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Khalil Gibran’s Prose-Poem on Joy. And Sorrow.
September 17, 2026
Do you remember seeing the following piece on joy and sorrow in the book, The Prophet? That was the first alternative spiritual material that made it’s way to me…when I was 15, I think I’ve mentioned this before here. You likely have read and enjoyed the book along your path too.
I’ve chosen to share it today because I’m always fascinated by cultures that more readily accept the states that westerners—especially perhaps western spiritual people—judge and/or are trying to escape, such as despair, grief, sadness, or in this case, sorrow.
It’s quite Persian to see sorrow as simply part of being alive, rather than a reason for leaving. But in our culture—and certainly my own inner culture—we’re always waiting for these to get over and done with so we can get back to the good stuff.
It’s always seemed to me our preference or determination around being consistently “up” is at least slightly addictive. I even think it might correlate to our tendency to consume all our resources—personal or otherwise—and to having as our prominent diseases ones, such as cancer, that consume the host. This constant appetite for being “on” and being “up” doesn’t strike me as a natural rhythm and I think life certainly reveals that to us.
However, I readily admit that I don’t find it easy to sit still for sadness nor to be patient with feeling down, nor very accepting of sorrow. In my head I totally get that these are all important parts of living, of being here… that they are necessary for the development of our own humanity. But I find places in me—being so western bred—that are absolutely unwilling to accept this.
In those place I want to believe that life doesn’t need to have struggle in it or difficulty. I feel responsible if it does, or if things don’t feel good. I always seem to carry at least a smidge of inner conflict about that. And sometimes it’s more than a smidge of that resistance. But perhaps the latent resistance helps me not to wallow too long or may keep me from sinking into self-pity, which is such a downward spiral toward lasting depression.
But here, Khalil Gibran beautifully brings the ups and the downs, the lights and the darks of life together in peaceful harmony. Reading it always soothes this conflict in me. It is so true, for instance, that if a broken heart is my particular sorrow, it is love that has been my joy. And if companionship is my joy, then it is death with it’s various partings that will become my sorrow. Things are not linear nor are they even a spectrum, they are always a whole, as he points out.
To your day, and to your many joys and sorrows,
XO Mayet
PS—He was also an artist and the illustration today is one of his drawings, titled “Vision”.
On Joy and Sorrow
By Khalil 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 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.
Mystics Mayet and Stewart Pearce explore - and sink into - the Stillness in unexpected ways.