The astronomer
Kahlil Gibran’s short story “The Astronomer” was first published in the January 1917 edition of “The Seven Arts” and included in his collection of parables and poems “The Madman”, published the following year.
Gibran Khalil Gibran was born on 6 January 1883 in Bsharri, Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, Syria, Ottoman Empire (modern-day Lebanon), and he died on 10 April 1931 in New York City, US, at the age of 48.Gibran was a writer, poet and visual artist, also considered a philosopher although he himself rejected the title. He is best known as the author of “The Prophet”, which was first published in the United States in 1923 and has since become one of the best-selling books of all time, having been translated into more than 100 languages.
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In the shadow of the temple my friend and I saw a blind man sitting alone. And my friend said, “Behold the wisest man of our land.”
Then I left my friend and approached the blind man and greeted him. And we conversed.
After a while I said, “Forgive my question; but since when has thou been blind?”
“From my birth,” he answered.
Said I, “And what path of wisdom followest thou?”
Said he, “I am an astronomer.”
Then he placed his hand upon his breast saying, “I watch all these suns and moons and stars.”