Poem by Kahlil Gibran ~ The Prophet ~ on Marriage

Kahlil Gibran - The Prophet ~ Marriage

This excerpt from the beautiful book, “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran, is I think a very accurate and wise observation of marriage.  I have become aware since following the Cura Romana protocol that the changes in me are also affecting aspects of my relationship/marriage.  It is, to be honest, quite a challenge because the realisation I have of being more ‘in tune’ with myself, is perhaps not very easy to understand for my husband and family.

In some respects, some of what is happening to me could be perceived as selfish?  I don’t know … all I know is that I feel that I do have to devote time to myself, having spent years putting everyone else first.

That does require some ‘space’ to breathe, as it were.  Don’t know how many of my fellow Cura Romana followers will agree with this?  It’ll be interesting to hear your comments.

On Marriage

Kahlil Gibran

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.

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Desiderata ….

Lavender Field, Vence, Provence ~ Paolo Bigazzi

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

~ Max Ehrmann (1927)

About the Poet/Author

From Wikipedia

Max Ehrmann (September 26, 1872 – September 9, 1945) was an attorney and businessman of Terre Haute, Indiana, best known for his 1927 prose poem “Desiderata” (Latin: “things desired”).

Ehrmann received a degree in English from DePauw University (1894) where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta’s Beta Beta chapter.  Later he studied philosophy and law at Harvard.

He returned to his hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana in 1898 to practice law; he was a deputy state’s attorney in Vigo County, Indiana for two years. Eventually this led him to work in his family’s meatpacking business and in the overalls manufacturing industry. At age 40, Ehrmann left the business to write. At age 54, he wrote Desiderata, which achieved fame only after his death.

Ehrmann was of German descent; both his parents emigrated from Bavaria in the 1840s. Young Ehrmann was educated at the Terre Haute Fourth District School and the German Methodist Church. While at De Pauw (Greencastle, Indiana 1890—1894), he was editor of the school newspaper, Depauw Weekly.   At Harvard about 1896, he was editor of Delta Tau Delta’s national magazine Rainbow. DePauw awarded him a Doctor of Letters honorary degree in about 1937.  Delta Tau Delta elected him to Distinguished Service Chapter, its highest alumni award.

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