" THE DANCER "
AUTHOR
Khalil Gibran
BOOK
" WANDERER"
Once there came to the court of the Prince of Birkasha a dancer with her musicians
And she was admitted to the court,
and she danced before the prince
to the music the lute and the flute and the zither.
She danced the dance of flames,
and the dance of swords and spears;
she danced the dance of stars and the dance of space.
And then she danced the dance of flowers in the wind.
After this
she stood before the throne of the prince
and bowed her body before him.
And the prince bade her to come nearer, and he said unto her,
“Beautiful woman,
daughter of grace and delight,
whence comes your art?
And how is it that you command all the elements in your rhythms and your rhymes?”
And the dancer bowed again before the prince, and she answered,
“Mighty and gracious Majesty,
I know not the answer to your questionings.
Only this I know:
The philosopher’s soul dwells in his head,
the poet’s soul
is in the heart;
the singer’s soul lingers about his throat, but the soul of the dancer
abides in all her body.”
