Thursday, 27 January 2011 20:20
bel far niente
This is a sweet expression.
Bel far niente means "the beauty of doing nothing".
Bel far niente has always been a cherished Italian ideal. The beauty of doing nothing is the goal of all your work, the final accomplishment for which you are most highly congratulated. The more exquisitely and delightfully you can do nothing, the higher your life's achievement. You don't necessarily need to be rich in order to experience this, either. There's another wonderful Italian expression: l'arte d'arrangiarsi - the art of making something out of nothing. The art of turning a few simple ingredients into a feast, or a few gathered friends into a festival.
Anyone with a talent for happiness can do this, not only the rich.
- Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert -
When I told him about bel far niente, he told me this instead: glýka tou na mi̱n kánoume típota, meaning sweetness of doing nothing. Which in his opinion, could include spending the whole day lazing along the beach, or take a swim in the mediterranean sea, or even take a road trip round the island.
Sounds like heaven to me. I think I could definitely get used to this whole new concept of bel far niente.
xoxo