Letter 018 — XVIII
Original French
Ala, 3 septembre 1796.
Nous sommes en pleine campagne, mon adorable amie; nous avons culbuté les postes ennemis; nous leur avons pris huit ou dix chevaux avec un pareil nombre de cavaliers. J’espère que nous ferons de bonnes affaires, et que nous entrerons dans Trente le 19 (fructidor). Point de lettres de toi, cela m’inquiète vraiment; l’on m’assure cependant que tu te portes bien, et que même tu as été te promener au lac de Côme. J’attends tous les jours, et avec impatience, le courrier où tu m’apprendras de tes nouvelles; tu sais combien elles me sont chères. Je ne vis pas, loin de toi; le bonheur de la vie est près de ma douce Joséphine. Pense à moi! écris-moi souvent, bien souvent; c’est le seul remède à l’absence; elle est cruelle, mais sera j’espère momentanée.
Musean translation
Machine-assisted Musean English translated from the French of the 172 Napoleon letters selected from Tancrède Martel, ed., Œuvres littéraires de Napoléon Bonaparte, tome 1 (Albert Savine, Paris, 1888). French Wikisource contributors supplied the scan-backed transcription: https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Livre:Bonaparte_-_Œuvres_littéraires,_tome_1,_1888.djvu (page histories credit contributors). The transcription is CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/; this adapted text and translations are shared under the same license. Extraction removes markup and editorial notes; selected transcription repairs were checked against print images.
Ala, September 3, 1796.
We are in the midst of the campaign, my adorable friend; we have overthrown the enemy outposts and taken eight or ten horses with as many riders. I hope we shall do well and enter Trent on the 19th (Fructidor). No letters from you; that truly worries me. I am assured, however, that you are well and have even gone for an outing on Lake Como. Every day I impatiently await the courier who will bring me news of you; you know how precious it is to me. I do not live away from you; life's happiness is near my sweet Joséphine. Think of me! Write to me often, very often; it is the only remedy for absence. Absence is cruel, but I hope it will be brief.
Plain English translation
Independent machine-assisted Plain English translation from the 1888 Martel French edition, not a historical English translation. French Wikisource contributors supplied the scan-backed transcription: https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Livre:Bonaparte_-_Œuvres_littéraires,_tome_1,_1888.djvu (page histories credit contributors). The adapted transcription and translation are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Extraction removes markup and editorial notes and makes documented transcription repairs. French-source model review is not human specialist certification or a complete scan collation.
Ala, September 3, 1796.
We are in the midst of the campaign, my beloved. We have driven back the enemy outposts and taken eight or ten horses along with the same number of riders. I hope for good results and expect us to enter Trent on 19 Fructidor. Not a letter from you: I am truly anxious, although people assure me you are well and have even been for an outing at Lake Como. Every day I wait impatiently for the courier who will bring me your news; you know how precious it is to me. Away from you I do not live; life's happiness is beside my sweet Joséphine. Think of me! Write often, very often. That is the only remedy for separation; it is cruel, but I hope it will be brief.
About this section
Letter 018 — XVIII is part of Letters to Josephine by Napoléon Bonaparte. This page sets the French original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is part 18 of 172 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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