Poètes | Je classe -- quand je compte tout

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by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

I reckon ‑ when I count at all

Language: English

Our translations: FRE GER

I reckon - when I count at all -
First Poets - then the Sun -
Then Summer - then the
Heaven of God -
And then - the list is done -

But - looking back - the first so seems
To comprehend the whole -
The others look a needless show -
So I write - Poets - All.

This summer lasts a solid year -
They can afford a Sun
The East would deem
Extravagant -
And if the final Heaven -

Be Beautiful as they disclose
To those who trust in them,
It is too difficult a Grace -
To justify the dream.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Further poems of Emily Dickinson, first published 1929 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Adolf Weiss (1891 - 1971), "Poets", 1928, published c1930 [ soprano and string quartet ], from Seven Songs for Soprano and String Quartet, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Poètes", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-06-02
Line count: 18
Word count: 89

Poètes

Language: French (Français) after the English

Je classe -- quand je compte tout --
En premier -- les Poètes -- Puis le Soleil --
Puis l'Été -- puis
le Paradis de Dieu --
Et puis -- la Liste est terminée

Mais -- revenant en arrière - les Premiers semblent tant
Comprendre le Tout --
Que les Autres ont l'air d'inutiles Parades --
Aussi j'écris -- Poètes -- c'est Tout.

Leur Été -- dure une Année pleine --
Ils peuvent offrir un Soleil
Que l'Est -- estimerait
extravagant --
Et si le Paradis final --

Est beau comme ils le montrent
À Ceux qui croient en eux,
C'est une Grâce trop difficile --
Pour justifier le Rêve.

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2016 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Further poems of Emily Dickinson, first published 1929
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2016-12-31
Line count: 18
Word count: 90