The Bible tells us that "those who sow in tears sing as they reap" (Psalm 126).
This was true for the Jews as they returned to Jerusalem after their prolonged exile in Babylonia. However, more recent history has shown us that there can be occasions where those who sow in song shed tears as they reap.
This was the case for the hapless Yukio Hatoyama as he bade a tearful farewell to his eight months of premiership. Tears of joy were much in evidence when Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan finally became the party of government last year.