Flirting in Space

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is one of my all time favorite novels. Its prominent reputation was one of the reasons why I waited out to read the book, so I could properly tackle its intricacies and implications about the human condition. Amusingly, the novel intimidated me before even turning a page. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to understand the world Dostoyevsky had created for me to live in. But Crime and Punishment, as it turned out to be, is one of the most readable novels. It does not try to embellish the language to mask a simple thought. The delivery is direct, and it is effortless. Ironically, this makes the reader be able to dissect the complex nature of ‘the extraordinary man’. In my opinion, it is precisely the ease of the vessel of speech, that lies in the genius of the author.

Sometimes the less complicated we make the language, the more we can inhale the elaborate essence of the plot. The most powerful words are the ones that strike within you without explanation.

After reading Babel by R.F Kuang, I became obsessed with not only the etymologies of words, but also with untranslatable ones. Those, that despite the richness of the English language, cannot be transported as they fail to capture the complete sense of it. It is universally agreed that these words cannot be translated without mutilation of the original feeling.

Impressive, how a single word can resonate more than an entire paragraph. I decided to share of some my favorites:

Yuanfen 缘分 (Chinese)

A multiplex concept that doesn’t have a direct equivalent in the English language. It alludes to a metaphysical force that brings people together, often in the context of destiny and relationships. It’s aligned with predetermination in Chinese culture which dominates encounters and affinities. It combines two characters:

1. 缘 (yuán): This character embodies a “predestined relationship”. It bounds together the idea of fate, chance and serendipity.
2. 分 (fèn): This character signifies “share” or “portion”. It entails the allocation of fate that each individual receives, suggesting that every relationship has a predetermined destiny.

These characters together, bind a mystical and synchronized connection between two people, however recognises that the duration or the outcome is unknown.

Ya’aburnee يَعْبُرْنِي (Arabic)

An incredibly emotional expression that has a rough translation of “you bury me”. It is a declaration of profound hope to die before a loved one because the thought of continuing life without them is unbearable. It is as much of a declaration of love as it is of pain. In all, it emcompasses the beautiful depth of a relationship and the tragedy of the inevitability of death and separation.

Advaita अद्वैत (Sanskrit)

Belief of non-dualism. The word itself is constructed from “a” meaning “not” and “dvaita” meaning “dual” or “two”. Together, this solidifies the idea that reality is inseparable.

A common metaphor used to express Advaita is that of the snake and the rope. In dark lighting, an individual can mistake the rope for a snake, thus being afraid. Although, on further examination they see that it has been a rope all along. The implication here is that we mistake the realm of multiplicity (the snake) for reality. But once we have achieved enlightenment, we see that the everything is interconnected (the rope) and that our previous ignorance is an illusion.

Advaita argues that there is no separation between the self and the universe. For they are both an expression of the same reality.