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In yesterday’s post, we saw a gift that Helene’s cousin Hilda gave to Harry in 1944. Today, in addition to a birthday letter from Helene to her son Harry, we have her birthday “gift” to Hilda sent 24 years earlier.
Clipper #64
Vienna, 20, December 1940
My most beloved little Harry boy!
Your birthday coming up is the second which you have no longer been able to celebrate with us and because of that, you haven’t had to put up with me breaking into hugs and kisses and such. But you’re not protected from the fact that you’re going to get a tirade of words sent to you. I have developed a special practice for the 13th of January. On this day and considering also the 10 hour time difference, I am not going to speak to anybody outside the family except the mailman. My thoughts will be like projectiles being sent to you, and even if you don’t get all of them I bet some of them will reach you. What do time and place mean to people who are used to living in the 4th dimension? The first birthday wish will be from me and will go to school with you, unless this day is perhaps an American national holiday and therefore you don’t have school. I will be there at the table at your birthday party and I will be happy with you that you exist in this world. You have every reason to be happy. The whole world is open to you. For the time being it’s actually quite nice to live in this world, especially when you are 17 years old. The downward spiral doesn’t start until a whole lot later. It would be precocious of me to speak about that because I personally still feel quite far away from it and Papa thinks much the same way as I do, or I think like he does, which is the same thing. Days like the 13th of January or the 5th of May [Eva’s birthday] are milestones which are worth hanging around and enjoying for a while. If you look back in the past on these days, the future looks quite rosy and you think maybe that you will get over the lost present time.
This winter is quite strict and is teaching us that black diamonds are as useful to the human being as white diamonds. A month ago, we thought there would be an end to the winter, just like the summer. Unfortunately, winter has a better memory or it’s more attuned to its duties. Be that as it may, it’s there and I find it pretty unpleasant myself. I find runny noses, even when they’re frozen, quite unaesthetic and men whose beards have turned into stalactites are very unpleasant to me, even more so than the mountain sprites of my childhood. In the winter months in your absence, I turn into a harem housewife. Papa brings me everything as much as he can get and brings it home to me. The wish to go for a walk at this time of year has never been that strong to me and I really don’t have other interests which might justify going outside. The best place for me to think about you without being disturbed is home and I can spend hours and hours at that, many more than you would ever think. When Papa goes out about 3pm and gets home about 6 I greet him with “oh, there you are again” because usually either I am sitting at the typewriter and writing to you or I’m reading your letters again in order to know what you did last year at about this time. Time goes by so fast when I do this that the day is over in the twinkling of an eye but then it’s always a long time for me to be waiting for the mail to show up.
The type of attention I like to pay to various people I try to take care of before the holidays are over so that I have the sense of holidays but not so much of Christmas. I will let the Lord God give me credit for those I did not get to celebrate and I will celebrate someday all the birthdays and holidays that I did not get to celebrate with you as long as heaven allows this to happen for me. Those will be months and months of delight, the likes of which you’ve never seen.
For today my dear Ha-He-Hi-Ho Hu-Harry kisses and I wish you so much joy, as much as your sweet little feet can even carry. Think on your birthday about us and keep us in your thoughts and love.
I am hugging you.
HelenI’m going to write to Everl separately on Tuesday and I send her a thousand kisses.
Vienna, 20. Dec. 1940
[In English:]
Dear Hilda!
I remember once you wrote to Harry that your birthday is either 12 or 13 January too. Therefore, accept my best wishes for that. Spend this day especially gay and happy and not a sad thought may disturb your pleasure. Enjoy your life as profoundly as you can. It is a pity for every day you don’t do it. I hope you have a good temperament and laughing is easier for you than weeping. Unable to give you a little birthday gift, I give you the second musical lesson (Melody Harry will instruct you) in German.
[In German - sayings to help the German learner learn certain sounds:]
A a a
Winter is here.
I can’t hear or see.
Winter has begun.
A a aWinter is here.
E e e
I drink hot tea.
I drink it morning, noon, and night.
But I don’t have any sugar.
E e e
I drink hot tea.I i i
What kind of a beast am I!
Coughing, flu, and influenza,
I cannot throw them out the window. [rhyming Influenza/Fensta]
I i i
What kind of a beast am I!O o o
How raw is Vitali [‘s throat]!
He’s taking quinine and aspirin,
but otherwise you will go.
O o o
How raw is Vitali!U u u
I am wearing lined shoes.
Having a slim ankle, what does that matter today?
It’s only an obsession for plutocratic people.
U u u
I wear such big shoes.Au au au [Ow, ow, ow]
I can hardly see out of my eyes.
Vitali is coughing and is hoarse,
but I just can’t continue
Au au au
I can hardly see out of my eyes.Ei ei ei
That too will be over soon.
Who will save this brain from bacteria?
You think to yourself, for God’s sake.
Ei ei ei
That too will be over soon.Eu eu eu
Oh, how happy I am about winter!
Beards become stalactites.
With Aryans, as well as with Semites.
Eu eu eu.
I am so happy about the winter!This is for you for your birthday and I know it’s rather cynical. But still, my wishes are sincere and I mean them well.
[In English:]
Excuse me.
I suppose that my letter comes with lateness and your birthday party will not be disturbed by the crazy letter of a crazy cousin. Don’t be angry and it’s better you are learning German by Paul.
Wishing you all, what Heaven has to give on joy and happiness, I remain heartiest as ever
Your affectionate
Helen
Helene’s letters include variations on the same theme. In both, Helene makes us appreciate what a cold and miserable winter it is – to Harry she is direct and to Hilda she puts it into her own lyrics to a traditional children’s song. She plays with vowel sounds with the children’s song to Hilda, and by playing with Harry’s name at the end of the letter.
She added a few verses including less pleasant sounds of her own.
I found a website with the original lyrics of this Christmas song. It begins:
A, a, a, der Winter der ist da.
Herbst und Sommer sind vergangen,
Winter, der hat angefangen,
A, a, a, der Winter der ist da….
The translation of the entire song using Google translate:
A, a, a, the winter is here.
Autumn and summer have passed
Winter has started
A, a, a, the winter is here.
E, e, e, now there is ice and snow.
Flowers bloom on window panes
Are nowhere else to be found
E, e, e, now there is ice and snow.
I, i, i, never forget the poor man.
Often has nothing to cover up
If now frost and cold frighten him.
I, i, i, never forget the poor man.
O, o, o, how happy we children are.
When we are joking and laughing
Make a great snowman
O, o, o, how happy we children are.
U, u, u, I already know what I'm doing.
My dear parents love
Do not offend you, do not grieve you,
U, u, u, I already know what I'm doing.
O, o, o, how happy we children are.
When the Christ Child does something,
And 'from heaven high' they sing.
O, o, o, how happy we children are.
U, u, u, I already know what I'm doing.
Love Christ Child, praise Christ Child,
With the many angels above.
U, u, u, I already know what I'm doing.
A, a, a, autumn is here again.
The sweet grapes are now yellow,
The green arbors are now brown,
A, a, a, autumn is here again.
The song was written by Hoffmann von Fallersleben (1798-1874) and would have been a fun way for young children to practice vowel sounds. It was written before Helene was born in 1886 -- both she and her own children would have learned it.