In the year in which she composed the lyrics for “La Vie en Rose”, Edith Piaf also wrote a vibrant love letter to Yves Montand, another monument of French culture.

• Handwritten letter from Edith Piaf to Yves Montand.
• Two sheets, front and back, four pages.
• In French.
• Nevers (France), May 17, 1945.
• Excellent condition of conservation.
• Unique piece.

I translated some excerpts for you

Nevers, May 17, 1945, one o'clock in the morning

My dear,

(...) I sang Love Story and It Was a Party Day and My Legionnaire

(...) they couldn't believe I didn't have a pianist, I'm fed up with it, I had to sing without a piano, can you imagine how bad that looks for Madame Piaf

(...) Oh I beg you my beloved, come I can't fight alone anymore

(...) Oh my dear, if you were still here, it would solve many things, but unfortunately, I am alone, alone here, alone there and alone everywhere. Tell me if all the letters I wrote to you reached you? Tell me many things about yourself, and above all, catch the first train that passes by and come because otherwise I will go crazy and I will be the one who will give up everything, I am tired, you understand

(...) I am mortally sad

(...) The only thing that helps me bear all this is you, it's your image, your thought, you my dear that I love. To say that now you must be sleeping in your big bed, your beautiful eyes lost in dreams, your beautiful skin caressing the sheets and I will fall asleep dreaming softly of you, only of you my Yves.

Your wife

Pupuce (which can be translated as “your little flea”)

Piaf, besides being an immense artist, had a tumultuous love life with great names, among them Marcel Cerdan, the world boxing champion who died in a plane crash, and Yves Montand, one of the great French post-war actors and singers, another monument of French culture, a great seducer who, among other conquests, had Marilyn Monroe.

This letter is from Piaf to Montand. It is full of pain and love. Piaf tells her lover about the difficulties of her tour in France and expresses her longing for him. But Montand was a seducer and Piaf, with her artichoke heart, suffered. The relationship did not last long. Many aspects of this letter caught my attention:

• Handwritten love letters from Piaf are very rare, especially in 1945, at the end of World War II, when she began to become famous worldwide with her title “La Vie en rose” (Life in Pink), one of her most emblematic songs.
  

• In fact, Piaf gave Montand the original lyrics, the first version of the song that still contains spoken words and spelling mistakes. The lyrics presented here are particularly misspelled; Piaf did not receive a formal education, her mother was a prostitute, her father performed small street shows, and she grew up in a Paris brothel.
  

• She mentions three of her most famous songs, “Histoire d'Amour” (Love Story), “C'est un jour de fête” (Today is a day of celebration) and “Mon légionnaire” (My Legionnaire).
  

• The emotional charge of the text is impressive, we are in the deepest intimacy of Piaf (see translated excerpts below).
  

Most of Piaf’s letters have been acquired in recent years by major international museums and collectors and are hard to find. For those interested in French culture (and love…), this is a unique opportunity to own and protect an important manuscript that will only increase in value over the years.