by
Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
The world feels dusty
Language: English
Available translation(s): CAT CHI FRE GER ITA
The world feels dusty,
when we stop to die...
We want the dew then
Honors taste dry...
Flags vex a dying face
But the least fan
stirred by a friend's hand
Cools like the rain
Mine be the ministry
when thy thirst comes...
Dews of thyself to fetch
and holy balms.
About the headline (FAQ)
This version was published many times, including in the Atlantic Monthly (Volume 143, 1929), before the more authoritative versions came out with the more characteristic punctuation. There are also a few changes to the words in the last stanza. See below.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El món té gust de pols", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CHI Chinese (中文) (Yen-Chiang Che) , "這世界感到灰黯", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le monde se sent poussiéreux", 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: 12
Word count: 51
Nach Asche schmeckt die Welt
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
Nach Asche schmeckt die Welt
in unsrer Todesstund' ...
Nach Tau uns dürstet dann,
viel Ehr verdorrt den Mund ...
Der Fahnen Wind erbost
ein sterbend Angesicht -
des Freundes Fächeln bloß
wie kühles Nass erquickt.
Lass mich dein Beistand sein,
wenn Durst dir letztmals brennt,
dir deinen Tau verleihn
und labend Sakrament.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-17
Line count: 12
Word count: 53