What is 'Saudade'?

Did already heard that word? `Saudade`? What is `Saudade`?
Well, first of all, saudade is a portuguese word, its a noun for a feeling. Many people say only the portuguese language named that feeling. I don`t know if its true since I can`t speak all languages in the world. Though I`m pretty sure english don`t have such word.

Saudade is a good feeling, but also a bad feeling. You feel saudade when you like someone, or something, or someplace and you are deeply missing what you like, you are far away from who or what you love. It`s good, because you only can feel saudade when you love something, when you are linked to who, or what you love.

However, saudade sometime can be cruel. You feel yourself powerless. You can`t reach who or what you love. It`s not uncommon people feeling depressed when they feel a strong `saudade`.

In fact, in Brazil`s history many african slaves died of `saudades`of their lands and friends in Africa. That extremely case they called `Bantu`. That`s an African word. Dying of a feeling. Poetic but real. Probally, that`s the reason why brazilians suffering from a strong `saudade` say: "Estou morrendo de saudades" translating: "I am dying of saudades".

When we feel saudade?

When we are far from our country, far from our family, far from our friends, etc. When, for some reason, we can`t be in touch with who we really like or love. When we miss our own food, our own way of life, our culture.

Maybe you don`t have a word similar to `saudade` in your language, but even if you don`t have such word, I`m sure you know that feeling.

And how about you? Here in Canada, do you have `saudade` of something?



by Caio Mileto