Update: Thanks to Travel Bug for translating it for me! Scroll down to the comments to see the real translation.
I need help with translating this post card of Swidnica, Poland, which is a small town located in southeastern Poland, about an hour from the Czech Republic.
In particular, I need help translating the message on the back of the post card. It is written in Polish, and I have more working against me than just the fact that I don’t read Polish. The handwriting is a little hard to decipher – the “n” and “r” look similar, the “w” and “m” look similar. Since I don’t know the language, I can’t guess what is correct.
Interestingly enough, i had trouble finding this place in Google maps. Originally, it was called Plac Tysiaclecia Panstwa Polskiego, but now it is referred to as Plac 1000-lecia Państwa Polskiego.
Here’s the message on the back, as good as I can guess:
“Ladronia szerqacia Ladonlenia z zycia zyery pani wiaz z cure ezko znajomy ze swidnicy w orane snieg bozego narodzenia oraz wazy of kiegs dobrego w nowym roku 1994”
Google Translate doesn’t help, because I have a feeling I’ve spelled half of the words wrong. Here’s what Google thinks:
“Ladroni szerqacia Ladonlenia of your life zyery elm of cure ezko Świdnica familiar with plowed snow Christmas and a vase of kiegs good in the new year 1994.”
Not much good, is it.
Swidnica Plac Tysiaclecia Panstwa Polskiego
(Swidnica Polish State Millennium Square)
So I need your help! Please help me translate this post card! There’s more where that came from though, so I’ll be needing some help in the future too 🙂
If you liked this, chances are someone else will too!
Categories: Language, Poland, Post Cards
Wander One Day 
Hey there…I have traveled to quite a few countries in Europe and South America. Check out my pics…might give you some ideas and/or spark an interest in a place you haven’t thought of.
Personally…I adore Paris, Bamberg and Budapest in Europe. Rick Steves’ travel books will also help you narrow it down.
Good luck!
Thanks for stopping by! I have seen a few of your photos, I especially like the ones from Austria. I wish we could have fit it in on this trip, but I don’t think it will work this time. That’s ok – there will always be a next time!
OMG, that google translation made me laugh out loud! I have had similar translations when I have been working on translating things from Italian to English but I have to say, yours takes the cake!
Yeah, it was both hilarious and frustrating! I could get a word or two to translate correctly, but I guess Google can only do so much when I’m spelling half the words incorrectly! Though I do enjoy “familiar with plowed snow” and “vase of kiegs”…
The card says “Zdrowia, szescia, zadowolenia z zycia zycy Pani oraz curecka znajomy ze Szwidnicy w Czasie swiat Bozego narodzenia oraz wszyskiego dobrego w Nowym Roku 1994.”
Which means:
“Your friends from Swidnica wish you health, happiness, and satisfaction with life this Christmas season as well as the all best for the new year in 1994”
The sentence structure (though intuitive in Polish) is the complete opposite of what I just wrote.
Missed two words:
Which means:
“Your friends from Swidnica wish YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTER health, happiness, and satisfaction with life this Christmas season as well as the all best for the new year in 1994″
YOU- specifically refers to a woman. The writer uses the word “Pani” for you, which can be translated directly to “Ma’am”, “Madam”, or “Miss”. It’s used in place of you in Polish when addressing someone who have a formal relationship with – like Usted in Spanish, Vous in French, or Sie in German.
Thank you so much for the translation! I would never have guessed that those letters were what you wrote. It is a pleasant message – I like the idea of wishing someone satisfaction with life.
But now the big mystery is the year!
My mom and I have had this post card for almost 3 decades. It belonged to her parents (who did speak Polish), but they passed away in the mid-1980s. Why on earth would it refer to 1994?
Is the 1994 definitely the same handwriting? Maybe it was added on later?
The 1994 tacked on to New Year sound somewhat awkward to me personally… also, the “daughter” word uses the diminiutive. “You little girl” might be a better translation. In any case, it implies a child. I assumed it referred to you, but it sound like it refers to your mother.
I’m not sure about the handwriting, but it does seem to be the same pen at least. I wonder what the name at the bottom is. If I knew the name, I could ask my mom about it – she might know who the person is, and be able to place it in time (many of her Polish relatives have passed away in the past 2-3 decades).
Are you going to visit Swidnica? It’s right outside Wroclaw, isn’t it?
I think it is an hour drive from Wroclaw. We probably won’t end up visiting, because we won’t have much time in Wroclaw – maybe a day and a half. If we can fit it in, it would be fun to visit this post card location, but I’m not even sure how to get between the two cities. I assume there is a train, but I’m not sure.