An anonymous jointed wooden dancer extends its arms and lifts one knee, balanced on a brass central pivot above a shallow circular wooden stage inset with a brass ring on pale grey and lilac ground.

Original artwork, not a still

The Belly Dancer (poem)

Khalil Gibran

The soul of the philosopher lies wake in their head The soul of the poet soars in their heart The soul of the singer vibrates in their throat. But the soul of the dancer lives in all of their body.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The lines assign different forms of expression to the philosopher, poet and singer before making dance an activity of the whole body. The contrast imagines the soul through those expressions rather than locating it as an anatomical fact. Readable archived wording remains without attribution certification.

Context reviewed

Share this quote