Dearly beloved and most precious of all friends,
Moved by deep anguish, I take up my pen today in order to reply to the letter you addressed to me yesterday. -
I must make a disclosure which will affect you deeply: how hard it will be for me to do so, you can all too well imagine. - Recall the love with which I feel drawn to you, recall the warmth of this everlasting love which, as you have long known, my beloved friend, can never die nor ever shall; and then judge how profound my grief must be! - I am bound to inform my unique friend that there are circumstances over which I do not have mastery at present, and that the iron grip of necessity makes it my sacred duty not to speak to you, at least for the present. - That my love for you will remain loyal unto death - this, I know, you will never doubt. -
Hope will sustain both you and me, and give us strength & courage; what would man be without this precious gift from God?! - Yes, I firmly hope for happier times, we shall see each other and speak to each other as we did before! -
The terrible grip will weaken! - Courage! - All will be well; o bitter lot; who would have thought it, who foreseen it! - Love is all-powerful; we shall triumph! -
Eternally yours,
Ludwig.
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988)