The Beloved is an exquisite collection of the prose and poetry of Kahlil Gibran, containing his writings on love, marriage and the spiritual union between human souls. Drawing from his own experiences, as well as that of the men and women in the Near East, Gibran explores the bitter pain of arranged marriages and the customs that turned marriage into an economic transaction. He also recounts the eternal joy of God's love. Including 'Word of Love', 'Communion', 'The Bridal Bed' and 'The Beloved', John Walbridge's sensitive translation breathes a new life into these essential writings of one of the world's greatest philosopher-poets.