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Kahlil Gibran
Lebanese American artist, poet and writer.
دمعة و ابتسامة
Synopsis
Kahlil Gibran explores the balance between joy and sorrow through a collection of fifty-six short stories, poems, and parables. These pieces look at the human condition and our connection to the natural world. The book includes the author's own artwork to complement his reflections on life and spirituality.
Genres
Frequently asked questions
When was A Tear and a Smile first published, and when did the English translation appear?
Kahlil Gibran first published this collection in Arabic in 1914 as دمعة وابتسامة (Dam'a wa Ibtisama). It was not translated into English until 1950, by H. M. Nahmad, with an introduction by Robert Hillyer.
What kind of book is A Tear and a Smile?
It is a collection of 56 short prose poems, parables, and essays that Gibran had originally published individually in Arabic-language newspapers and magazines, later gathered into one volume. It carries no single plot or cast of characters; instead each piece meditates on themes of love, grief, nature, and spirituality, several set in Gibran's native Lebanon (the Cedars of Lebanon, the Kadeesha Valley, Baalbek and Jbeil are all named).