“Even in laughter the heart is sad”: This saying has been interpreted by some as meaning that in spite of laughter and joy the basic nature of people is characterized by sadness and grief. The Revised Standard Version translation seems to support this. However, such an outlook is contrary to the attitude expressed in Proverbs and throughout the Old Testament generally. The Revised Standard Version translation expresses the imperfect mood of the verb as “is sad”. However, as Whybray states, the imperfect form of the verb means “aches” or “is in pain” expressed as a potential condition or possibility and should be rendered, for example, “there may be pain,” or as Good News Translation says “may hide sadness.” The meaning of this line is then that a person may laugh and still be sad, or even in laughter there may be sadness.

Not all languages use “the heart” as the center of emotions and in some cases it is appropriate to say, for example, “When you laugh your stomach may be complaining” or “Your laughter may only cover up your sick liver.”

“And the end of joy is grief”: In this line the Hebrew has “its end,” which is not shown in the Revised Standard Version footnotes. This is thought to be a scribal mistake in which “its end” is wrongly copied from line 2 of verse 12. “Joy”, meaning “happiness,” is parallel to “laughter”, while “grief”, another word for sorrow, parallels “sad” in line 1. Revised English Bible translates the whole verse by saying “Even in laughter the heart can ache, and mirth may end in sorrow.” Good News Translation “sorrow is always there” seems to express a more pessimistic view than the text supports.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .