Translation of a letter

[Miralda]

Can anybody help me read this letter? Please?

It was written from my great grandfather to my grandmother after she came to Sweden in 1945.
I don't know any estonian but I'm dying to find out what is in the letters he wrote to her.

I don't need a translation word by word, but maybe someone can have a look and give me a summary about what it says?

http://issuu.com/miraldadorbeck/docs/590816

(The link is to an online pdf-document)

[whosol]

It starts with an apology for taking so long to reply to the previous letter. The writer says that they were having some home repairs and that there was no place to write and at all their belongings were scattered around. Mother was doing laundry and some of it was still waiting for ironing. It seems that someone had died in the family recently (someone Herbi). He writes that mother wants to place a tombstone and goes on describing some aspects of it. The third page is entirely about photos taken during and after the funeral. He promises to send some photos when they are ready. In the last page he says that mother has already sold Herbis bike and her own bike and some other things to save money for the tombstone. It ends with the description of his health. He says that he feels well, has a good appetite, only sad that he has no teeth, eyes are also weak and his hearing is getting worse.

[Miralda]

Thank you whosol! It's interesting to know what he says, even though it's mostly every day things he is describing. Herbi was my grandmothers sisters husband. I guess I would have to read all the letters to get a good idea of what their life was like (I have around 50 letters). Maybe I will have to learn estonian...

But is it easy to read the handwriting if you know fluent estonian? Or is it difficult to make out the words?

It starts with an apology for taking so long to reply to the previous letter. The writer says that they were having some home repairs and that there was no place to write and at all their belongings were scattered around. Mother was doing laundry and some of it was still waiting for ironing. It seems that someone had died in the family recently (someone Herbi). He writes that mother wants to place a tombstone and goes on describing some aspects of it. The third page is entirely about photos taken during and after the funeral. He promises to send some photos when they are ready. In the last page he says that mother has already sold Herbis bike and her own bike and some other things to save money for the tombstone. It ends with the description of his health. He says that he feels well, has a good appetite, only sad that he has no teeth, eyes are also weak and his hearing is getting worse.

[whosol]

It depends on the handwriting, some words may be difficult and some words I didn't read out. Another thing is the form of language used. You don't exactly speak or write like that nowadays. It was not all that long ago, but still. Language changes. Or maybe just the person who wrote was elderly and thus the use of language.

You can take the slow and hard way to learn Estonian or you can keep posting your letters here one by one, someone will help (that is if you don't mind publishing them).

[Arvo.Jägel]

I'd attempt to contact with some English Filology student (from Tartu University) and pay a little for translation

[Miralda]

Yes he must have been quite old when he wrote this, so the form of language can be old fashioned compared to todays language. I noticed for example that he writes "w" instead of "v" (I was trying to type some words into google translate and v:s gave me a real word when w:s didn't).

Contacting university students sounds like a good idea! Maybe some students at Tartu even studies Swedish and can translate it directly for me. I wonder what it might cost.. but it would be a lot faster than learning estonian and guessing myself!

In the meantime i might just post a few more letters here once in a while, hoping someone might have a little spare time to describe it. I don't mind publishing it here.

My idea is to scan all the letters and get them translated, then make one of those "photo-books" you can order online with both the estonian letter and the swedish translation. To make sure future generations can understand them as well!

[Miralda]

So here is another one if someone has the time: http://issuu.com/miraldadorbeck/docs/600420

There seems to be a recipe in it that would be interesting to read
I'm guessing its a waffle cake or something?

[whosol]

There is a waffle cake, but no reciepe

I got your last letter 18/4 - 60 together with Jüris photo, modern and beautiful, and forwarded it the same day to Hilja. Mother had requested Hilda to send a package to you for holidays, as she has already done in 6/4 -60 in Tallinn post office. She wrote us about the contents of the package as follows:
1 waffle cake
1 kilo lemon waffles
2 packs of cookies "Tallinn"
1 kilo bulgarian nuts
1 pack of kama flour
2 packs of chocolate buttons
1 chocolate bunny
These are from me and mother to you all, as a holiday gift and from Hilja 2 big chocolate bars.

Mother had an accident on 8 April. She had slipped and fallen down in our home yard and had broken her right arm. It was pretty bad and she was in hospital for 4 days. It needs to be in cast for a month and seven days.
We have difficult times at the moment. The local authorities in Viljandi town banned animal and bird husbandry and now they need to be sold or killed. They also want to take away our chicken barn, since we also have a shed for firewood and it is not allowed to have more. It is sad, but there is nothing to do, we have to obey to authoroties.

Hilja said she hadn't yet had a chance to write to Leida for different reasons, but she had promised to start writing again and send some of my 88 years birthday pictures.

How is your health you all. Has Leida already seen doctors for her problems. Mother has to stop her treatments for her eyes and electric treatment for legs for the time. We'll see when her arm is healed and nature comes to life, then maybe we'll get some new strength and beauty in our days.

Best regards tou you all,
Parents

(I left out some sentences)

[Miralda]

Thank you for the great translation whosol! My father also says thank you to the kind person who translated the letter so well.
He was very happy to understand more of how the family was doing back in Viljandi. And says he remember the chocolate bunny from when he was 10 years old!

Ah, so no family recipe then! But still fun to know what they sent to eachother. Tallinn cookies, do they still exist?

[Miralda]

Also I wonder why Viljandi authorities would ban having animals and birds.. and also firewood?
It must have been bad to be without such things in the countryside!

Would these letters have been read and censored on their way over to Sweden do you think?

[Miralda]

I have another letter here I'm curious about. It is back in 1959 again before Herbie died, and it is written by my grandmothers sister Hilja,
and the second part by Peeter, their father. (Hilja has a little prettier handwriting I think).
Maybe someone has the time and interest to explain what it says?

http://issuu.com/miraldadorbeck/docs/590419