JennyOwen

By JennyOwen

Hiraeth - a new word for me

Almost right next door to our AirBnb house in Menai Bridge was this mural, complete with a blackboard and chalk for passers-by to add their thoughts.
I had never come across the Welsh word Hiraeth before - though I can see that it will be familiar to many Welsh blippers.
I discovered that there's no direct translation, but that it expresses something to do with a longing for something, or somewhere, lost. I found a BBC piece, with this comment:
"It combines elements of homesickness, nostalgia and longing. Interlaced, however, is the subtle acknowledgment of an irretrievable loss – a unique blend of place, time and people that can never be recreated. This unreachable nature adds an element of grief, but somehow it is not entirely unwelcome."
So the word, in its vivid setting, seemed apt for this visit of ours.
The full BBC piece is here, I found it interesting:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210214-the-welsh-word-you-cant-translate

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