Researchers Glen Kalem and Francesco Medici have discovered that the Lebanese writer and poet Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, long believed to have been translated into roughly 40-60 languages, has in fact been translated into 104 original first editions in different languages and dialects, making it one of the top ten most translated books of all time and making Gibran one of the most translated poets in the world. This exciting discovery follows years of meticulous research, both online and in person, by Kalem and Medici, who have documented their search and its results in Kalem’s article, “The Prophet, translated” (available, along with the full list of translations, on
Of the discovery, Kalem says, “We always knew Gibran's readership was larger than estimated. As one of a few active researchers on Gibran’s life and work for the last 20 years, I am thrilled to announce our research has uncovered that The Prophet can be read in over 100 languages and dialects. In remembering how profoundly The Prophet influenced my own life and work, it is deeply touching to be able to share the full extent of Gibran’s impact on different generations and cultures around the world.”
