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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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View text without footnotes1 Copland: "Robes"
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 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]
- by Karen Wimhurst (b. 1960), "Why do they", first performed 2004 [ chorus ], from A Letter to the World, no. 3 [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: 78
Pourquoi m'ont-ils fermé la porte du ciel Ai-je chanté trop fort ? Mais je peux chanter tout doucement Timide comme un oiseau. Les anges ne voudraient-ils pas Me laisser essayer encore une fois Juste pour voir si je les dérange ? Mais ne fermez pas la porte. Oh si j'étais les messieurs Dans les robes blanches Et s'ils étaient la petite main qui frappe, Pourrais-je refuser ? Pourquoi m'ont-ils fermé la porte du ciel Ai-je chanté trop fort ?
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2008 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.
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Based on:
- a text in English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Further poems of Emily Dickinson, first published 1929
This text was added to the website: 2008-11-09
Line count: 14
Word count: 75