The poem personifies rain and describes its journey from the sea to the sky to the earth. The rain is said to be like divine silver threads dropped from heaven by the gods. It quenches the thirst of the dry earth and cures the ailments of the clouds. Rain emerges from the sea, rises with the breeze, and falls gently on the earth to embrace the flowers, trees, and fields. Both the arrival and departure of rain are announced by the sounds of thunder and rainbow.
2. ABOUT THE POET
KAHLIL GIBRAN was a LebaneseAmerican artist, poet, and writer. Born
in the town of Bsharri in modernday Lebanon, as a young man he
immigrated with his family to the United
States, where he studied art and began
his literary career. in Lebanon, he is
still celebrated as a literary hero. He is
chiefly known in the English-speaking
world for his 1923 book The Prophet .
Gibran is the third best-selling poet of
all time,
behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu.
3. About the SONG OF RAINS
Song Of The Rain was included in
the famous book Tears And Laughter by
the U.S- Arabic- Lebanese poet Kahlil
Gibran who wrote it in free verse. It is
written in the form of the Rain herself
singing her song as she comes down.
Rain is beautifully personified here. A
concise summary is available at the
related link and the song which has since
been slightly edited and recast in the
true poetic form to facilitate singing and
easier understanding is available.
4. Famous quote by Khalil Gibran
If you love somebody, let
them go, for if they return,
they were always yours. And
if they don't, they never
were.
- Khalil Gibran
The teacher who is
indeed wise does not
bid you to enter the
house of his wisdom
but rather leads you to
the threshold of your
mind.
6. I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
The rain is divine. It falls from the sky it appears
to be like silver threads. It calls itself silver
threads as it connects heaven and earth. It is
dropped by the god . As it drops down on
the earth it spreads all over the fields and
valleys. It suggests that the rain is life giving.
7. When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated.
When the rain falls the hills are cheerful because the rain
gives life. The word cry here suggests that it rains heavily
on hills. The echo of the rain sounds like the laughter of the
hills. The rain humbles means that it falls moderately i.e.
neither heavy nor low. As a result the flowers feel happy.
Everything that bestows on nature seems to be happy. The
rain bows means that it falls low and gives immense joy to
everything on the earth. The rain is the source of rejuvenation
and renewal.
8. The field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of
mercy.
I quench the thirst of one;
I cure the ailment of the other.
The field refers to earth and the clouds refer to
the heaven. The rain as a messenger between
the two tries to connect them as it is divine. It
quenches the thirst of , of course the earth. For
earth is dry, it needs water as water is an elixir
of life. Therefore the clouds burst resulting in
rainfall and the clouds are relieved. The rain is
trying to suggest that both the earth and
heaven need each other and they both depend
on rain.
9. The voice of thunder declares my arrival;
The rainbow announces my departure.
I am like earthly life, which begins at
The feet of the mad elements and ends
Under the upraised wings of death.
The rain falls accompanied by thundering. Its sound
appears as if it announces the arrival of rain. Soon
after the rain falls the beautiful rainbow appears in
the sky as if it is informing the earth about the
departure of the rain.The rain is as short lived as is
the mans life on earth. It comes and
goes just as the man is born and he dies. Both the rain
and the earthly life are similar as both of them are
born out of elements of nature and they both meet
their death.
10. I emerge from the heart of the sea
Soar with the breeze. When I see a field in
Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways.
The poet has described the rain here in a
scientific way. The water evaporates from the
sea to the great heights of the sky and the water
vapors accumulate in the clouds. These fall
down on the earth in the form of rain droplets.
Thus rain falls in millions of droplets , It falls in
different forms i.e.. snow, hail etc. It refreshes
the trees, adds to more the plants, helps in their
healthy growth and waters them.
11. I touch gently at the
windows with my
Soft fingers, and my
announcement is a
The rain falls gently and its sound Welcome song. All can
is a proclamation of its arrival
hear, but only
on the earth. At the same time
The sensitive can
its sound echoes which makes
understand
the rain feel that it is being
welcomed. Every one hears the
sound of rain but those who
are sensitive really recognize
its significance. They
understand how important
rain is for earth.
12. I am the sigh of the sea; The laughter
of the field;
The tears of heaven.
The water evaporating from the sea has
been referred as the sigh of the sea.
When the rain falls on the earth it
spreads joy as it is a blessing particularly
for the farmers in the field. So the
laughter is referred to happiness due to
rain. The rain drops falling on the earth
are referred as tears of the sky as they fall
from the sky.
13. So with love Sighs from the deep sea of affection; Laughter from the colorful
field of the spirit; Tears from the endless heaven of memories.
The poet highlights qualities of the rain. The rain is the sigh
of the sea when the water vapours rise from the sea into the
sky. It spreads the laughter through the colourful fields. It
means that rejuvenation takes place due to the rain. The crops
which are the spirit of the field flourish. Therefore the fields
appear to the poet as if they are laughing. The rain drops fall
like tears from the heaven to the earth and give new life to it.
The rain bridges a link between the earth and heaven.