Ah, my beloved Lotte— whenever I think of you, so full of blessing, harmony, and grace, my own heart falls into beautiful disorder. When I am beside you, I lose myself in every word, every glance, every smile. When you are gone, my empty hands reach toward shadows. At night I search the silent sheets for you, and scatter kisses into air. ⸻ You alone are my devotion, you alone fill all my thoughts. Let the sun move on, let the moon wander, let the stars pursue their courses— without you, the world itself becomes nothing. ⸻ Like Raphael’s Madonna, you wear a smile of perfect tenderness. And the strings within my soul are struck so fiercely— like a violin cadenza suddenly set ablaze. My heart wanders between light and shadow. I turn toward every passing form, and even the wind makes my foolish heart leap. ⸻ Ah, my dear friend— you would call this weakness. You would tell me that reason should govern man. Yet while I remain alive, how can I deny this ecstasy, this trembling, this beautiful madness? ⸻ You alone are my devotion, you alone fill all my thoughts. Let the sun move on, let the moon wander— without you, the world itself becomes nothing.
