"The Prophet" By Kahlil Gibran: On Joy & Sorrow

This audio is a chapter from the book "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran, called "On Joy and Sorrow." The woman asks a prophet to speak what joy and sorrow genuinely mean, and the prophet gives the illuminating answer and shows the connection between them.

Transcript

On joy and sorrow Then a woman said,

Speak to us of joy and sorrow And he answered Your joy is your sorrow unmasked And the self same 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 in 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 door,

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,

I would stand still 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