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This is a lovely interpretation of Hiraeth from a ConkerExchange member: Hiraeth is a Welsh word with no English translation. Some have tried to rather lamely translate it as “longing for one’s country”, but it is so much more than that. Perhaps if I describe how I feel about my home country of Wales it will help to define it a little better. I love Wales. It’s my home, it is who I am. I love every inch of it, from the windswept mountains of Snowdonia to the golden sweeping beaches of Pembrokeshire. From the isolation of the hill farms to the roar of the crowd at the Millenium Stadium on match day. I love the stories from the Mabinogion that I re-tell to my children just as they were told to me as a child. I love the language, ancient and musical, yet still spoken daily by thousands of people. I love the traditions, Calennig at New Year, Eisteddfodau on St David’s Day. I love all of these things, but the sum of their parts is far greater than their individual value. Together they make Wales. Wales is in my blood, it is me. I might be any number of other things, but above everything else I am Welsh. That is why I could never live anywhere else. The hiraeth is too strong. if you'd like to comment on this, members can start a thread on the forum, or if you email me, lorena at conkerexchange.net, I can add your comments to this article.
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