by Franz Kafka
fn3 A children’s game (Czech).
fn4 Here, for the first time, Kafka employs the familiar Du, a form he adopts and uses consistently beginning with the subsequent letter.
fn5 Viennese for elegant, dapper.
fn6 Beloved, or sweetheart.
fn7 Nutno: (it is) necessary; abych: so that I (Czech).
fn8 Blockhead (Czech).
fn9 Tajemník: secretary; tajemné: secret (Czech).
fn10 Wardrobe (German).
fn11 Trotzdem: nevertheless, in spite of that; trotz: defiance, spite (German).
fn12 Jasné: clear; nezapletené: uncomplicated (Czech).
fn13 The signature reads: “Franz wrong, F wrong, Yours wrong / nothing more, calm, deep forest.”
fn14 Strach: fear; toucha: longing (Czech).
fn15 Written the day before Kafka left Prague to meet Milena in Gmünd.
fn16 Sofort: at once (German).
fn17 Schody: staircase (Czech).
fn18 Czech: ‘You mean she doesn’t know what movies are? They’re flicks.’ Presumably a caption from a newspaper cartoon.
fn19 Bolí … : pain inside the forehead and temples; potírajíce se: struggling with one another; volné místo: free seat; náměstí: place; pronásledujte jen: just go ahead and persecute (Czech).
fn20 Here Kafka has reverted to the formal Sie.
fn21 A punishment involving imprisonment, hard labor, and exile (Russian).
fn22 In this letter Kafka again uses the familiar Du.