Alone

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.

The sad earth must borrow its mirth,
For it nearly staggers under its own troubles.
Sing, and the hills echo back your melodies;
Sigh, and your sighs vanish into the air.
The echoes travel
In the train of merry tunes,
But they shrink away, fleeing
From mournful strains.

Rejoice, and men seek you out;
Grieve, and they draw away from you,
For they would gladly share your joys,
While they have no need of your sorrows.
Be glad, and your friends multiply;

Be sad, and you lose them all.
There is no one who refuses
To drink the nectar of your wine,
But you alone
Must drain life's bitterness.

Hold feasts, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world turns away from you.
Succeed, and that helps you to live,
But no one comes near you
When you lie on your deathbed.

The halls of pleasure are thronged,
Frequented by the notables and the great of the people,
But we must enter them one after another
Through the narrow paths of pain...