I would not exchange the sorrows of my heart
For the joys of the multitude.
And I would not have the tears that sadness makes
To flow from my every part turn into laughter.

I would that my life remain a tear and a smile.

A tear to purify my heart and give me understanding
Of life’s secrets and hidden things.
A smile to draw me nigh to the sons of my kind and
To be a symbol of my glorification of the gods.

A tear to unite me with those of broken heart;
A smile to be a sign of my joy in existence.

I would rather that I died in yearning and longing  than that I live weary and despairing.

I want the hunger for love and beauty to be in the
Depths of my spirit,for I have seen those who are
Satisfied the most wretched of people.
I have heard the sigh of those in yearning and longing, and it is sweeter than the sweetest melody.

With evening’s coming the flower folds her petals
And sleeps, embracing her longing.
At morning’s approach she opens her lips to meet
The sun’s kiss.

The life of a flower is longing and fulfilment.
A tear and a smile.

The waters of the sea become vapor and rise and come
Together and are a cloud.

And the cloud floats above the hills and valleys
Until it meets the gentle breeze, then falls weeping
To the fields and joins with brooks and rivers to return to the sea, its home.

The life of clouds is a parting and a meeting.
A tear and a smile.

And so does the spirit become separated from
The greater spirit to move in the world of matter
And pass as a cloud over the mountain of sorrow
And the plains of joy to meet the breeze of death
And return whence it came.

To the ocean of Love and Beauty—-to God.

The speaker expresses a preference for the sorrows of the heart over the superficial joys of the majority. Rather than turning sadness into laughter, the speaker wishes for a life balanced between a tear and a smile.

The tear is seen as a purifying force, providing understanding of life’s secrets and hidden aspects. It serves to unite the speaker with those who have experienced a broken heart. On the other hand, the smile symbolizes connection with fellow humans and glorification of the divine.

The speaker prefers to die yearning for love and beauty than to live in weariness and despair. There’s a desire for a profound hunger for love and beauty within the spirit, as the speaker has observed that those who are most satisfied can be the unhappiest.

The metaphor of a flower’s life is used to illustrate the themes of longing and fulfillment. Just as a flower sleeps in the evening and opens to the sun’s kiss in the morning, life is portrayed as a continuous cycle of longing and fulfillment.

The poem further explores the life cycle of clouds, drawing parallels to the separation and reunion of spirits. The spirit moves through the world of matter, experiencing both sorrow and joy, only to return to its divine origin—symbolized as the ocean of Love and Beauty, or God.

“A Tear And A Smile” invites contemplation on the dual nature of human existence, where sorrow and joy coexist in a balanced and cyclical dance. Gibran employs nature metaphors to convey the profound and eternal aspects of the human spirit’s journey.