Hello everyone.
Lots of times I see No-Portuguese People asking what Saudade means, and more than often I see someone translating it with the words Longing or Missing... It only gives part of the full picture. "Saudade" indeed contains in it the words longing and missing, but goes way beyond that. I will proceed now to explain why exactly and give you a personal example.
When you long for or miss something or someone it usually means you are able to fulfill that need in some way. for example going abroad an missing your family, your friends, longing for the embrace of your loved ones, next time you travel on vacancies you solve that for a bit. when a close family member dies, leaves it gets much closer to the meaning of «saudade» but still not quite there. Why?
Because if someone you love dies you and everyone around you know what you are feeling, you miss that person and can no longer go there.
saudade is deeper than that. is missing and longing something, some moment or someone that will never return in the same way, will never be the same. Is no one understanding what you are passing, cause they cannot feel it. I will give you two examples. that connect
1. - I Met a guy form Germany who passed 5 years in Amazonia, he came back to europe but once and again he kept repeating he had "saudades" of that period.
2 - My case, in 2013 I was 2 months in India, at that time I didn't understood properly how magic those months would be in my life. The people I met, the places I knew, The context I was in, the specific period. 6 years later, those two months keep repeating in my head, every year that passes even more vividly than before. And now I wish I lived that period in a better way and appreciat what I was living.
What both scenarios have in common, is in both cases, people kept saying to the german guy, «Why don't you go back to Amazonia?» and to Me: «Why don't you go back to India, one day?»
that is what people don't understand. What made that trip to India so magical, was the two colleagues I went with and we became friends after that, was the people that were working at the moment in the same lab as us, people in their PhD's sharing with us, people I met in travels there, went with scholarship from university, everything paid, didn't had to worry about rents and stuff.
I could return to India, but it would only increase my "saudade" even more. Because, I wouldn't go with those two new friends I made that went with me, they are working in other places now. People that we met there, are no longer in India or moved to other main cities. I would have to worry with renting a house and stuff now I didn't had before. My german friend he could return to Brazil, but who says he would find the same context he left when he returns?
Those were moments that passed, even if you could repeat half of the scenario, there would be things changed and noticing those things would increase your longing even more.
But the twist is here, as long as you can repeat those moments in your head, feel them inside you, you won't feel sad of the so famous Portuguese Fado, in fact you will feel energized knowing you lived something magical.
this in history of Portugal also applies, easily. Portugal was always a country directed towards the sea. long before Discoveries or conquests has you may want to call(topic for other thought process) we were a man with fishermen. Man would go to high sea, for months not knowing if they would return, and what would they find when they returned months later, they will totally miss their kids growth, moments no one would deliver back to them. With ocean exploring, sailors would be years apart from the country and their families, they missed, longed, wished for what they would be missing here.
At last, it is connected to Portugal itself, Portugal has unique features, but as times pass, cities and regions are loosing their characteristics, and some people are having "saudades" about the identity lost. In that time you may miss the 80's or 90's in Lisbon, or other city/country. you may miss you birthplace or where you grew. Friends you never saw again. but remember all that makes you smile for a while and gives you strength, it doesn't make you even more sad.
It is hard to explain but I hope I helped you understand a bit more what Saudade is.
I will leave you with a song, that transports the feeling someone who lived in Lisbon feels, and will never find anywhere else, and you bring that hole with you everywhere, but when you hear or see anything reminding you of Lisbon good memories will pop up. the song is called «Esse olhar que era só Teu" translated by That look/glance that was only yours. It personifies Lisbon so well. From a band called Dead Combo. Hope you enjoy. see you soon
When you long for or miss something or someone it usually means you are able to fulfill that need in some way. for example going abroad an missing your family, your friends, longing for the embrace of your loved ones, next time you travel on vacancies you solve that for a bit. when a close family member dies, leaves it gets much closer to the meaning of «saudade» but still not quite there. Why?
Because if someone you love dies you and everyone around you know what you are feeling, you miss that person and can no longer go there.
saudade is deeper than that. is missing and longing something, some moment or someone that will never return in the same way, will never be the same. Is no one understanding what you are passing, cause they cannot feel it. I will give you two examples. that connect
2 - My case, in 2013 I was 2 months in India, at that time I didn't understood properly how magic those months would be in my life. The people I met, the places I knew, The context I was in, the specific period. 6 years later, those two months keep repeating in my head, every year that passes even more vividly than before. And now I wish I lived that period in a better way and appreciat what I was living.
What both scenarios have in common, is in both cases, people kept saying to the german guy, «Why don't you go back to Amazonia?» and to Me: «Why don't you go back to India, one day?»
that is what people don't understand. What made that trip to India so magical, was the two colleagues I went with and we became friends after that, was the people that were working at the moment in the same lab as us, people in their PhD's sharing with us, people I met in travels there, went with scholarship from university, everything paid, didn't had to worry about rents and stuff.
I could return to India, but it would only increase my "saudade" even more. Because, I wouldn't go with those two new friends I made that went with me, they are working in other places now. People that we met there, are no longer in India or moved to other main cities. I would have to worry with renting a house and stuff now I didn't had before. My german friend he could return to Brazil, but who says he would find the same context he left when he returns?
Those were moments that passed, even if you could repeat half of the scenario, there would be things changed and noticing those things would increase your longing even more.
But the twist is here, as long as you can repeat those moments in your head, feel them inside you, you won't feel sad of the so famous Portuguese Fado, in fact you will feel energized knowing you lived something magical.
this in history of Portugal also applies, easily. Portugal was always a country directed towards the sea. long before Discoveries or conquests has you may want to call(topic for other thought process) we were a man with fishermen. Man would go to high sea, for months not knowing if they would return, and what would they find when they returned months later, they will totally miss their kids growth, moments no one would deliver back to them. With ocean exploring, sailors would be years apart from the country and their families, they missed, longed, wished for what they would be missing here.
At last, it is connected to Portugal itself, Portugal has unique features, but as times pass, cities and regions are loosing their characteristics, and some people are having "saudades" about the identity lost. In that time you may miss the 80's or 90's in Lisbon, or other city/country. you may miss you birthplace or where you grew. Friends you never saw again. but remember all that makes you smile for a while and gives you strength, it doesn't make you even more sad.
It is hard to explain but I hope I helped you understand a bit more what Saudade is.
I will leave you with a song, that transports the feeling someone who lived in Lisbon feels, and will never find anywhere else, and you bring that hole with you everywhere, but when you hear or see anything reminding you of Lisbon good memories will pop up. the song is called «Esse olhar que era só Teu" translated by That look/glance that was only yours. It personifies Lisbon so well. From a band called Dead Combo. Hope you enjoy. see you soon
