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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“ - 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
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Based on:
- a text in English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title
This text was added to the website: 2017-06-23
Line count: 18
Word count: 87
