Letter
3 Pages
Transcription: Tor Martin Leknes
Translation: Francesca Nichols
Transcription
Aalhùs 11te sept. 1911
Tusend tak for Eders venlige brev, som
jeg desværre har ladet ligge ubesvaret
nogle dage paa grùnd af sygdom –
asthmaen har taget mig ordentlig fat,
saa jeg ikke faar sove nogen nat – paa grùnd
af kvælningsanfaldene – jeg lader mig dog
ikke kùe af den – ja jeg vilde til og med
være i ùdmærket hùmör trods flere plager,
hvis der ikke var andre omstændigheder, som
formörkade tilværelsen. Först er det nù
det, at Engel er syg – hùn har gaaet
med "vand i lùngerne" siden sidste vinter,
og vi har ikke vidst det – för nù, da
det "sting" som hùn i et halvt aar har
klaget over tilslut blev saa slemt, at
vi maatte reise til doktoren. Nù har vi
været til doktoren to gange og nù har han
bedt os reise til Klaùs Hansen – men först
maa Engel "vænne af" Kari, og det synes hùn
er for tidligt. – Kari er jo ikke mere end 4 maa-
neder – og trænger vist vel det Engel har.
Jeg har desværre ingen billeder færdige for tiden,
jeg maa bede Dere undskylde, at jeg ikke kan
skaffe nogen billeder til den 15de <Ds>. Mine
sidste ting egner sig vist heller ikke til salg,
de er formeget exprimenter. Jeg har faaet fore-
spörgsel fra en tysker, som vil bestille magen
til de billeder, jeg har i Nationalgalleriet,
jeg tör ikke paatage mig det, tror jeg – jeg bùrde
gjöre det, da jeg nù skylder saa meget, at jeg er
ræd for, jeg aldrig blir helt gjældfri (ca. 2000 kr.).
I gaar fik jeg et penge brev paa 500 kr. "i forskud" (fra
Rasmùs Meyer) "paa billeder" – jeg havde nær ikke faaet
det udleveret fra posthuset, da Meyer havde skrevet
Eivind Astrup paa brevet. Han havde hört at
jeg manglede penge til at komme mig tilbage til
ùdlandet for – det var en god hjælp til de værste
gjældsposter – til udlandet tænker jeg ikke paa at reise,
for det förste i allefald. Jeg maa jo se til Kari, hvis
Engel skal paa sanatoriùm – doktoren er ræd for tuber-
kùlose. Undskyld mit rodede brev. Hils frk. Inger!
Haaber I lever vel. Eders hengivne Nikolai Astrup
Translation
Aalhùs 11th Sept. 1911
Many thanks for Your kind letter, which
I have unfortunately left unanswered
for a few days due to illness –
the asthma has taken a firm hold of me,
so that I cannot sleep at night at all – because
of the choking seizures – And yet I will not let it
get to me – indeed I would even
be in excellent humour despite several ailments,
had it not been for other circumstances, that
darken my existence. First of all
Engel is ill – she has been plagued
with "water in the lungs" since last winter,
and we have not understood it – until now, when
the "stitch" which she has complained about
for half a year finally became so bad, that
we had to visit the doctor. We have
been to see the doctor twice now and he has
advised us to go see Klaùs Hansen – but first
Engel must "wean" Kari, and she feels it
is too early, – Kari isn’t more than 4 months
old – and obviously needs whatever Engel has.
Unfortunately I have no completed pictures at the moment,
I must apologize to You for not being able
to provide any pictures for the 15th <Dc>. Nor
are my latest things suitable for sale,
they are too experimental. I have received a re-
quest from a German, who wishes to commission copies
of the pictures, that I have in Nationalgalleriet,
I don’t dare to take it on, I don’t think – I
should, because I now owe so much, that I am
afraid I will never be totally free of debt (ca. 2000 kroner).
Yesterday I received a money order in the amount of 500 kroner "in advance" (from
Rasmùs Meyer) "for pictures" – I almost failed to have
it relinquished from the post office, because Meyer had written
Eivind Astrup on the envelope. He had heard that
I lacked the funds to go
abroad – it was of good use for the worst
debt items – I am not planning to travel abroad,
for the time being at least. For I must look after Kari, if
Engel must stay in a sanatorium – the doctor fears tuber-
culosis. Forgive my muddled letter. My greetings to Miss Inger!
I trust You are living well. Your devoted Nikolai Astrup