TRANSLATION WITH TRANSLATOR'S COMMENTS
General notes:
The letter consists of two pages and there is no signature at the end. I’m not sure if there will be a continuation, or perhaps a page is missing?
(PAGE 1)
Pithiviers, January 22, 1942
Beloved Pola and Beloved Jacqueline!
You are probably surprised that for a few days I haven’t written a letter to you, Darling. I didn’t have a good opportunity, so I am writing to you today.
Sweet Polcia! I received your letter, which you sent with the electrician [?], together with 2 kilos of bread tickets, for which I thank you very much. [He calls his wife Polcia here instead of Pola – it’s a more endearing form. As for the letter carrier – he described this person as elektrysjanka, which might be the polonized version of French electricienne – female electrician. I’m not sure, though, I need to check with Agnieszka. Finally, he also uses the word tykiety – again, a polonized/ phonetic version of the French ticket, as we have no such word in Polish.]
I know, Dear Pola, that you want to have letters from me and longer ones, and I have written very little to you recently. Darling, forgive me for these recent short letters, the reason was that I didn’t have time. Imagine that I got up in the morning, went to work, came for lunch amd right after I was done eating, I went back, and in the evening I returned from work after 6. One is tired, one goes to sleep early, so this was the only reason that I wrote such short letters, and, secondly, I was expecting to see you very soon.
[Leon uses an impersonal form in the last sentence – “one is tired”, instead of “I was tired”.]
You wanted to know about work conditions: I started at 8:30 through 11:30, and after lunch 1:30 through 6. The factory pais 6 francs per hour, but the administration subtracted the cost of food, so I worked 10 days and I netted 290 francs, so about 30 francs a day.
See how lucky I am that I worked such long hours. How happy I was that I will be able to help you, Darling, and out Jacqueline, because I know what situation you are, my Beloved ones.
Believe me, Darling, there is not a single moment that I would not be thinking how you are managing, to be able to provide food for the child, for the few francs you are receiving from the allocation.
[Leon used the word elokacjon, which is not a Polish one. It looks much like the phonetic version allocation, which does exist in French but I wasn’t able to find any information how it worked during the war. I need to check with Agnieszka.]
Now it is so cold – here up to 18 below zero and you, Darling, are home alone with such a small child. [I suspect he is using the Celsius scale – 18C would be around 0F.] Let me know if you have already used up the small coal we had at home. Do you take coal monthly for Jacqueline? Try to get the certificate, so you get more coal.
[He writes sertifikat, which looks like the phonetic version of French certificat – perhaps there was some special allotment for coal and possibly other goods for small children? Just an idea.]
Don’t think about me, Darling, you know we are adults and we can survive, but take good care of yourself so you don’t get sick
(PAGE 2)
and watch out and also make sure Jacqueline doesn’t uncover herself at night. I am very glad that you are putting warm bottles by Jacqueline’s legs so she keeps war, and that you are doing the same, my Darling. Write me, my Beloved, why you are having such difficult nights and you can’t sleep. I can’t sleep, either, my Polcia, because all the time I think about you, my Dear ones.
You write that you will be happy when we see each other. You would certainly be here this week already, but what can we do, it didn’t work out. When it gets a little warmer I will go out to work again.
[I’m not sure about the connection between Leon going out to work and P & L seeing each other – is it possible that they were able to do it when he was working somewhere outside? But earlier he wrote about a factory… so I don’t know.
The next section about the gloves is quite mysterious, and each sentence just adds to the confusion. There is one word that could be French and spelled phonetically but I can’t think what it might be. MAYBE the gloves are at a pawnshop, awaiting a buyer???But the dictionary doesn’t suport this hypothesis. I will translate as best I can and consult with Agnieszka.]
Will you be able to get a deal regarding the gloves. As far as I can see, the gloves aren’t working at all, because they are on curesy and they aren’t buying, either, and you, Darling, have no money. I think you will still sell them, because it’s colder now.
You wrote me that the tooth you got fixed fell out, as soon as you have money, get it done again because you have to have it.
Beloved Polcia! You write that there is little enthusiasm for the photo of our delightful Jacqueline, the reason was, as you write yourself, little time. Believe me, my Darling, that I never forget to look at the photo every day, together with yours, and I can’t believe that the little one I left has grown so beautifully. I look at the photos of you and the child and I see no resemblance, but I totally see my mother in her. Am I right?
I am very sad that I can’t hold her and play with her together with you. But you know that we live with the hope that all this will end soon, and we will play together with our pretty and delightful Jacqueline. Write me a lot about her. You told me that she shows you that she wants the doll from szmira and she falls asleep with her.
[Another mystery – szmira. It means something cheap, of no value, kitschy, and doesn’t quite fit the context. The word originates from German, so I thought it might have come into the letter through Yiddish, but the German meaning doesn’t fit, either.
However, there is a Polish word tandeta, which also means cheap, kitchy things – and in addition can refer to a store with used/second hand goods. So maybe Leon mixed up szmira with tandeta, and really meant that the doll came from a second hand store?]
How could one not miss a child like this, when she already says “mama” and caresses your face, Darling? You are right, my Pola, that one has to feel all her facial expressions and her growing up, but what can we do, the fate decided that I should be far away from my child and we cannot enjoy the child’s feelings [? word not legible.] together. Be of good cheer that all this will end as soon as possible and we will be together again.