There might not be a single word to translate hiraeth into English, but ‘longing for a person or place’ would do pretty well…
gwenanr
3 years ago
Hiraeth is, indeed, a wonderful word and concept, but I’ll take issue with the overstated (‘always’ and ‘permanent’) assertion that ‘The Celts have always suffered from a permanent state of acute homesickness when away from family, friends and the land we will always call ‘home’.’ This might be true of some people (of whatever ethnicity/nationality), but surely you see that there are differences within any demographic group, and stereotyping is rarely useful!
Tony Nunn
3 years ago
Thank you for the explanation. I had wondered what hiraeth means (having only encountered it in “We’ll keep a welcome”, where it’s presumably used because there is no equivalent English word).
davidedryd2
3 years ago
I get a tear to my eye listening to Welsh chapel hymns. When I hear the organ intro and those voices singing it makes me homesick.
7882 fremic
3 years ago
This characterizing of the Welsh fits right into the terrible joke which was in the Daily Mail comments in a Wales patriotism article.
An American hears a couple large women talking at the table next to his and intrigued asks ‘I hear your accent, are you ladies from Scotland?’ The nearest woman turns in anger and says ‘Wales you fool, Wales!’ The American replies, ‘My apologies, are you Whales from Scotland?’
You are better off than the English.
They are not even allowed to voice such opinions.
There is an accurate translation of hiraeth, but not into English. Hiraeth is well-known to the Portuguese as “saudade”.
There might not be a single word to translate hiraeth into English, but ‘longing for a person or place’ would do pretty well…
Hiraeth is, indeed, a wonderful word and concept, but I’ll take issue with the overstated (‘always’ and ‘permanent’) assertion that
‘The Celts have always suffered from a permanent state of acute
homesickness when away from family, friends and the land we will always
call ‘home’.’ This might be true of some people (of whatever ethnicity/nationality), but surely you see that there are differences within any demographic group, and stereotyping is rarely useful!
Thank you for the explanation. I had wondered what hiraeth means (having only encountered it in “We’ll keep a welcome”, where it’s presumably used because there is no equivalent English word).
I get a tear to my eye listening to Welsh chapel hymns. When I hear the organ intro and those voices singing it makes me homesick.
This characterizing of the Welsh fits right into the terrible joke which was in the Daily Mail comments in a Wales patriotism article.
An American hears a couple large women talking at the table next to his and intrigued asks ‘I hear your accent, are you ladies from Scotland?’ The nearest woman turns in anger and says ‘Wales you fool, Wales!’ The American replies, ‘My apologies, are you Whales from Scotland?’