Napoleon to Josephine
I have your letter, my adorable love. It has filled my heart with joy… Since I left you I have been sad all the time. My only happiness is near you. I go over endlessly in my thought of your kisses, your tears, and your delicious jealousy. The charm of my wonderful Josephine kindles a living, blazing fire in my heart and senses. When shall I be able to pass every minute near you, with nothing to do but to love you and nothing to think of but the pleasure telling you of it and giving you proof of it? I loved you some time ago; since then I feel that I love you a thousand times better. Ever since I have known you I adore you more every day. That proves how wrong is that saying of La Bruyere [1]“l(fā)ove comes all of a sudden”.
Ah, let me see some of your faults; be less beautiful, less graceful, less tender, less good. But never be jealous and never shed tears. Your tears send me out of my mind… they set my very blood on fire. Believer me that it is utterly impossible for me to have a single thought that is not yours, a single fancy that is not submissive to your will. Rest well. Restore your health. Come back to me and then at any rate before we die we ought to be able to say: “We were happy for so very many days!” Millions of kisses even to your dog.
拿破侖致約瑟芬
我收到了你的信，我的至愛。你的信使我充滿了歡樂……自從與你分手，我一直悶悶不樂，愁眉不展。我的幸福就是伴隨著你。你的吻給了我無限的遐思與回味，還有你的淚水與甜蜜的嫉妒。我迷人的約瑟芬的魅力就像一團(tuán)熾熱的火在心里燃燒。什么時(shí)候，我才能在你身邊度過每分每秒？除了愛你我什么都不做？除了向你傾訴并證明我的愛戀的那種愉快，什么也不想了？我難以相信，不久前我才愛上你，可是自那以后我的愛已經(jīng)增長了千倍。從相識(shí)的那刻起，我對(duì)你的熱愛便與日俱增。這正好說明拉布呂耶爾說的：“愛，突如其來”多么荒謬。
啊，讓我再看看你的美中不足吧。你要再少幾分甜美，再少幾分優(yōu)雅，再少幾分溫柔，再少幾分姣好；但不要嫉妒，不要流淚。你的眼淚會(huì)讓我六神無主，熱血沸騰。相信我，我的思緒無時(shí)無刻不在你身上，我的意念每時(shí)每刻都順從著你。好好休息，早日康復(fù)?；氐轿疑磉?，在我們離世之前不管怎樣都能夠說：“我們曾經(jīng)有多么幸福的日子??！”千百次的吻你，甚至你的愛犬。