''Broken Wings'' ( ar, الأجنحة المتكسرة, translit=al-ajniḥa al-mutakassira) is a poetic novel written in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

Kahlil Gibran Gibran Khalil Gibran ( ar, جُبْرَان خَلِيل جُبْرَان, , , or , ; January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran (pronounced ), was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist ...

and first published in 1912 by the printing house of the periodical ''

Meraat-ul-Gharb ''Meraat-ul-Gharb'' ( ar, مرآة الغرب, translit=mirʾāt al-ġarb, translation=Mirror of the West) is an Arabic-language newspaper founded and published in New York City by Najeeb Diab in 1899. By 1911, it was considered "the best Arabic n ...

'' in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It is a tale of tragic love, set at the turn of the 20th century in

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

. A young woman, Selma Karamy, is betrothed to a prominent religious man's nephew. The protagonist (a young man that Gibran perhaps modeled after himself) falls in love with this woman. They begin to meet in secret, however they are discovered, and Selma is forbidden to leave her house, breaking their hopes and hearts. The book highlights many of the social issues of the time in the

Eastern Mediterranean Eastern Mediterranean is a loose definition of the eastern approximate half, or third, of the Mediterranean Sea, often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It typically embraces all of that sea's coastal zones, referring to communi ...

, including religious corruption, the rights of women (and lack thereof), and the weighing up of wealth and happiness. The book was later adapted as the 1962 Lebanese film ''

The Broken Wings ''The Broken Wings'' is a 1962 film adaptation of the 1912 novel by Khalil Gibran. The film, directed by Youssef Maalouf, faithfully follows its source material in the bittersweet story of a young man's doomed love for a beautiful girl, who is f ...

''. In 2018 Nadim Naaman and

Dana Al Fardan Dana Al Fardan (born 29 July 1985), is a self-taught Qatari composer and songwriter. Born and raised in Doha, al Fardan is known for being the first female Qatari contemporary composer, singer and songwriter, for being Qatar’s first female to si ...

adapted the book as their musical ''Broken Wings''. The world premiere was staged in London's

Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...

Summary

In his novel, Gibran talked about his first love story, and the extent of its impact on his life, so Faris Karama asked him to visit him at his home to tell him more about his past with his father, and to introduce him to his daughter. The writer visited Mr. Karama, and there he met his daughter Salma, and his relationship with Mr. Karama was strong. He loved her from the first sight and became a frequent visitor. He was getting to know more about Salma and increasing his love and attachment to her. Bishop invited Mr. Fares to talk to him about an important matter, which forced him to go on the same night, and this was an opportunity the writer used to confess his love for Salma, who shared the same feeling. When Mr. Fares returned from his meeting with the bishop, he informed Salma about his decision to marry the bishop's nephew, Mansour Bey, who was known for his greed for Salma and her father's property. Mansour Bey married Salma against her will, and months and seasons passed. After this incident, the writer and Salma began to meet once a month in a small temple far from her home, potentially in the

Beqaa Valley The Beqaa Valley ( ar, links=no, وادي البقاع, ', Lebanese ), also transliterated as Bekaa, Biqâ, and Becaa and known in classical antiquity as Coele-Syria, is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon. It is Lebanon's most important ...

. In the fifth year of Salma and Mansour Bey's marriage, Salma became pregnant with a child. After giving birth, she and her child died.

Popular culture

* The song " Broken Wings", a US No. 1 and worldwide Top 10 hit for the band

Mr. Mister Mr. Mister was an American rock band from Phoenix, Arizona, active from 1982 until 1990. The band consisted of Richard Page (musician), Richard Page on lead vocals and bass guitar, Steve George (keyboardist), Steve George on keyboards/backing v ...

, was inspired by the novel.Broken Wings
@ Songfacts.com

References

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External links

1912 American novels American novels adapted into films Books by Kahlil Gibran {{1910s-novel-stub