The Beauty of Death
by Kahlil Gibran
Part Three - The Remains
Unwrap me from this white linen shroud
and clothe me
With leaves of jasmine and lilies;
Take my body from the ivory casket and
let it rest
Upon pillows of orange blossoms.
Lament me not, but sing songs of youth
and joy;
Shed not tears upon me, but sing of harvest
and the winepress;
Utter no sigh of agony, but draw upon
my face with your
Finger the symbol of Love and Joy.
Disturb not the air's tranquility with
chanting and requiems,
But let your hearts sing with me the song
of Eternal Life;
Mourn me not with apparel of black,
But dress in color and rejoice with me;
Talk not of my departure with sighs in
your hearts; close
Your eyes and you will see me with you
forevermore.
Place me upon clusters of leaves and
Carry my upon your friendly shoulders
and
Walk slowly to the deserted forest.
Take me not to the crowded burying ground
lest my slumber
Be disrupted by the rattling of bones
and skulls.
Carry me to the cypress woods and dig
my grave where violets
And poppies grow not in the other's shadow;
Let my grave be deep so that the flood
will not
Carry my bones to the open valley;
Let my grace be wide, so that the twilight
shadows
Will come and sit by me.
Take from me all earthly raiment and place
me deep in my
Mother Earth; and place me with care upon
my mother's breast.
Cover me with soft earth, and let each
handful be mixed
With seeds of jasmine, lilies and myrtle;
and when they
Grow above me, and thrive on my body's
element they will
Breathe the fragrance of my heart into
space;
And reveal even to the sun the secret
of my peace;
And sail with the breeze and comfort the
wayfarer.
Leave me then, friends - leave me and
depart on mute feet,
As the silence walks in the deserted valley;
Leave me to God and disperse yourselves
slowly, as the almond
And apple blossoms disperse under the
vibration of Nissan's breeze.
Go back to the joy of your dwellings and
you will find there
That which Death cannot remove from you
and me.
Leave with place, for what you see here
is far away in meaning
From the earthly world. Leave me. |