“On Joy and Sorrow” By Khalil Gibran (Knopf)

抄寫及攝影：林曉晴（崇音樂四）

“On Joy and Sorrow” By Khalil Gibran (Knopf)

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 holds 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 reassure-keeper lifts you to weigh
His gold and his silver, needs must your
Joy or your sorrow rise or fall.