Four Poems by Emily Dickinson

Song Cycle by Leslee V. Wood (b. 1982)

Publisher: Dulcamara Press (external link)

1. We never know [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English

We never know we go, — when we are going
  We jest and shut the door;
Fate following behind us bolts it,
  And we accost no more.

Text Authorship:

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Poems: Third Series, in 4. Time and Eternity, no. 49, first published 1896

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

FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Confirmed with Poems by Emily Dickinson. Third Series, ed by Mabel Loomis Todd, Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1896.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

2. Wild nights [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English

Wild nights! — Wild nights!
Were I with thee,
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!

Futile — the [Wind]¹ —
To a heart in port, —
Done with the Compass, —
Done with the Chart!

Rowing in Eden —
Ah! the Sea!
Might I but moor — Tonight —
In thee!

Text Authorship:

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), appears in Poems: Second Series, first published 1891

See other settings of this text.

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

CHI Chinese (中文) (Mei Foong Ang) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Walter A. Aue) , "Sturmnacht! - Sturmnacht!", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Notti selvagge! Notti di tempesta!", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

View text without footnotes
¹ note: sometimes "Winds". Harmer, Hoiby, Leisner, Rusche, A. Thomas: "Winds"

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

3. Come slowly Eden [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English

Come slowly, Eden!
Lips unused to thee,
Bashful, sip thy [jasmines]¹,
As the fainting bee,

Reaching late his flower,
Round her chamber hums,
Counts his nectars - enters,
And is lost in balms!

Text Authorship:

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), appears in Bolts of Melody, first published 1945

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

View text without footnotes
¹ Hoekman: "Jessamines"

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

4. To make a prairie [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English

To make a prairie it takes a clover 
and one bee, —
One clover, and a bee,
And revery.
The revery alone will do
If bees are few.

Text Authorship:

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Poems: Third Series, in 3. Nature, no. 15, first published 1896

See other settings of this text.

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

Confirmed with Poems by Emily Dickinson. Third Series, ed by Mabel Loomis Todd, Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1896.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

Total word count: 141