內容簡介
《先知》一書被譽為東方贈送給西方最好的禮物
一部洗滌無數人心靈的生命之詩
傳奇詩人紀伯倫的代表作品，關於人生的思索與哲理
譯為二十多種文字在世界各地出版，先知一書銷售在美國已超過九百萬冊，紀伯倫也成為繼莎士比亞與老子後第三暢銷的詩人。
《先知》一書，由二十八篇散文詩組成。紀伯侖藉由先知的臨別贈言，論述生活中的種種課題，譬如愛、婚姻、孩子、工作、快樂與悲傷、法律、自由、友誼、善與惡、宗教及死亡，詩意的文字帶有豐富想像力和生動的象徵手法，闡釋深沉的情感和人生真諦。
譬如自由，他說「當你們不再將自由當成目標和成就時，才能得到真正的自由。」論及工作，他說：「勞動不懈，即是對生命最深沉的熱愛。」說到快樂與悲傷：「悲傷在你心頭刻蝕得愈深，你便能容納愈多的歡樂。」對婚姻的看法：「彼此相愛，但不要讓愛成為羈絆。」關於孩子，他說：「你的孩子並不是你的，他們是生命對自己的渴望所衍生的兒女。你是一把弓，孩子猶如活箭，從你那裡射發。」……
這些道理雋永、深刻而且直指人心，當我們為現實人生的困境焦慮或迷惑，渴望獲得些許指引或救贖，先知流水般優美的言語便緩緩引領每個靈魂步向真理國度，不但讓心靈覓得依歸，其中蘊含的哲理也讓我們堅定了信念和勇氣。
《先知》所言完全不帶權威性的教誨，也不屬任何教派或主義，紀伯侖像個慈祥的長者，懷抱著對全人類的熱愛，在你我的身旁殷殷叮囑，它之所以成為一本永恆的經典絕非偶然。自1923年出版以來，《先知》以謙遜深刻的智慧席捲人心造成一股風潮，誠如羅斯福總統所言，它是「從東方吹來橫掃西方的風暴」，文中散發強烈的東方意識也被視為「東方贈給西方的最好禮物」。
人心浮動、社會紛亂的年代，我們亟需真誠、深刻的智慧來安撫、沉澱焦躁不安的靈魂，反省生命的終極價值。紀伯侖以畢生心力撰寫的「心靈小聖經」，即使過了近百年，這些觀念和道理仍能跨越時空、永恆受用。
A hugely influential philosophical work of prose poetry, Kahlil Gibran‘s The Prophet is an inspirational, allegorical guide to living, and this Penguin Modern Classics edition includes an introduction by Robin Waterfield. First published in the 1920‘s, The Prophet is perhaps the most famous work of religious fiction of the twentieth century, and has sold millions of copies in more than twenty languages. Gibran‘s Prophet speaks of many things central to daily life: love, marriage, death, beauty, passion, eating, work and play. The spiritual message he imparts, of finding divinity through love, blends eastern mysticism, religious faith and philosophy with simple advice. The Prophet became the bible of 1960s culture and was credited with founding the New Age movement, yet it still continues to inspire people around the world today. This edition is illustrated with Gibran‘s famous visionary paintings. Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) was a poet, philosopher and artist, who stands among the most important Arabic language authors of the early twentieth century. Born in Lebanon, he spent the last twenty years of his life in the United States, where for many years he was the leader of a Lebansese writing circle in New York. He is the author of numerous volumes, including The Garden of the Prophet, The Storm, The Beloved: Reflections on the Path of the Heart, The Vision, Reflections on the Way of the Soul, and Spirit Brides. If you enjoyed The Prophet, you might like Herman Hesse‘s Siddhartha, also available in Penguin Modern Classics. ‘His work goes on from generation to generation‘ Daily Mail ‘To read it was to transcend ordinary levels of perception, to become aware ... of a more intense level of being‘ Independent
作者介紹
紀伯倫（Kahlil Gibran，1883-1931）
美籍黎巴嫩阿拉伯作家。被稱為「藝術天才」、「黎巴嫩文壇驕子」，是阿拉伯文學的主要奠基人，20世紀阿拉伯新文學道路的開拓者之一。其主要作品有《The Prophet 先知》，蘊含了豐富的社會性和東方精神，不以情節為重，旨在抒發豐富的情感。
Kahlil Gibran was among the most important Arabic language authors of the early twentieth century. Born in 1883 in Lebanon, he spent the last twenty years of his life (to 1931) in the United States. He is the author of numerous volumes, the most famous of which is THE PROHPET, translated into over twenty languages.
