Joy And Sorrow Chapter Viii Poem by Kahlil Gibran

Joy And Sorrow Chapter Viii

Rating: 3.0


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.

Joy And Sorrow Chapter Viii
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Charity Nduhiu 12 August 2015

I like the way you have flamed your words. Nice write

16 16 Reply
Bisy Untan 05 November 2016

A humble bow to the philosopher poet.

11 10 Reply
* Sunprincess * 10 August 2015

...very nice, beautiful metaphors of joy and sorrow ★

9 10 Reply
Jaime Mackey 18 March 2013

Wow, beautiful. That is all I can say about this poem. The man is a philosopher, a deep thinker, that with imagery relays his messages to others easing their burdens with the soft tones of his words and style, with accepting life, the good and bad as it comes, as inevitable and both for the greater good.

7 8 Reply
Daphne Grant 20 February 2007

Very true I think. beside every joy as in love: if love were to flee, the lies the sorrow, of wanting that, that could not be, .

4 3 Reply
Dr Dillip K Swain 30 November 2022

I have never read such a wonderful poem. We must accept both of them as the opposite facets of the coin of life.

0 0 Reply
xX_beaneater67_Xx 17 October 2019

Poems are bad.........

1 5 Reply

Then a woman said, " Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."

1 3 Reply

and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.. so nicely done

0 1 Reply
Kshirod Kumar Dehury 04 December 2017

i like this poem, i enjoy in your poem thanks for sharing.10+++

12 3 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Close
Error Success