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 on your bed.

-Kahlil Gibran (1923)