Gibran Stories Omnibus

don't we take this heavy yoke off our
shoulders and break the chains tied to our feet, and walk freely toward
peace? Get up and let us leave this small temple for God's great
temple. Let us leave this country and all its slavery and ignorance for
another country far away and unreached by the hands of the thieves. Let
us go to the coast under the cover of night and catch a boat that will
take us across the oceans, where we can find a new life full of
happiness and understanding. Do not hesitate, Selma for these minutes
are more precious to us than the crowns of kings and more sublime than
the thrones of angels. Let us follow the column of light that leads us
from this arid desert into the green fields where flowers and aromatic
plants grow.”
      She shook her head and gazed at something invisible on the ceiling
of the temple; a sorrowful smile appeared on her lips; then she said,
“No, no my beloved. Heaven placed in my hand a cup, full of vinegar and
gall; I forced myself to drink it in order to know the full bitterness
at the bottom until nothing was left save a few drops, which I shall
drink patiently. I am not worthy of a new life of love and peace; I am
not strong enough for life's pleasure and sweetness, because a bird
with broken wings cannot fly in the spacious sky. The eyes that are
accustomed to the dim light of a candle are not strong enough to stare
at the sun. Do not talk to me of happiness; its memory makes me suffer.
Mention not peace to me; its shadow frightens me; but look at me and I
will show you the holy torch which Heaven has lighted in the ashes of
my heart —you know that I love you as a mother loves her only child,
and Love only taught me to protect you even from myself. It is Love,
purified with fire, that stops me from following you to the farthest
land. Love kills my desires so that you may live freely and virtuously.
Limited love asks for possession of the beloved, but the unlimited asks
only for itself. Love that comes between the naiveté and awakening of
youth satisfies itself with possessing, and grows with embraces. But
Love which is born in the firmament's lap and has descended with the
night's secrets is not contended with anything but Eternity and
immortality; it does not stand reverently before anything except deity.
      When I knew that the Bishop wanted to stop me from leaving his
nephew's house and to take my only pleasure away from me, I stood
before the window of my room and looked toward the sea, thinking of the
vast countries beyond it and the real freedom and personal independence
which can be found there. I felt that I was living close to you,
surrounded by the shadow of your spirit, submerged in the ocean of your
affection. But all these thoughts which illuminate a woman's heart and
make her rebel against old customs and live in the shadow of freedom
and justice, made me believe that I am weak and that our love is
limited and feeble, unable to stand before the sun's face. I cried like
a king whose kingdom and treasure have been usurped, but immediately I
saw your face through my tears and your eyes gazing at me and I
remembered what you said to me once (Come, Selma, come and let us be
strong towers before the tempest. Let us stand like brave soldiers
before the enemy and face his weapons. If we are killed, we shall die
as martyrs; and if we win, we shall live as heroes. Braving obstacles
and hardships is nobler than retreat to tranquillity.) These words, my
beloved, you uttered when the wings of death were hovering around my
father's bed; I remembered them yesterday when the wings of despair
were hovering above my head. I strengthened myself and felt, while in
the darkness of my prison, some sort of precious freedom easing our
difficulties and diminishing our sorrows. I found out that our love was
as deep as the ocean and as high as the stars and as spacious as the
sky. I came here to see you, and in my weak spirit there is a new
strength, and this strength is the ability to sacrifice a great thing
in order to obtain a greater one; it is the sacrifice of my happiness
so that you may remain virtuous and honourable in the eyes of the
people and be far away from their treachery and persecution.
      In the past, when I came to this place I felt as if heavy chains
were pulling down on me, but today I came here with a new determination
that laughs at the shackles and shortens the way. I used