I Don't Know His Name

Ritter：You belong to a lonely hearts club？！
Amalia：I have never done that sort of thing before.
I’d seen the advertisements in the papers.
Ritter：Well,who hasn’t？
“Young man wants young lady,young lady wants young man.”
Amalia：But I’ll never taken them seriously.
Until one day,
I saw his advertisement.
Even then,
I tired not to answer it,really.
But it kept calling out to me.
Ritter：He could be seventy-five！
Amalia：No.The advertisement says,“young man.”
Ritter：You never even asked for a photograph！
Amalia：
I don’t know his name or what he looks like,
but I have a much more certain guide.
I can tell exactly what he looks like,
Inside.
When I undertook this correspondence,
little did I know I’d grow so fond.
Little did I know our views would so correspond.
He writes me what his feelings are,
on Shaw,Flaubert,Chopin,Renoir.
The more I read,the more I find,
we’re one in mind and heart.
I know the kind of home we’d share,
the books,the prints,the music there.
A home,a life,that’s warm and full,
and rich in love,
and art.
I ’don’t need to see his handsome profile,
I’ don’t need to see his manly frame.
All I need to know is in each letter,
each long,revealing letter,
I couldn’t know him better,
If I knew his name.
Amalia：Oh,I know him so well,Ilona.
I know that he’s a very successful person,
and terribly well-educated,
and he’s gentle and kind,and soft spoken.
Ooh！I know all this about him,and so much more.
I’ve just never met him,that’s all.
Ritter：
If he isn’t too handsome,
true it doesn’t much matter.
Amalia：He writes his deepest thoughts to me.
Ritter：
But his personal habits are more important than his looks.
Amalia：On Swift,Vermeer,and Debussy.
Ritter：
Supposing he snores like a locomotive.
Supposing he grinds his teeth.
Supposing he’s a knuckle cracker,Amalia.
Amalia：On Maugham,Remarque,Dumas,
Ducas,Dufy,Dufay,Defoe.
Ritter：
Good luck with your books！
And another small detail.
That you haven’t yet mentioned.
Amalia：He thinks as I,he feels as I.
Ritter：
I am speaking of ***,dear,
when you and he are all alone.
Amalia：He shares the same ideas as I.
Ritter：
Come to think of it,
maybe you’re right.
Maybe it doesn’t matter at that.
Maybe I’d do much better myself with a library card.
Amalia：I’ll never find a man who’s so simpatico.
Ritter：And a gramophone.
Amalia：I know.
Amalia：I ’don’t need to see his handsome profile.
Ritter：I was taken in by someone’s profile.
Amalia：I’ don’t need to see his manly frame.
Ritter：I was taken in by someone’s frame.
Amalia：All I need to know is in each letter,
Ritter：How I could have used one,
Ritter & Amalia：each long,revealing letter,
Amalia：I couldn’t know him better,
Ritter：I hope you do much better,
Amalia：If I knew his name.
Ritter：I knew his name.
Ritter & Amalia：What’s in a name？
【END】