This is the fancy card we received yesterday from John, our beloved brother in Christ who spent a month in Europe this summer visiting a number of beautiful and awe-inspiring pilgrimage sites.
There are multiple translations possible for two of the French verbs and a couple of the nouns and pronouns used, but John doesn’t know French so he didn’t have a clue as to what the front said when he purchased the card for us in Lisieux, France while visiting the Basilica of St. Thérѐse.
At least he’s honest. The first sentence he wrote inside the card is: “I’m not sure what it says on the front. (I’m sure Trisha can translate.) But it looks nice.”
Kevin doesn’t know much French either beyond some of the basics and how to tell someone you love her from the bottom of your heart and ask her to marry you, so he couldn’t make heads or tails of what it said. This gave me quite a bit of creative license in the translation. The first one I think (and sincerely hope) is more in line with the sentiments John intended to express:
and that the reminder of it
return to you each day.
and that his memory
would hit you every day.
Either way, it’s only eight years and four days late for our weddingJ.
The prayers John’s prayed with and for us certainly bridge that wrinkle in time. Plus, his is still the only card we received in any language this year that’s (most likely) intended to be a congratulations on our anniversary.
Truth be told, the message inside the card (after the I-don’t-know-what-it-says-on-the-front part) is quite touching, loving, and encouraging, especially coming from someone who knows us as well as John does.
He’s certainly one of the people God has worked through in countless ways, prayer being the most important, to help Kevin and me grow closer to God and one another. For God bringing him into our lives, we are beyond blessed.
There are multiple translations possible for two of the French verbs and a couple of the nouns and pronouns used, but John doesn’t know French so he didn’t have a clue as to what the front said when he purchased the card for us in Lisieux, France while visiting the Basilica of St. Thérѐse.
At least he’s honest. The first sentence he wrote inside the card is: “I’m not sure what it says on the front. (I’m sure Trisha can translate.) But it looks nice.”
Kevin doesn’t know much French either beyond some of the basics and how to tell someone you love her from the bottom of your heart and ask her to marry you, so he couldn’t make heads or tails of what it said. This gave me quite a bit of creative license in the translation. The first one I think (and sincerely hope) is more in line with the sentiments John intended to express:
Happy Wedding
Would that the joy of this day
permeate your loveand that the reminder of it
return to you each day.
Rather than this other possible translation of the card:
Happy Wedding
Would that the joy of this day
impregnate your loverand that his memory
would hit you every day.
Either way, it’s only eight years and four days late for our weddingJ.
The prayers John’s prayed with and for us certainly bridge that wrinkle in time. Plus, his is still the only card we received in any language this year that’s (most likely) intended to be a congratulations on our anniversary.
Truth be told, the message inside the card (after the I-don’t-know-what-it-says-on-the-front part) is quite touching, loving, and encouraging, especially coming from someone who knows us as well as John does.
He’s certainly one of the people God has worked through in countless ways, prayer being the most important, to help Kevin and me grow closer to God and one another. For God bringing him into our lives, we are beyond blessed.
