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=[http://www.corr-proust.org/letter/02996 Marcel Proust à Antoine Bibesco <nowiki>[vers le 9 septembre 1915]</nowiki>]=  
=[http://www.corr-proust.org/letter/02996 Marcel Proust to Antoine Bibesco <nowiki>[about 9 September 1915]</nowiki>]=  
<small>(Click on the link above to see this letter and its notes in the ''Corr-Proust'' digital edition, including all relevant hyperlinks.)</small>
<small>(Click on the link above to see this letter and its notes in the ''Corr-Proust'' digital edition, including all relevant hyperlinks.)</small>


<ref name="n1" />  
<ref name="n1" />  


Cher Antoine
Dear Antoine


Je te dirai comme les gens disent bêtement : « Cela m'a fait plaisir de voir votre écriture ». Pourtant la tienne (pas tout à fait autant que la mienne pourtant) est affreuse. Mais sa vue m'a ravi. C'est un des mystères de l'amitié.
I say to you as people say idiotically: “I was so pleased to see your handwriting.” Even though yours (not quite so much as mine though) is frightful. But the sight of it delighted me. It’s one of those mysteries of friendship.


Je ne vaux (parce que je réunis ce qui est rare deux qualités assez communes la clairvoyance et l'abnégation), que comme entremetteur et comme médecin. Je ne vaux rien comme stratège. D'ailleurs ta question est drôlement posée. Tu me dis : « Jusqu'à quand les Russes reculeront-ils ? ». Cela signifie je suppose « Jusqu'à quand les Allemands avanceront-ils ? ». Cela revient au même, mais ta forme est inattendue. J'aimerais mieux que tu me dises si les Roumains marcheront<ref name="n2" />.
I am useful (because I do a rare thing which is to reconcile two rather common qualities: clairvoyance and abnegation) only as a go-between and as a doctor. I am useless as a strategist. In any case your question is strangely put. You say: “For how long will the Russians withdraw?” Which it seems to me means: “For how long will the Germans advance?” It amounts to the same thing, but it is an unexpected way of saying it. I would prefer you to tell me when the Roumanians will be on the march<ref name="n2" />.


Si je n'ose m'aventurer pour l'avenir (sauf comme tout le monde pour la certitude de la victoire finale) je tiens à me justifier pour le passé. Quand tu m'as dit<ref name="n3" /> que l'expédition de Courlande <ref name="n4" /> était de la part des Allemands une fantaisie excentrique je t'ai répondu<ref name="n5" /> que chez un peuple qui a préparé précisément ce qu'il ne prévoyait pas (munitions pour la longueur d'une guerre que seul il croyait courte et il a été le seul à être muni, recul à Lens<ref name="n6" /> pour nous en priver et s'en servir alors qu'il ne croyait pas reculer, prise des Dardanelles<ref name="n7" /> pour boucher la Russie qu'il croyait vaincue etc.) il ne faut pas croire à la fantaisie désordonnée et que l'expédition de Courlande était, à longue échéance, soit un étau contre l'armée russe ou à défaut contre Varsovie<ref name="n8" />, soit un pendant aux Dardanelles (or Bidou qui il y a quinze jours disait<ref name="n9" /> que les choses de Riga étaient une démonstration, a fait depuis un admirable article<ref name="n10" /> montrant cette symétrie avec les Dardanelles, occlusion de la Russie, imitée de la Guerre de Sécession). Si Emmanuel est auprès de toi dis-lui toute mon affection.
If I don’t dare speculate on the future (except like everybody else on the certainty of final victory) I am happy to justify myself about the past. When you told me<ref name="n3" /> that the Courland expedition<ref name="n4" /> was an eccentric whim on the part of the Germans I replied<ref name="n5" /> that in the case of a people who prepared meticulously for something that they could not foresee (munitions for the duration of a war which they alone believed would be short and were the only ones to be fully equipped, retreat at Lens<ref name="n6" /> in order to take it from us and to help themselves to it when they did not think they would retreat, taking the Dardanelles<ref name="n7" /> to cut off Russia who they thought defeated etc.) one should not imagine that it is a disorderly whim and that the Courland expedition was, in the long term, either a pincer movement against the Russian army or at least against Warsaw<ref name="n8" />, or else a counterpart to the Dardanelles (but Bardou who said<ref name="n9" /> two weeks ago that events in Riga were a show of strength, has written a marvellous article<ref name="n10" /> since then pointing out the symmetry between the Dardanelles, the shutting down of Russia, in imitation of the War of Secession). If Emmanuel is with you give him my very best wishes.


Tout à toi
Yours


Marcel
Marcel


P.S. Je reçois ta seconde lettre.<ref name="n11" /> Tu sais bien que j'aurais été très content de connaître Monsieur Morand<ref name="n12" /> quand tu me l'as demandé, mais rappelle-toi, il n'était libre, partant pour Londres, qu'à une heure où je craignais d'être souffrant. Tu me ferais bien plaisir en m'envoyant sa lettre<ref name="n13" /> car j'ai été si content de le connaître.
P.S. I received your second letter<ref name="n11" />. You know quite well that I would have been very happy to get acquainted with Monsieur Morand<ref name="n12" /> when you asked me, but, remember, he wasn’t free, leaving for London and at a time when I feared I would be unwell. I would be delighted if you sent me his letter<ref name="n13" /> because I had been so eager to get to know him.


Mes plus tendres amitiés à Henri Bardac<ref name="n14" /> que j'aime infiniment.
My fondest regards to Henri Bardac<ref name="n14" /> who I like very much.


<ref name="n15" /> <ref name="n16" />
<ref name="n15" /> <ref name="n16" />
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<references>
<references>


<ref name="n1"> Note 1 </ref>
<ref name="n1"> Allusion to an article that appeared "two weeks ago" in Le Journal des Débats of 27 August 1915 (see n9) which allows us to date this letter around 9 September 1915. [PK] </ref>


<ref name="n2"> Note 2 </ref>
<ref name="n2"> The Roumanian government hesitated for a long time taking sides in the conflict, before declaring war on Austro-Hungary and Germany on 27 August 1916 ("L'Intervention roumaine : Déclaration de guerre à l'Autriche-Hongrie" [Roumanian intervention: Declaration of war on Austro-Hungary], Le Figaro, 29 August 1916, p. 1). [PK, FP] </ref>


<ref name="n3"> Note 3 </ref>
<ref name="n3"> The letter has not been found. [FP] </ref>


<ref name="n4"> Note 4 </ref>
<ref name="n4"> The German offensive in Courland (an eastern province of Latvia) at the end of April 1915 was a diversion; the German general staff were preparing for an offensive in Galicia. [PK, FP] </ref>


<ref name="n5"> Note 5 </ref>
<ref name="n5"> The letter has not been found. [FP] </ref>


<ref name="n6"> Note 6 </ref>
<ref name="n6"> The Germans retreated to the north of Arras (the location of a major freight yard) on 8 October 1914 ("67e jour de guerre : L'ennemi recule sur plusieurs points" [67th day of war: the enemy retreating at several points], Le Figaro, 9 October 1914, p. 1). The battle continued next on a line that included Lens and Arras. [PK, FP] </ref>


<ref name="n7"> Note 7 </ref>
<ref name="n7"> During the course of 1915 the Anglo-French forces attempted, without success, to take the Dardanelles straits, defended by the Turko-German forces. [PK, FP] </ref>


<ref name="n8"> Note 8 </ref>
<ref name="n8"> Prince Leopold of Bavaria entered Warsaw 5 August 1915 (Polybe, "Varsovie" [Warsaw], Le Figaro, 7 August 1915, p. 1). [PK, FP] </ref>


<ref name="n9"> Note 9 </ref>
<ref name="n9"> Henri Bidou, "La situation militaire" [The Military Situation], (Journal des Débats, 27 August 1915, p. 1). [PK] </ref>


<ref name="n10"> Note 10 </ref>
<ref name="n10"> Henri Bidou, "La situation militaire" [The Military Situation] (Journal des Débats, 31 August 1915, p. 1). [PK] </ref>


<ref name="n11"> Note 11 </ref>
<ref name="n11"> The letter has not been found. [FP] </ref>


<ref name="n12"> Note 12 </ref>
<ref name="n12"> During this time Proust made the acquaintance of Paul Morand. He wrote to Georges de Lauris, in the [first days of September 1915]: "A charming attaché from the French Embassy in London [...] is in Paris for four days and would like to meet you as well as Gide" (CP 02995; Kolb, XIV, no. 107). [FP] </ref>


<ref name="n13"> Note 13 </ref>
<ref name="n13"> The letter has not been found. [FP] </ref>


<ref name="n14"> Note 14 </ref>
<ref name="n14"> Henri Bardac was, at that time, attaché to the French Embassy in London. [PK, FP] </ref>


<ref name="n15"> Translation notes: </ref>  
<ref name="n15"> Translation notes: </ref>  


<ref name="n16"> Contributors: </ref>
<ref name="n16"> Contributors: Yorktaylors </ref>


</references>
</references>

Latest revision as of 01:43, 13 April 2022


Other languages:

Marcel Proust to Antoine Bibesco [about 9 September 1915]

(Click on the link above to see this letter and its notes in the Corr-Proust digital edition, including all relevant hyperlinks.)

[1]

Dear Antoine

I say to you as people say idiotically: “I was so pleased to see your handwriting.” Even though yours (not quite so much as mine though) is frightful. But the sight of it delighted me. It’s one of those mysteries of friendship.

I am useful (because I do a rare thing which is to reconcile two rather common qualities: clairvoyance and abnegation) only as a go-between and as a doctor. I am useless as a strategist. In any case your question is strangely put. You say: “For how long will the Russians withdraw?” Which it seems to me means: “For how long will the Germans advance?” It amounts to the same thing, but it is an unexpected way of saying it. I would prefer you to tell me when the Roumanians will be on the march[2].

If I don’t dare speculate on the future (except like everybody else on the certainty of final victory) I am happy to justify myself about the past. When you told me[3] that the Courland expedition[4] was an eccentric whim on the part of the Germans I replied[5] that in the case of a people who prepared meticulously for something that they could not foresee (munitions for the duration of a war which they alone believed would be short and were the only ones to be fully equipped, retreat at Lens[6] in order to take it from us and to help themselves to it when they did not think they would retreat, taking the Dardanelles[7] to cut off Russia who they thought defeated etc.) one should not imagine that it is a disorderly whim and that the Courland expedition was, in the long term, either a pincer movement against the Russian army or at least against Warsaw[8], or else a counterpart to the Dardanelles (but Bardou who said[9] two weeks ago that events in Riga were a show of strength, has written a marvellous article[10] since then pointing out the symmetry between the Dardanelles, the shutting down of Russia, in imitation of the War of Secession). If Emmanuel is with you give him my very best wishes.

Yours

Marcel

P.S. I received your second letter[11]. You know quite well that I would have been very happy to get acquainted with Monsieur Morand[12] when you asked me, but, remember, he wasn’t free, leaving for London and at a time when I feared I would be unwell. I would be delighted if you sent me his letter[13] because I had been so eager to get to know him.

My fondest regards to Henri Bardac[14] who I like very much.

[15] [16]

Notes

  1. ↑ Allusion to an article that appeared "two weeks ago" in Le Journal des Débats of 27 August 1915 (see n9) which allows us to date this letter around 9 September 1915. [PK]
  2. ↑ The Roumanian government hesitated for a long time taking sides in the conflict, before declaring war on Austro-Hungary and Germany on 27 August 1916 ("L'Intervention roumaine : Déclaration de guerre à l'Autriche-Hongrie" [Roumanian intervention: Declaration of war on Austro-Hungary], Le Figaro, 29 August 1916, p. 1). [PK, FP]
  3. ↑ The letter has not been found. [FP]
  4. ↑ The German offensive in Courland (an eastern province of Latvia) at the end of April 1915 was a diversion; the German general staff were preparing for an offensive in Galicia. [PK, FP]
  5. ↑ The letter has not been found. [FP]
  6. ↑ The Germans retreated to the north of Arras (the location of a major freight yard) on 8 October 1914 ("67e jour de guerre : L'ennemi recule sur plusieurs points" [67th day of war: the enemy retreating at several points], Le Figaro, 9 October 1914, p. 1). The battle continued next on a line that included Lens and Arras. [PK, FP]
  7. ↑ During the course of 1915 the Anglo-French forces attempted, without success, to take the Dardanelles straits, defended by the Turko-German forces. [PK, FP]
  8. ↑ Prince Leopold of Bavaria entered Warsaw 5 August 1915 (Polybe, "Varsovie" [Warsaw], Le Figaro, 7 August 1915, p. 1). [PK, FP]
  9. ↑ Henri Bidou, "La situation militaire" [The Military Situation], (Journal des Débats, 27 August 1915, p. 1). [PK]
  10. ↑ Henri Bidou, "La situation militaire" [The Military Situation] (Journal des Débats, 31 August 1915, p. 1). [PK]
  11. ↑ The letter has not been found. [FP]
  12. ↑ During this time Proust made the acquaintance of Paul Morand. He wrote to Georges de Lauris, in the [first days of September 1915]: "A charming attaché from the French Embassy in London [...] is in Paris for four days and would like to meet you as well as Gide" (CP 02995; Kolb, XIV, no. 107). [FP]
  13. ↑ The letter has not been found. [FP]
  14. ↑ Henri Bardac was, at that time, attaché to the French Embassy in London. [PK, FP]
  15. ↑ Translation notes:
  16. ↑ Contributors: Yorktaylors
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