Handwritten letter from Edith Piaf (1945)

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 double-sided pages, four pages.
• In French.
• Nevers (France), May 17, 1945.
• Excellent condition.
• Unique piece.

I translated some excerpts for you

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

My dear,

(...) I sang História de Amor and Foi Um Dia de Festa and Meu Legionário

(...) they couldn't believe that I didn't have a pianist, I'm tired of it, I had to sing without a piano, can you imagine how bad that is 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 a lot of things about yourself, and above all, take the first train that passes by and come because otherwise I'll go crazy and I'll be the one to drop everything, I'm tired, you understand

(...) I am mortally sad

(...) The only thing that helps me bear all of this is you, your image, your thoughts, 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 about you, only about you my Yves.

Your woman

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

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

This letter is precisely from Piaf to Montand. She overflows with 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 didn't 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 the Second World War, 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 offered Montand the original lyrics, the first version of the song that still contains words from the spoken language and spelling errors. The letter presented here has many spelling errors; Piaf did not receive a formal education, her mother was a prostitute, her father did small street performances, 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 with Piaf (see translated excerpts below).
  

Most of Piaf's letters have been acquired in recent years by large museums and international collectors and are difficult to find. For anyone interested in French culture (and love…), it is a unique opportunity to own and protect an important manuscript that can only appreciate over the years.