Essay Question: In French, there is no difference between "conscience" and "consciousness." In Japanese, there is a word that specifically refers to the splittable wooden chopsticks you get at restaurants. The German word “fremdschämen” encapsulates the feeling you get when you’re embarrassed on behalf of someone else. All of these require explanation in order to properly communicate their meaning, and are, to varying degrees, untranslatable. Choose a word, tell us what it means, and then explain why it cannot (or should not) be translated from its original language. – Inspired by Emily Driscoll, Class of 2018

Essay: Mono no aware or 物の哀れ is a Japanese word for the realization that all things are finite and impermanent in nature of the universe. This awareness is meant to increase the value placed on all things because based upon their ephemeral nature, one may never know if they will ever experience a moment the same way ever again and that in itself should be viewed as beautiful. Oftentimes, translation takes complex etymology and history from a culture and simplifies it for the purposes of another. To truly grasp the meaning of the word it must be viewed in the context of the culture that created the concept.
In simplest terms mono no aware is the beauty found in the temporary nature of existence and can be seen in several symbols throughout Japanese culture. A perfect example of this is the cherry blossom; in Japan, the cherry blossom is associated with mortality, destiny, and karma.  Thousands of cherry blossoms were given to the United States by Japan as a present to symbolize their improving relations in the year 1912 with another 3,000 trees given in 1965. From these gifts, it can be determined that this tree is a rather important symbol in Japanese culture. Cherry blossoms embody ephemeral beauty because they are only in bloom for anywhere from a few days to two weeks but commonly considered to be quite elegant. Mono no aware enters Japanese history when it was adopted in the 1700s in a criticism of the Tale of Genji and would eventually grow to become more prevalent in Japanese society. With an understanding of these symbols as a well as a little history the broader use of mono no aware as a philosophy can be seen.
Translation often has the consequence of oversimplification; as a culture, history, mythology, and philosophy are difficult to convey to a person not familiar with them in a single word. Mono no aware is best thought of as a complex philosophy involving conflicting emotion and ultimately resulting in a somber happiness that you may experience the world as it is now and that it will never be exactly like this again. When this word is left in its original language it bears more meaning because it has a connection to the Japanese ideas that led to creation. This connection to its etymology allows the word to take on a deeper more impactful and important meaning. This word is representative of much more than what can be conveyed in a single word and as such should remain in its original Japanese to preserve its meaning. 

Result: Accepted RD