In a world where events race forward and identities are sometimes lost, words drawn from the depths of thought and spirit remain the most impactful and lasting. This message, penned by Gibran Khalil Gibran and found in an old magazine, embodies a profound philosophy on the resilience and renewal of peoples. When I read these words, I felt the hidden strength within Gibran’s words, a strength that continues to inspire us today as it did generations before. This is an invitation to reflect on our history, on the power that manifests through our vulnerability, and on our breaking that carries seeds of triumph.
I am republishing this message today, not merely to immortalize Gibran’s words, but to remind ourselves that we are part of a nation that refuses to break, that no matter the hardships we face, we still carry within our spirits an unyielding determination and an undying hope.
In a lost message that was recently found and published in an old Arab magazine, Gibran Khalil Gibran answered a question directed to him, summarized as: “Who are you?” Gibran responded:
“We are a nation that dies but never dies, a nation that has died a thousand times yet did not perish and will die a thousand more and still remain alive. We are peoples that appear defeated and submissive on the surface, but in essence, remain triumphant. We are strong in our weakness, victorious in our defeat. We are those who feed on our hearts as nourishment, and drink our tears as wine, yet we do not bend our necks, nor do we turn our faces away from the stars.
We are a riddle that time has not solved and will remain unsolved. We are a door whose keys are lost and will remain a closed door, hiding behind it the secrets of ancient times and those yet to come. We mourn, and within our mourning is the whisper of life, while others rejoice, and within their celebrations is the sigh of death. We are a cry that pierces the ether’s sheath, whereas others are noise that disturbs the air and distresses the streets and alleys.
We are an ancient song, echoed by memory every morning and every evening, whereas others are mere noise in an abyss, words falling into emptiness. We are a mountain, steadfast and unmovable, while others are shadows that come with the darkness and fade with its passing.
We are a powerful nation in our weakness, dignified in our modesty speaking in silence and giving while
in want. We are the lamb in the forest, while our enemy looks down upon us from on high, then descends to seize us in his claws and savors the taste of our flesh, yet he cannot swallow us and will never be able to.
We dwell at the crossroads, and every conqueror who has passed by has planted swords in our gardens and spears in our fields, believing they would bear laurels with which to crown himself, but they bear only thorns and briars.
You say we are poor and needy. Yes, we are poor because we have not learned the art of theft, deceit, conquest, and plunder, so we have only ever harvested what we have sown, and worn only what we have woven. We are people who smile at those who laugh with us, but we do not laugh with them. We welcome our guests and the delegations sent to us, yet we quickly return to our own ways once they depart.
We are a people with soft skin and smoothness, but our bones are as dense as the veins of oak. We are a people who dress for each circumstance, but our hearts remain safe from the waves of change, and our souls remain in the presence of God.”
