Since the news of Canadian songwriter Leonard Cohen's death broke on Thursday night, tributes have been pouring in on social media.

Alongside the lyrics and favourite quotes, the letter Cohen sent to his former partner Marianne Ihlen — and the response he received — were shared on Twitter by the account Letters of Note on Friday morning.

Here's the deeply moving letter Cohen sent to Ihlen — who he lived with for a period in the '60s, and who inspired his 1967 song "So long, Marianne" — shortly before her death in July 2016.

Leonard Cohen's recent letter to his dying muse, Marianne Ihlen, takes on a new poignancy with the sad news of his death. pic.twitter.com/dkRz8U4x3M — Letters of Note (@LettersOfNote) November 11, 2016

Here's the reply Cohen received:

And here is the beautiful reply sent to Leonard Cohen. pic.twitter.com/2AwRGwZQLe — Letters of Note (@LettersOfNote) November 11, 2016

Following Cohen's passing, the words in his letter are heartbreakingly prescient:

"Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine."