On Joy and Sorrow
Kahlil Gibran
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 thar 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.
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This is from Kahlil Gibran's incredible book, "The Prophet". If you haven't read it, then it's a must-read and a must-own. I read it often and just swim around in the beautiful words and imagery.
The sun is shining today, thank God, and I'm going to go outside and soak up some of it while I finish reading my Greg Iles book, "The Devil's Punchbowl". I have my Moonflower, Sunflower, Tomato and Basil seeds planted indoors and will have them ready for planting outside after Good Friday. I'm eagerly awaiting spring, the return of the dragonflies and the hummingbirds and the hot summer sun. It's been much too cold this winter!!
Love & Blessings,
~*~Marion~*~
11 comments:
"Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."
Lovely read. Dappled sun here today. Rather be at your place. Did you ever get my package?
Love you,
annie
Gibran Khalil Gibran, the first love of my life :)
Have you ever read his love letters to May Ziadeh? She was part of the intellectual elite in Lebanon, responsible for making him famous in Paris and America through a series of critical essays on his books... they loved each other but they never met. Not once.
It's been years since I've read "The Prophet" and I'd forgotten how profound it is!!
I have some vegetable seeds I need to get planted inside. I'm determined I'm going to have some yellow tomatoes this year!
Yes! Sunshine two days in a row!!
I love Gibran! Wonderful passage!
The sun shone here today for the first time in months, and I'm amazed at how my mood lifted. Enjoy your sunshine, your book, your plants, and all.
Marion- I wonder if he was able to apply his own wisdom to his own life. I think of Solomon who was said to be the wisest of all men and his words seem right, but in the end, he couldn't walk his own line. is knowing 2+2 =4 enough to make us happy or are we driven to find an answer more suiting to our nature? curious, this-got me thinkin again, Dragonfly
Love you!~gypsy
oh, the truth in the words hold tight. Would it be true the same, waiting in anticipation for spring to come... sorrow when the cold winds come in, joy when the sun rises to great you?
Can't wait for Spring!!! Send some of that sunshine our way :)
"Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy." Holy hell, yes! And more, all of it. The idea of the carving out of us, inside of us, the container being one and each. Shit. I love this. Brace yourself Marion because for me, for cheap me, this is huge. I'm going to buy this book now. I've been intrigued with K. G. since hearing the name in The Frames' song The Red Chorde which is farkin brilliant. This seals it!
xo
erin
hey lady! oh, wow! gibran! what or who could be better! cannot tell you how many many times i've read the prophet or how many copies i've given away - have you read his correspondence to/from his female friend? beautiful!
well, i'm so jealous of your being able to go sit outdoors! it's still way too chilly here [well, for me, anyway] to sit outdoors but i am going out and about in a few minutes and will have my sunroof open but the heater on - the sun is peeking out a bit but being very lethargic about it all!
i'm in the mood for cape jasmine and honeysuckle and azaleas and redbud trees and dogwood in bloom.....
have a glorious day, marion!
Annie! Got the package and it was just what the doctor ordered. You're too precious and kind to me. I love you! Blessings, friend of my heart and soul...
Shaista, isn't he something special? I read the book, "Beloved Prophet: the Love Letters of Kahlil Gibran and Mary Haskell, and her Private Journal" many years ago. I was floored to discover the depth of their love and that it was never consumated physically. Their love was pure spirit, amazingly deep and beyond anything I'd ever read before. I highly recommend the book. Blessings!
Kelly, yes, we read so much, it's easy to forget! Good luck with those yellow 'maters. I can't wait to find out how they taste. Blessings!
Karen, thank you. I did enjoy my sunshine. It lifted my spirits. I shoulda known you're love Gibran, my sister-friend! Blessings!
Rick, see the note above to Shaista. He was one of the few men who lived what he wrote about. He was an extraordinary man, for sure. I love you, too, friend of my heart...Blessings!
Kay, yes Spring is coming and for that I'm so thankful. We've all had such a long, cold, bleak Winter. Blessings!
Gypsy, sending you some of my sunshine and jasmine. I got a jasmine plant for Valentine's day and it's covered in fragrant, tiny white flowers. Blessings, my friend!
Erin, you will treasure this book the rest of your life, I promise you. I gave both of my daughters copies of it and they said it affected them profoundly. Way to go, girl! I so enjoyed hearing your voice reading that poem on your blog. It made my day. Love & Blessings, poet friend of my heart....
"Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed."
I love this book...thanks for posting On Joy and Sorrow. I had forgotten.
I am so envious of you already planting your seeds. It is still too cold here at night, and it could stay that way for quite awhile yet. Which would leave me with skinny seedlings reaching for light, or murdering them if I planted outdoors.
But I was thinking of planting some seeds of mesclun, spinach, and bok choy and pac choi. It looks to be a sunny, warmish day today...guess where I'll be!!!!
"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain." How very true for me!
Loved the tarot picture and the Gibran. Not in love with Greg Iles anymore. I gave up on him. Hope this one is good and let me know if it is worth reading!
quid
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