More help with translation

Having problems with the Italian language? Do you need help to translate or understand an old family document? There is always someone who can help you!
Post Reply
User avatar
DAT1957
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: 26 Oct 2010, 23:43
Location: Fresno, California

More help with translation

Post by DAT1957 »

Following is the link to five letters written over the years to my grandfather and uncle from a relative in Italy. The second and third pages are copies of a paper that was folded in half, similar to a card, and written on front and back. I'm not sure of the page order. (I assume the right side of the first page is page 1, and the left is page 4?) Again, thank you for all of your help!

Debbie

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8729/letters.pdf
User avatar
ForzaItaliaPgh
Elite
Elite
Posts: 363
Joined: 02 Jul 2010, 18:35

Re: More help with translation

Post by ForzaItaliaPgh »

My dears,

I send you best wishes for a merry x-mas and a happy new year, I hope your health is great. I am well enough, aside from the pains of the season, here it is winter and very cold.I wish to send you greetings to the family, to Anita, Doroty. Many wishes from my son Francesco and family.

Greetings,

Alboria Leva Curini

PS Dear Albert wants to know the name of your wife.
Researching BARONTINI family from Tuscany
User avatar
liviomoreno
Master
Master
Posts: 7031
Joined: 13 Feb 2004, 00:00
Location: Rome, Italy
Contact:

Re: More help with translation

Post by liviomoreno »

ForzaItaliaPgh wrote:
Alboria Leva Curini

PS Dear Albert wants to know the name of your wife.
Maria Leva Curini

PS Dear Albert, let me know the name of your wife.
User avatar
liviomoreno
Master
Master
Posts: 7031
Joined: 13 Feb 2004, 00:00
Location: Rome, Italy
Contact:

Re: More help with translation

Post by liviomoreno »

Last letter (page 6 of the PDF file)

Novara, Feb 25 1988
Dear Albert and dear ....? (I could not understand the name)
Thanks for the mas greetings that you sent to me. You must forgive me if I was late in writing back but I had many difficulties to have your letter translated; if you are going to send further news, please use a typewriter so that my granddaughter will be able to translate more easily.
I'm glad that your health is good and that you are in pension. My health is rather good, on September 6 I will be 80 years old. My son Francesco will be 50 in August and my daughter-in-law Angela was 50 on February 21, my granddaughter Sonia will be 24 on April 18, she is also employed in a bank (cassa di risparmio delle provincie lombarde) since one year and she is single.
I am the last of three siblings, my sister Antonietta died in 1968 and my brother Natale on April 18 1982. I'm glad to know that also Doroty and Anita are well and please give all my best to Anita for her marriage.
I take the opportunity to send you my best wishes for Easter and I promise that in my next letter I will enclose a picture of my family.
I was touched to read that I am still in your heart and you are in my heart.
As you can see this letter is typed to help with the translation, please type also you.
Please greet Anita, Doroty and their husbands and children, With this I leave you with the promise of another letter.

Many greetings and kisses from all my family
Maria Leva Curini

P.S. I'm sending you the address of my son
User avatar
liviomoreno
Master
Master
Posts: 7031
Joined: 13 Feb 2004, 00:00
Location: Rome, Italy
Contact:

Re: More help with translation

Post by liviomoreno »

Letter on page 4 of the PDF file (hand-written)

Novara, Dec 22 1953
already two year ago I wrote to the American Consulate to get your news. They answered that you were still living in the same town and I wrote to you but I had no answer. I don't if this happened because the address was unclear or if the letter went lost. Now I'm really eager to receive your news and will appreciate if you answer to this short letter.
Here in Italy, we have never forgotten you even if many years have passed. The memory of you is all alive, many things are gone and many relatives passed away and we also are getting on in years.
In the hope that you are all well we wish you a merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Greetings from your nephews and nieces Maria, Natale and Antonietta and greetings from our children
User avatar
liviomoreno
Master
Master
Posts: 7031
Joined: 13 Feb 2004, 00:00
Location: Rome, Italy
Contact:

Re: More help with translation

Post by liviomoreno »

Letter on page 5
Novara Sept 11 1978
Dear Albert, your letter made me very happy. You are telling me, in your letter, that on Nov 22 1953 I wrote to your father Giacomo [James?], this is true but I wrote three other times to your mother Elena who responded, even better, the last time she sent some postcards of Fresno. I learned about your father death from one of your mother's letters and I was very sorry. Another sad news was the death of your mother and your brother. I am sorry that when I had your letter translated in Italian the name of your wife was not understood. I am glad that you are in good health that you work hard and you have a job with many responsibilities. Sad that you had not the joy of having a child but luckily I see that you have many nephews: children of your brother and of your sisters Anita and Doroty. I have only one child, Francesco, 48, married with a 14 years old daughter named Sonia; my daughter-in-law is 40 and her name is Angela. My son and her wife are hospital attendants and they work at the Ospedale Maggiore of Novara. My niece Sonia is beginning her 1st year in a commercial school.
My husband Angelo died in 1966. My health is great, considering that I am in my 70s. I still have a brother, Natale, 74 years old and single. My sister Antonietta died 10 years ago when she was 66; she had 4 children: three males, Mario, Giancarlo, Adriano and a daughter, Beatrice; they are all married with kids. Dear Albert I was very touched to read in your letter that you love me. I also love you with my heart and I would like to meet you personally, but unfortunately a great distance separates us. I would appreciate if your next letter is typed, like this one that my granddaughter Sonia typed for me. This will help the translation. During this new school year my granddaughter will study English, and with the help of a dictionary she will be able to translate your new letters. Since it is difficult that we meet personally I would like if you send a picture of yours. Many greeting also from my so, my daughter in law and my granddaughter. Greetings also from my brother
Maria Leva Curini
User avatar
DAT1957
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: 26 Oct 2010, 23:43
Location: Fresno, California

Re: More help with translation

Post by DAT1957 »

Thank you so much, Livio. It is wonderful to be able to have more of a sense of my grandfather's family. He died at the age of 86 when I was 11. We have much more information on my grandmother's side of the family, and very little of his. I am grateful for any little bit of information that I can find.

Has anyone had any luck with the second and third pages? I know it is more confusing due to the way it was folded. If it helps, I will copy each page separately and upload it again.

Thanks to all!

Debbie
User avatar
liviomoreno
Master
Master
Posts: 7031
Joined: 13 Feb 2004, 00:00
Location: Rome, Italy
Contact:

Re: More help with translation

Post by liviomoreno »

The letter on Page 2-3 of yor file is folded like a booklet, and therefore it is correct that side one of the sheet contains page 1 on the right and page 4 on the left. The back of the sheet contains page 2 on the left side and page 3 on the right... The letter is from Camillo Sessa to Giacomo.

Page 1
Nibbia Aug 20 1924
Dearest Giacomo and family,
I don't know for how many years we had non news about you and two days ago your letter arrived. You cannot imagine the joy and the happiness that we all felt to learn your new news. We couldn't have a bigger joy than that. I hear that your health is good and the same is true for your wife and your children and as of now we also are in good health. I wish it was true what you are promising? That is
Page 2
that some day we will meet again. When will this day arrive? I wish it was Tomorrow! I don't know how to explain what I, and all the family would tdo when you arrive. We haven't seen you for so many years that we almost forgot your physiognomy and even more you wife that we really desire to meet and your dear children and we were very pleased to receive their picture and we also would like to receive a picture of you and your wife, you said that you will send it to me.
Page 3
I am not telling you how we live here in Nibbia because I believe that the cousin Giuseppe has told you everything. My dear Giacomo we were very sorry when Giuseppe left. For us it was a huge pain. After 7 months with us in Nibbia, after 20 years of absence arrived the moment to be again together and maybe he has told you how he sent his time in Nibbia.
Me and some of my friends, although they never met him before, became very acquainted, it's difficult to describe, as if we were all brothers, also because of the wonderful goodness and nature of Giuseppe
Page 4
In short, almost every evening we got drunk. We ate a lot of salami, our own production, that Giuseppe really liked, and when you will be here with us we'll do the same. Well, I'm not saying anything else, I just recommend that you write often so that we have news about you and your family. Now I wish you good luck in your business, that Giuseppe explained to us. Greetings, Dear Giacomo and greetings to your wife and kisses to your dear children.
With the hope to see you soon I wish you good health and prosperity. Your Cousin Sessa Camillo.
Greetings from everybody in the family - Giovannino Angelo e Teresa - and from all our kids - Cesare - Battista
Bottom of Page 1
Francesca e Maddalena . We all hug you and we would like to have you all with us.
User avatar
DAT1957
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 10
Joined: 26 Oct 2010, 23:43
Location: Fresno, California

Re: More help with translation

Post by DAT1957 »

Thank you so much, Livio. I knew Giuseppe had returned to Italy that year , as I was able to find his passport application and the passenger manifest for 1924. My grandfather never returned to Italy as he told Camillo he would. By that time, he had three small children and a dairy to run. My mother came along 10 years later, when her siblings were 19, 17, and 12.

I've been told that Giacomo and Giuseppe came to the U.S. together. After reading Camillo's reference to "absence of 20 years", they must have arrived in 1904. That information is very helpful, as I never knew when they came here and haven't been able to find their documentation.

I told my mother about the translations yesterday, and we hope to find the few people here in California that might be able to fill in some of the blanks. Giuseppe's daughter is hopefully still living in the San Francisco area, so my next mission is to find her. Mom regrets not asking more questions many years ago, but she had also 4 children to raise and a husband travelling for work.

My heartfelt thanks, Livio. My mother will be so grateful to you as well.

Ciao,
Debbie
Post Reply