“Welt” in German is “world.”
A free translation of weltschmerz might be: world weariness, or freer yet, “tired of living”.
In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon expressed something possibly akin to that when he wrote:
Ecc 1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
Ecc 1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Ecc 1:13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
Ecc 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Ecc 1:15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Ecc 1:16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
Ecc 1:17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
Ecc 2:1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.
Ecc 2:2 I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it?
Ecc 2:3 I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.
Ecc 2:4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
Ecc 2:5 I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;
Ecc 2:6 I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared;
Ecc 2:7 I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;
Ecc 2:8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
Ecc 2:9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
Ecc 2:10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor.
Ecc 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
The Scrupture goes on even farther, but you should get the picture. It appears that King Solomon had weltschmerz! Perhaps if he had given himself to blessing OTHERS as much as he had sought what he THOUGHT would bring HIMSELF personal pleasure and satisfaction, he would have actually FOUND what he was seeking; and would never have experienced weltschemrz. IMHO
Behold! One wiser than King Solomon is among the Freepers!