Words That Carry a World Within Them

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Kintsukuroi: broken pottery repaired with gold, made more beautiful by its fractures

I had received a New Year greeting with the word Vorfreude. This German word is unique and has no exact English equivalent.

It comes from the words vor ("before") and Freude ("joy") and means something along the lines of "joyful anticipation." Germans mostly associate Vorfreude with the feeling of anticipation before Christmas and New Year.

Every language has its own flavour, shaped by the culture of its people. As a result, there are terms or expressions that are unique to it and do not easily lend themselves to equivalent English translations. Sometimes, when one wants to express an emotion at a deeper level, certain languages already have a ready word for it, a word that may be rooted in the ethos and culture of that society.

In this sense, the Japanese come to mind, especially with the importance they give to striking a balance within themselves and with Nature and the Universe.

Here are some examples:

Yugen: A profound and mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe, and the sad beauty of human suffering.

Mono no aware: A heightened appreciation of the beauty of things, accompanied by a gentle sadness when they pass away, since nothing lasts forever.

Wabi-Sabi: Finding beauty within the imperfections of life and peacefully accepting the natural cycle of growth and decay.

Ukiyo: Literally "the floating world", referring to living in the moment and remaining detached from life's worries.

Ikigai: A reason for being; the thing that gets you up in the morning.

Komorebi: The sunlight that filters through the leaves of a tree.

...and my favourite

Kintsukuroi: The art of repairing pottery with gold or silver, joining the broken pieces and recognising that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken.

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