Forgive me, dear Mienel,
I implore you—
You are my good little bee,
But please, no more buzzing!
You know how it was, but still—
The chair was balky.
I turned yellow
And cursed like a swine.
If you are still cross
I'll kill myself.
Then I'll eat no more dumplings,
But chew lead bullets!
Forgive me, dear Mienel—
From the beginning, da capo.
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner: The Burrell Collection, ed. John N. Burk (Macmillan, 1950), No. 37