by
Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
Because I could not stop for Death
Language: English
Our translations: CAT FRE GER GER ITA
Because I could not stop for Death --
He kindly stopped for me --
The carriage held but just ourselves --
and Immortality.
We slowly drove -- he knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labour, and my leisure too
For His Civility --
We passed the school, where children played,
At wrestling in a ring
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.
We paused before a house that seemed
a swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.
Since then 'tis centuries; but each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 109
Poiché non potevo fermarmi per la morte
Language: Italian (Italiano) after the English
Poiché non potevo fermarmi per la morte --
fu Lei, gentile, a fermarsi per me --
La carrozza portava noi due soltanto --
e l'Immortalità.
Procedevamo lenti - Lei non aveva fretta,
e io avevo rinunciato
al lavoro e allo svago
per la Sua cortesia --
Superammo la scuola dove i bimbi giocavano
Alla lotta, tutti in cerchio
Superammo i campi di stupito frumento
Superammo il sole al tramonto -
Poi sostammo davanti a una casa,
un gonfiore del terreno, alla vista,
appena visibile il tetto,
l' architrave nient'altro che un tumulo
Sono passati i secoli da allora - ma ognuno
a me pare più breve del giorno
in cui compresi che le teste dei cavalli
procedevano verso l'eternità -
Available sung text translations: ← What is this?
• A. Copland • S. Kagen About the headline (FAQ)
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Translations of titles:
"Because I could not stop for death" = "Poiché non potevo fermarmi per la morte"
"Because I would not stop for Death" = "Poiché non avrei voluto fermarmi per la morte"
"Immortality" = "L'immortalità"
"The chariot" = "La carrozza"
Note: here is a translation of the three stanzas that appear in another version after the first two stanzas:
Superammo la scuola dove i bimbi giocavano
in cerchio - nell'intervallo -
Superammo i campi di stupito frumento
Superammo il sole al tramonto -
O piuttosto fu lui a superarci,
e calò la rugiada con un brivido gelido -
Ché era solo di garza la mia veste
e solo di tulle la mantellina.
Poi sostammo davanti a una casa,
un gonfiore del terreno, alla vista,
appena visibile il tetto,
l' architrave a livello di terra.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2011 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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:
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This text was added to the website: 2011-09-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 114
