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Forest of Romance more
romance, people, forests, cherubs, trees, statuary, benches, costumes, men, women
In the foreground a smartly-dressed young man is entreating a beautiful woman who wears an elaborate dress and bonnet. The couple is seated on a carved stone bench in a thick forest of mature trees; in the background a carved stone cherub or cupid is watching, representing romance. The lady has her eyes demurely closed and the man his one hand outstretched, entreatingly.
Perhaps this was made for Valentine’s day, but I cannot be certain as there is no caption.
There is a German poem (or song) on the opposite page, about love:
Do I love you?
Do I love you? Ask the stars,
To whom I often confided my lament.
Do I love you? Ask the rose,
Which I send you, covered in tears;
Do I love you? Ask the clouds,
To whom I often confided my message.
Do I love you? Ask the waves,
I have seen your image in each one.
Do I love you? Ask yourself,
Even though I have never confided my love to you;
Do I love you, ask my eyes,
I have always seen it in them.
If you loved me, heavenly girl,
Oh then I would confess it to you out loud:
How I love you, that I always call you
my angel and soon my bride
(p. 104)
The last verse is not given in this book, but appears elsewhere)
The German is as follows:
Ob ich Dich liebe? Frage die Sterne,
Denen ich oft meine Klage vertraut.
Ob ich Dich liebe? Frage die Rose,
Die ich Dir sende, von Thränen bethaut;
Ob ich Dich liebe? Frage die Wolken,
Denen ich oft meine Botschaft vertraut.
Ob ich Dich liebe? Frage die Welle,
Ich hab’ in jeder Dein Bildniß geschaut.
Ob ich Dich liebe? Frage dich felber,
Hab’ ich auch dir nie meine Liebe vertrant;
Ob ich Dich liebe, frage mein Auge,
Immer haft de’s in ibnen geschaut.
Wenn Du mich liebtest, himmlisches Mädchen,
O dann [gestände ich Dir es auch laut:
Wie ich Dich liebe, daß ich Dich nenne
Stets meinen Engel und bald meine Braut.
The poem is attributed to Kael Herloßsohn, which appears to have been a penname for (Borromäus Sebastian Georg) Karl Reginald Herloßsohn.