Gibran - The Forerunner

You are your own forerunner, and the towers you have builded are butthe foundation of your giant-self. And that self too shall be afoundation.

And I too am my own forerunner, for the long shadow stretching beforeme at sunrise shall gather under my feet at the noon hour. Yet anothersunrise shall lay another shadow before me, and that also shall begathered at another noon.

Always have we been our own forerunners, and always shall we be. Andall that we have gathered and shall gather shall be but seeds forfields yet unploughed. We are the fields and the ploughmen, thegatherers and the gathered.

When you were a wandering desire in the mist, I too was there awandering desire. Then we sought one another, and out of our eagernessdreams were born. And dreams were time limitless, and dreams werespace without measure.

And when you were a silent word upon life's quivering lips, I too wasthere, another silent word. Then life uttered us and we came down theyears throbbing with memories of yesterday and with longing fortomorrow, for yesterday was death conquered and tomorrow was birthpursued.

And now we are in God's hands. You are a sun in His right hand and Ian earth in His left hand. Yet you are not more, shining, than I,shone upon.

And we, sun and earth, are but the beginning of a greater sun and agreater earth. And always shall we be the beginning.

You are your own forerunner, you the stranger passing by the gate ofmy garden.

And I too am my own forerunner, though I sit in the shadows of mytrees and seem motionless.

Once there came from the desert to the great city of Sharia a man whowas a dreamer, and he had naught but his garment and staff.

And as he walked through the streets he gazed with awe and wonder atthe temples and towers and palaces, for the city of Sharia was ofsurpassing beauty. And he spoke often to the passers-by, questioningthem about their city - but they understood not his language, nor hetheir language.

At the noon hour he stopped before a vast inn. It was built of yellowmarble, and people were going in and coming out unhindered.

"This must be a shrine,' he said to himself, and he too went in. Butwhat was his surprise to find himself in a hall of great splendour anda large company of men and women seated about many tables. They wereeating and drinking and listening to the musicians.

'Nay,' said the dreamer. 'This is no worshipping. It must be a feastgiven by the prince to the people, in celebration of a great event.'

At that moment a man, whom he took to be the slave of the prince,approached him, and bade him be seated. And he was served with meatand wine and most excellent sweets.

When he was satisfied, the dreamer rose to depart. At the door he wasstopped by a large man magnificently arrayed.

'Surely this is the prince himself,' said the dreamer in his heart,and he bowed to him and thanked him.

Then the large man said in the language of the city:

'Sir, you have not paid for your dinner.' And the dreamer did notunderstand, and again thanked him heartily. Then the large manbethought him, and he looked more closely upon the dreamer. And he sawthat he was a stranger, clad in but a poor garment, and that indeed hehad not wherewith to pay for his meal. Then the large man clapped hishands and called - and there came four watchmen of the city. And theylistened to the large man. Then they took the dreamer between them,and they were two on each side of him. And the dreamer noted theceremoniousness of their dress and of their manner and he looked uponthem with delight. 'These,' said he, 'are men of distinction.'

And they walked all together until they came to the House of Judgementand they entered.

The dreamer saw before him, seated upon a throne, a venerable man withflowing beard, robed majestically. And he thought he was the king. Andhe rejoiced to be brought before him.

Now the watchmen related to the judge, who was the venerable man, thecharge against the dreamer, and the judge appointed two advocates, oneto present the charge and the other to defend the stranger. And theadvocates rose, the one after the other, and delivered each hisargument. And the dreamer thought himself to be listening to addressesof welcome, and his heart filled with gratitude to the king and theprince for all that was done for him.

Then sentence was passed upon the dreamer, that upon a tablet abouthis neck his crime should be written, and that he should ride throughthe city on a naked horse, with a trumpeter and a drummer before him.And the sentence was carried out forthwith.

Now as the dreamer rode through the city upon the naked horse, withthe trumpeter and the drummer before him, the inhabitants of the citycame running forth at the sound of the noise, and when they saw himthey laughed one and all, and the children ran after him in companiesfrom street to street. And the dreamer's heart was filled withecstasy, and his eyes shone upon them. For to him the tablet was asign of the king's blessing and the procession was in his honour.

Now as he rode, he saw among the crowd a man who was from the desertlike himself and his heart swelled with joy, and he cried out to himwith a shout:

'Friend! Friend! Where are we? What city of the heart's desire isthis? What race of lavish hosts, who feast the chance guest in theirpalaces, whose princes companion him, whose kings hangs a token uponhis breast and opens to him the hospitality of a city descended fromheaven?'

And he who was also of the desert replied not. He only smiled andslightly shook his head. And the procession passed on.

And the dreamer's face was uplifted and his eyes were overflowing withlight.

They say the jackal and the mole
Drink from the selfsame stream
Where the lion comes to drink.
And they say the eagle and the vulture
Dig their beaks into the same carcass,
And are at peace, one with the other,
In the presence of the dead thing.

O love, whose lordly hand
Has bridled my desires,
And raised my hunger and my thirst
To dignity and pride,
Let not the strong in me and the constant
Eat the bread or drink the wine
That tempt my weaker self.

Let me rather starve,
And let my heart parch with thirst,
And let me die and perish,
Ere I stretch my hand
To a cup you did not fill,
Or a bowl you did not bless.

They told me that in a forest among the mountains lives a young man insolitude who once was a king of a vast country beyond the Two Rivers.And they also said that he, of his own will, had left his throne andthe land of his glory and come to dwell in the wilderness.

And I said, "I would seek that man, and learn the secret of his heart;for he who renounces a kingdom must needs be greater than a kingdom."

On that very day I went to the forest where he dwells. And I found himsitting under a white cypress, and in his hand a reed as if it were asceptre. And I greeted him even as I would greet a king. And he turnedto me and said gently, "What would you in this forest of serenity?Seek you a lost self in the green shadows, or is it a home-coming inyour twilight?"