I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires.
Thus with my lips have I denounced you, while my heart, bleeding within me, called you tender names. It was love lashed by its own self that spoke. It was pride half slain that fluttered in the dust. It was my hunger for your love that raged from the housetop, while my own love, kneeling in silence, prayed your forgiveness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the deep struggle between love and pride, showcasing inner turmoil and longing for forgiveness.
In this poignant quote by Khalil Gibran, the speaker reveals the conflict between outward expressions of disdain and the deep, unspoken love that lies beneath. It illustrates how pride can often mask true feelings, leading to a painful internal struggle, where the desire for connection and forgiveness battles against emotions of hurt and shame. This duality emphasizes the complexity of love and the sacrifices it may demand, ultimately conveying a message about the importance of humility and vulnerability in relationships.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared at a wedding to reflect on the complexities of love and forgiveness in relationships.
More from Khalil Gibran
All quotes →Be patient, for it is from doubt that knowledge is born.
Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.
God made Truth with many doors to welcome every believer who knocks on them.
Happiness is a vine that takes root and grows within the heart, never outside it.
Solitude has soft, silky hands, but with strong fingers it grasps the heart and makes it ache with sorrow.
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So they loved as love in twain Had the essence but in one; Two distinct, divisions none.
If you abide in the love of Christ, rooted in the faith, you will encounter, even amid setbacks and suffering, the source of true happiness and joy. Faith does not run counter to your highest ideals; on the contrary, it elevates and perfects those ideals. Dear young people, do not be satisfied with anything less than Truth and Love, do not be content with anything less than Christ.
Well, I can't describe her exactly-except to say that she was beautiful. She was-tremendously alive.
Love yourself first and everything falls into line.
In the dime stores and bus stations People talk of situations Read books, repeat quotations Draw conclusions on the wall Some speak of the future My love she speaks softly She knows there’s no success like failure And that failure’s no success at all -Bob Dylan, “Love Minus Zero / No Limit” (1965)
It means much to have loved, to have been happy, to have laid my hand on the living Garden, even for a day.