Was ist - Paradies

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by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

What is ‑‑ "Paradise"

Language: English

Our translations: GER

What is -- "Paradise" --
Who live there --
Are they "Farmers" --
Do they "hoe" --
Do they know that this is "Amherst" --
And that I -- am coming -- too --

Do they wear "new shoes" -- in "Eden" --
Is it always pleasant -- there --
Won't they scold us -- when we're homesick --
Or tell God -- how cross we are --

You are sure there's such a person
As "a Father" -- in the sky --
So if I get lost -- there -- ever --
Or do what the Nurse calls "die" --
I shan't walk the "Jasper" -- barefoot --
Ransomed folks -- won't laugh at me --
Maybe -- "Eden" a'n't so lonesome
As New England used to be!

About the headline (FAQ)

Note provided by Bertram Kottmann for line 3-5: cf. Revelation 21:18

Text Authorship:

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title [author's text not yet checked 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 Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "What is ‑‑ "Paradise"", 1999, first performed 2001 [ soprano and piano ], from Paradise - 7 songs for Soprano and Piano, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
by Brian Holmes (b. 1946), "What is -- "Paradise"" [ soprano, chorus, children's chorus, and orchestra ], from Amherst Requiem, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

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: 2008-06-18
Line count: 18
Word count: 101

Was ist ‑ Paradies

Language: German (Deutsch) after the English

Was ist - „Paradies“ -
wer lebt dort -
sind es „Bauern“ -
„hacken“ sie -
wissen sie etwas von „Amherst“
und dass ich - auch - kommen werd -

trägt man „neue Schuh“ in „Eden“ -
ist es stets erfreulich - dort -
schilt man uns ob unsres Heimwehs -
petzt man unsern Groll dem Herrn -

Du bist sicher, dass im Himmel
jemand namens „Vater“ ist -
Sollt ich mich dort je verirren -
oder tun, was „sterben“ heißt -,
ich nicht barfuß stoß an „Jaspis“ 
von Erlösten ausgelacht -
„Eden“ ist wohl nicht so einsam
wie Neuenland es einst war.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translator's note for line 3-5: vgl. Offb 21,18

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2017 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2017-06-23
Line count: 18
Word count: 87