I would not have thee believe in what I say nor trust in what I do — for my words are naught but thy own thoughts in sound and my deeds thy own hopes in action.
KhalilRead
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love. And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course. Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Love is self-sufficient and cannot be controlled; it guides those who are worthy.
This quote by Khalil Gibran emphasizes the intrinsic, self-sufficient nature of love, asserting that true love cannot be possessed or controlled by anyone. It highlights that love has its own path and desires only to manifest and fulfill itself, suggesting that those who are deemed worthy will find love directing their lives in meaningful ways.
Themes
LoveSelf-SufficientControlWorthyDesire
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could inspire a wedding speech celebrating the power of love.
More from Khalil
All quotes →Some find Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran’s poetry preachy and moralizing, but I find it plenty enlightening—it’s hard to object to the melodic, cosmic of mysticism of a line like ‘That which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into space.’
KhalilRead
I am the infinite sea, and all worlds are but grains of sand upon my shore.
KhalilRead
They say if one understands himself, he understands all people. But I say to you, when one loves people, he learns something about himself.
KhalilRead
The seasons shall tire and the years grow old, ere they exhaust these words: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
KhalilRead
Similar quotes
So the lover must struggle for words.
T. S. EliotRead
Surrendering completely to love, be it human or divine, means giving up everything, including our own well-being or our ability to make decisions. It means loving in the deepest sense of the word. The truth is that we don't want to be saved in the way God has chosen; we want to keep absolute control over our every step, to be fully conscious of our decisions, to be capable of choosing the object of our devotion.
Paulo CoelhoRead
Love transforms, Love heals. But sometimes it lays deadly traps and ends up destroying the person who decided to surrender himself completely.
Paulo CoelhoRead
With your silhouette when the sunlight dims Into your eyes where the moonlight swims, And your match-book songs and your gypsy hymns, Who among them would try to impress you? -Bob Dylan, "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” (1966)
Bob DylanRead
His [Elijah] heart was beginning to give signs of alarm; he was enjoying being at this woman's side. Love could be a more frightening experience than standing before Ahab's soldier with an arrow aimed at his heart; if the arrow had struck him, he would be dead -and the rest was up to God. But if love struck him, he alone would have to take responsibility for the consequences.
Paulo CoelhoRead
They were renewed by love; the heart of each held infinite sources of life for the heart of the other.
Fyodor DostoevskyRead