by
Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
Why ‑‑ do they shut me out of Heaven?
Language: English
Available translation(s): CAT FRE GER ITA
Why -- do they shut me out of Heaven?
Did I sing -- too loud?
But -- I can sing a little minor,
Timid as a bird.
Wouldn't the angels try me --
just -- once -- more --
Just -- see -- if I troubled them --
But don't -- shut the door!
Oh if I -- were the Gentlemen
in the White [Robe]1
and they -- were the little Hand -- that knocked --
Could -- I -- forbid?
Why do they shut me out of Heaven?
Did I sing too loud?
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1 Copland: "Robes"
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990), "Why do they shut me out of Heaven?", 1949-50, published 1951 [ voice, piano ], from Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "Why -- do they shut me out of Heaven", 1999, first performed 2001 [ soprano and piano ], from Paradise - 7 songs for Soprano and Piano, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Irwin Heilner (b. 1908), "Poem", 1930, rev. 1972 [ medium voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Per què m’han tancat les portes del cel?", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Pourquoi m'ont-ils fermé la porte du ciel", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 77
Warum ist mir die Himmelstür versperrt?
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
Warum ist mir die Himmelstür versperrt?
Sang ich denn zu laut?
Wohl kann ich's etwas leiser,
wie ein Vogel, zag.
Würden es die Engel wagen
einmal mehr,
nur zu sehen, ob ich stör' -
jedoch, die Tür lasst auf!
Oh, wäre ich die Herren
in ihrem Lichtgewand,
und sie die kleine Hand, die pocht -
könnt' ich es dann verwehren?
Warum ist mir die Himmelstür versperrt?
Sang ich denn zu laut?
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Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 71