Prophet to Gibran: The Prophet, LLC, a group located in the United States.
The Garden of the Prophet narrates Almustafa's discussions with nine disciples following Almustafa's return after an intervening absence.
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
artist, philosopher and writer Kahlil Gibran. It was originally published in 1923 by Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a New York publishing house, founded by Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. in 1915. It was acquired by Random House in 1960 and is now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group at Random House. The publishing house is known for its borzoi trademark , which was designed by co-founder...
. It is Gibran's best known work. The Prophet has been translated into over forty different languages.
Synopsis
The prophetProphet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, Al-Mustafa
Mustafa
Mustafa is the primary transliteration of the Arabic given name, . The name is an epithet of Muhammad that means, Chosen One. It is a very common male given name, throughout the Muslim world.-Mostafa:...
who has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses topics such as life and the human condition
Human condition
The human condition encompasses the experiences of being human in a social, cultural, and personal context. It can be described as the irreducible part of humanity that is inherent and not connected to gender, race, class, etc. — a search for purpose, sense of curiosity, the inevitability of...
. The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.
Popularity
Research on sales figures is difficult to come by, but sources in the publishing world report that behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu, Khalil Gibran is the third most widely read poet in history, having been translated into well over 40 languages. The Prophet is in its 163rd printing and has sold over 100 million copies since its original publication in 1923. The Prophet is consistently in the best selling category (overall) at Amazon. The Prophet is one of the best-selling books of all time.Of a rather ambitious first printing of 2,000 in 1923, Knopf sold 1,159 copies. The demand for The Prophet doubled the following year — and doubled again the year after that. Since then, annual sales have risen almost at an exponential rate: from 12,000 in 1935 to 111,000 in 1961 to 240,000 in 1965. Worldwide, The Prophet sells more than 5000 copies a week.
Royalties and copyright control
Upon his death, Gibran instructed that the royalties and copyrights to his materials be owned by his hometown, BsharriBsharri
Bsharri , is a Lebanese town at about 1,450 m of altitude, near the Kadisha Valley. It is located at , in the Bsharri District of the North Governorate. Bsharri is the town of the only remaining Original Cedars of Lebanon...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. The Gibran National Committee (GNC), located in Bsharri, manages the Gibran Museum
Gibran Museum
The Gibran Museum, formerly the Monastery of Mar Sarkis, is a biographical museum in Bsharri, Lebanon, 120 kilometres from Beirut. It is dedicated to the Lebanese artist, writer and philosopher Khalil Gibran....
. Founded in 1935, the GNC is a non-profit corporation holding the exclusive rights to manage the Lebanese author Khalil Gibran's copyright in and to his literary and artistic works. In 2009, the GNC granted exclusive rights to create a film based on The Prophet to Gibran: The Prophet, LLC, a group located in the United States.
The Garden of The Prophet
Gibran followed The Prophet with The Garden of The Prophet, which was published posthumously in 1933.The Garden of the Prophet narrates Almustafa's discussions with nine disciples following Almustafa's return after an intervening absence.
Versions and interpretations
- 1973 – The Profit; Albran's Serial a parody published by Price/Stern/Sloan, California, as written by the fictional Kehlog Albran. It reached fourth printing in 1981.
- 1974 – The Prophet by Khalil Gibran: A Musical Interpretation featuring Richard HarrisRichard HarrisRichard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
. Music composed by Arif MardinArif MardinArif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...
, Atlantic RecordsAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz... - 1981 – On Children recorded by Sweet Honey in the RockSweet Honey in the RockSweet Honey in the Rock is an all-woman, African-American a cappella ensemble. They are an American Grammy Award-winning troupe who express their history as women of color through song, while entertaining their audience. They have together worked from four women to the difficult five-part harmony...
, on the Good News LP, Flying Fish RecordsFlying Fish RecordsFlying Fish Records was a Chicago-based eclectic blues and country record label. It was founded in 1974 by Bruce Kaplan, former president of the University of Chicago's Folklore Society.... - 2007 – Myriam of Lebanon – A lyrical philosophy of ambiance steadfastly established on Khalil Gibran's The Prophet by rural philosopher-poet Richard Mc Sweeney (Richard of Éire)
- 2008 – The Prophet was translated to Maltese, Il-Profeta by the Maltese writer Victor Fenech
- 1995 – Lyricist and vocalist Layne StaleyLayne StaleyLayne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
references The Prophet in the first verse of "River of DeceitRiver of Deceit"River of Deceit" is a song by the American rock band Mad Season, released in 1995 as the first single from the band's only studio album, Above...
" – the third track of the album Above by the Seattle super-group Mad SeasonMad SeasonMad Season was an American rock supergroup formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1994 by members of three popular Seattle-based bands: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees. Mad Season only released one album, Above, and is best known for the single "River of Deceit"...
. - 2002 – ElectronicElectronic musicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and New AgeNew Age musicNew Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
music composer GandalfGandalf (new age)Gandalf is the name used by a New Age composer from Austria. He plays a wide variety of instruments including guitars, keyboards, synthesizers and sitars. He includes electronic sounds into his music. His music includes influences from music around the world...
and narrator Thomas Klock created an audiobook CD with German version – Der Prophet – layered with music. - 2010 – The Propheteer; A book of political satire reimaginging The Prophet as George W. Bush lecturing his cronies on the White House lawn while waiting for his chopper bound for Texas. ISBN 978-1-4502-6057-2
External links
- The Prophet audiobook at Archive.orgInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- The Garden of the Prophet audiobook at Archive.orgInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- The Prophet (public domain in Canada)