Poemusart of the Day

Beauty That Gives: A Nymph's Wisdom

Music by Luna Maris · Poem by Kahlil Gibran · Art by Layla Al-Hadid

The Poem

Before The Throne Of Beauty Xxvi Poem by Kahlil Gibran

One heavy day I ran away from the grim face of society and the dizzying clamor of the city and directed my weary step to the spacious alley. I pursued the beckoning course of the rivulet and the musical sounds of the birds until I reached a lonely spot where the flowing branches of the trees prevented the sun from touching the earth. I stood there, and it was entertaining to my soul - my thirsty soul who had seen naught but the mirage of life instead of its sweetness. A Nymph of the Jungle appeared to me, saying, 'I am the symbol of nature! I am the ever virgin your forefathers worshipped.' She spoke: 'My life is sustained by the world of beauty which you will see where ever you rest your eyes, and this beauty is nature itself.' I said, 'Beauty is a terrible power!' She retorted, 'Human beings fear all things, even yourselves.' Then she answered my deepest question: 'Beauty is that which attracts your soul, and that which loves to give and not to receive. When you meet Beauty, you feel that the hands deep within your inner self are stretched forth to bring her into the domain of your heart. It is the magnificence combined of sorrow and joy; it is the Unseen which you see, and the Vague which you understand, and the Mute which you hear.'

About the Poem

In Kahlil Gibran’s “Before The Throne Of Beauty Xxvi,” a speaker flees the oppressive noise of society and city life, seeking solace in a secluded natural alley where sunlight is filtered by dense branches. There, his parched soul encounters a Nymph of the Jungle, who embodies nature itself and the eternal beauty worshipped by ancestors. The mood shifts from weary escape to profound spiritual dialogue, as the nymph challenges human fear and defines beauty as a force that attracts the soul, gives without receiving, and merges sorrow with joy. She speaks of beauty as the unseen seen, the vague understood, and the mute heard—a terrible, magnetic power that humans instinctively dread yet crave. The stakes involve the speaker’s thirst for life’s sweetness beyond mere mirages, and the poem ultimately explores the tension between humanity’s fear of beauty and its deep, redemptive longing for connection with the natural world.

About the Music

Subaqueous Stillness by Luna Maris

Luna Maris offers a profound journey into tranquility with Subaqueous Stillness, an ambient neo-classical piece that evokes the sensation of drifting through a calm, light-filled underwater world. Composed at a slow largo tempo, the track layers soft, resonant piano notes with a deep, languid cello melody, creating a foundation of gentle melancholy and serene acceptance. Ethereal synth pads wash over these organic elements like currents, while subtle, watery soundscapes add textural depth, suggesting the muffled quiet of a deep-sea immersion. The overall mood is one of healing submersion and rhythmic peace, recalling the introspective minimalism of composers like Max Richter or Jóhann Jóhannsson. This instrumental piece is perfectly suited for meditation, deep focus, or moments of restorative stillness, offering listeners a sonic sanctuary where time seems to slow and the weight of the surface world gently dissolves into the depths.

About the Art

The Nymph's Revelation by Layla Al-Hadid

Layla Al-Hadid’s *The Nymph’s Revelation* is a luminous Symbolist oil painting that captures a dreamlike encounter in a secluded jungle clearing. The composition places the nymph on the right third of the canvas, seated gracefully on emerald grass, her face turned toward the viewer as if sharing a secret. Dappled golden-hour light filters through dense foliage, casting dramatic shafts of light and deep shadows across the scene. Al-Hadid employs a rich palette of jewel tones—emerald greens, deep golds, earthy browns—accented by poppy red and the nymph’s flowing golden hair. Expressive, visible brushstrokes give the surface a tactile, luminous quality, evoking the mystical atmosphere of artists like Gustave Moreau. A small rivulet in the background adds depth, while the interplay of light and shadow heightens the allegorical mood, inviting contemplation of nature, revelation, and the divine feminine.

Experience the full Poemusart →