joerookery
Well-known member
Can anyone translate this into English or German? I cannot even read it. I know he is a French Chasseur d'Afrique c. 1909
ps1842 by joerookery, on Flickr
ps1842 by joerookery, on Flickr
French speakers unite!
- Thread starter joerookery
- Start date
joerookery
Well-known member
RON
Well-known member
Hey Joe,
Nice photo!
His handwriting is hard to read indeed but this looks like your regular New Year's wishes only with some sort of rhyme [highlighted in red below] which had him invert the 2 parts of the sentence :
OBVERSE:
"Bien à vous"= all the best to you
REVERSE:
"365 jours de bonheur ['je'= 'I' is missing] vous souhaite de tout mon coeur [+ what looks like 'cf.'= 'confer' which in French means more like 'see' or 'refer to'] ci-contre [+ what looks like his name that I can't read followed by his signature]"
=
365 days of happiness I wish you with all my heart
See shown-against [or refer to the other side]
Nice photo!
His handwriting is hard to read indeed but this looks like your regular New Year's wishes only with some sort of rhyme [highlighted in red below] which had him invert the 2 parts of the sentence :
OBVERSE:
"Bien à vous"= all the best to you
REVERSE:
"365 jours de bonheur ['je'= 'I' is missing] vous souhaite de tout mon coeur [+ what looks like 'cf.'= 'confer' which in French means more like 'see' or 'refer to'] ci-contre [+ what looks like his name that I can't read followed by his signature]"
=
365 days of happiness I wish you with all my heart
See shown-against [or refer to the other side]
RON
Well-known member
There you go Joe, Bruno nailed what I wasn't able to read... (one bad old-fashioned handwriting & style!!)
So here's the final copy with the accents:
"Bien à vous"= all the best to you (as truly yours usually translates to "sincèrement vôtre")
"365 jours de bonheur vous souhaite de tout son coeur le ci-contre dénommé"= 365 days of happiness wishes you with all his heart the [person] named herein/herewith
So here's the final copy with the accents:
"Bien à vous"= all the best to you (as truly yours usually translates to "sincèrement vôtre")
"365 jours de bonheur vous souhaite de tout son coeur le ci-contre dénommé"= 365 days of happiness wishes you with all his heart the [person] named herein/herewith
joerookery
Well-known member
Thank you very much gentlemen! I am entirely useless when it comes to that language. I am far too lazy to learn. And too old. I can offer nothing in exchange except for a picture of another Frenchman that was sold at SOS to a homeless vagabond. I felt sorry for him and sold it cheap–he smelled so bad and then started kissing Gus. I don't think he spoke French either.
ps1803 by joerookery, on Flickr
ps1803 by joerookery, on Flickr
bank says I only have 3 more payments to pay off that card 
Pierre Grande Guerre
New member
:bravo:
RON
Well-known member
I heard this homeless vagabond was also into kinderhelms and antique military-style ink wells?
You might wanna check this one James: http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWI-German-Spiked-Helmet-INK-WELL-Yes-its-true-Awesome-actually-/130660521575" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
You might wanna check this one James: http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWI-German-Spiked-Helmet-INK-WELL-Yes-its-true-Awesome-actually-/130660521575" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
joerookery
Well-known member
ps1835 by joerookery, on Flickr
Does this guy not look like the bandleader in the musical "music man"? Robert Preston I think--French Chasseur a Cheval c. 1900
76 trombones make a big parade with 110 cornets right behind!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODu888i14-I" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
joerookery
Well-known member
Good luck translating this one–any help appreciated!
ps1985 by joerookery, on Flickr
ps1985a by joerookery, on Flickr
ps1985 by joerookery, on Flickr
ps1985a by joerookery, on Flickr
RON
Well-known member
Hey Joe! It seems this card wasn't mailed as the stamp wasn't cancelled and there's no address. Maybe it was mailed inside an envelope?
Anyway, here's the handwriting deciphering first:
OBVERSE: Mon brigadier
REVERSE:
28 octobre 1910
Chers parents,
Je vais aller vous voir mardi jour de la Toussaint. Je prendrai le train de 8H15 (?) à Paris lundi soir. Papa ou ?? seront sans doute au Hessis (?). Je pensais avoir 48 heures mais il n’y a rien a [should be ‘à’] faire il n’y a que trois permissions de 24H par peloton aussi je m’en contente et me trouve encore bien heureux d’être du nombre. Julien vous ?? donné de mes nouvelles aussi je m’en ?? puisque je vous en donnerez [should be ‘donnerai’] bientôt de vive voix.
TOP LEFT CORNER:
Votre fils et frère qui vous embrasse tous
André
TOP CENTER (under date):
Looks like an incomplete P.S.: Vous direz à M. le Curé qu’il ne compte pas sur moi...
Which would translate into something like:
OBVERSE: My brigadier
REVERSE:
October 28, 1910
Dear Parents,
I'm going to see you Tuesday All Saints Day. I'll take the 8:15 train (?) in Paris on Monday night. Dad or ?? are likely to be at Hessis (?). I thought I had 48 hours but there is nothing to do there are only three 24hr. permissions per platoon/squad, so I'm happy about it and glad to be among these. Julien ?? for I will give you of my news soon in person.
Your son and brother who embraces you all
André
[P.S.] You will tell the parish priest not to count on me...
Anyway, here's the handwriting deciphering first:
OBVERSE: Mon brigadier
REVERSE:
28 octobre 1910
Chers parents,
Je vais aller vous voir mardi jour de la Toussaint. Je prendrai le train de 8H15 (?) à Paris lundi soir. Papa ou ?? seront sans doute au Hessis (?). Je pensais avoir 48 heures mais il n’y a rien a [should be ‘à’] faire il n’y a que trois permissions de 24H par peloton aussi je m’en contente et me trouve encore bien heureux d’être du nombre. Julien vous ?? donné de mes nouvelles aussi je m’en ?? puisque je vous en donnerez [should be ‘donnerai’] bientôt de vive voix.
TOP LEFT CORNER:
Votre fils et frère qui vous embrasse tous
André
TOP CENTER (under date):
Looks like an incomplete P.S.: Vous direz à M. le Curé qu’il ne compte pas sur moi...
Which would translate into something like:
OBVERSE: My brigadier
REVERSE:
October 28, 1910
Dear Parents,
I'm going to see you Tuesday All Saints Day. I'll take the 8:15 train (?) in Paris on Monday night. Dad or ?? are likely to be at Hessis (?). I thought I had 48 hours but there is nothing to do there are only three 24hr. permissions per platoon/squad, so I'm happy about it and glad to be among these. Julien ?? for I will give you of my news soon in person.
Your son and brother who embraces you all
André
[P.S.] You will tell the parish priest not to count on me...
joerookery
Well-known member
Thank you that was pretty darn amazing.
Ronny has magistrally deciphered this obscure writing!
Just a very minor change:
"...Papa ou Tata seront sans doute au Plessis..."
"...Dad or Auntie will be probably at Plessis..." (Plessis is a common geographic location name, which you can find in France in Plessis-Trevise, Plessis-Robinson, Plessis-Tison...)
On the picture itself, a hand written arrow points to "Mon brigadier" (which in the cavalry would translate "My corporal" I think- not absolutely sure this is the matching grade though).
Bruno
Just a very minor change:
"...Papa ou Tata seront sans doute au Plessis..."
"...Dad or Auntie will be probably at Plessis..." (Plessis is a common geographic location name, which you can find in France in Plessis-Trevise, Plessis-Robinson, Plessis-Tison...)
On the picture itself, a hand written arrow points to "Mon brigadier" (which in the cavalry would translate "My corporal" I think- not absolutely sure this is the matching grade though).
Bruno
RON
Well-known member
Looks like we're almost there Bruno! :thumb up:
We still need to figure-out that P.S., if P.S. it is: That line under the date ("Vous direz à M. le Curé qu’il ne compte pas sur moi...") which seems to float coming out of nowhere... And also the couple of missing words in the bottom sentence starting with "Julien"...
We still need to figure-out that P.S., if P.S. it is: That line under the date ("Vous direz à M. le Curé qu’il ne compte pas sur moi...") which seems to float coming out of nowhere... And also the couple of missing words in the bottom sentence starting with "Julien"...
I think I got it Ron:
"Julien vous avait donne de mes nouvelles aussi je m'arrete puisque je vous en donnerai bientot de vive voix"
"Julien had given you some news from me, therefore I will stop here since I will give you (more) soon from my own voice"
Without knowing the context it is of course impossible to know what he meant by "Vous direz a Mr le cure qu'il ne compte pas sur moi". Since he is visiting his family for All Saint's Day the priest may have been counting on him for some holy mass-related service or help... We must remember that at that time clergymen were much closer to families than they are nowadays. They could be close friends, confidants, and played a key role in the social life of the village/town...
Bruno
"Julien vous avait donne de mes nouvelles aussi je m'arrete puisque je vous en donnerai bientot de vive voix"
"Julien had given you some news from me, therefore I will stop here since I will give you (more) soon from my own voice"
Without knowing the context it is of course impossible to know what he meant by "Vous direz a Mr le cure qu'il ne compte pas sur moi". Since he is visiting his family for All Saint's Day the priest may have been counting on him for some holy mass-related service or help... We must remember that at that time clergymen were much closer to families than they are nowadays. They could be close friends, confidants, and played a key role in the social life of the village/town...
Bruno