Then a woman said, “Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.”
And he answered:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
(Khalil Gibran)
More Poetry from Khalil Gibran:
Khalil Gibran Poems based on Topics: Truth, Joy & Excitement, Sadness, Woman, Silver- The Farewell (Khalil Gibran Poems)
- The Coming Of The Ship Chapter I (Khalil Gibran Poems)
- A Visit From Wisdom (Khalil Gibran Poems)
- Love Chapter II (Khalil Gibran Poems)
- Chapter 9 - The Seven Selves (Khalil Gibran Poems)
- My Friend (Khalil Gibran Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Sadness Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Woman Poems, Truth Poems, Silver PoemsBased on Keywords: sorrowful, knives, lute, oven, verily, soothes, selfsame, oftentimes, carves, hollowed, inseparable
- The Vision Of Piers Plowman - Part 14 (William Langland Poems)
- Trivia ; or, the Art of Walking the Streets of London : Book III (John Gay Poems)
- Hermann And Dorothea - IX. Urania (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Poems)
- Christ's Triumph after Death : Canto IV. Christ's Victory and Triumph (Giles Fletcher Jr Poems)
- Childhood (Henry Kirke White Poems)