Da war ’ne Fliege, als ich starb

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by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

Translation © by Bertram Kottmann

I heard a fly buzz

(Sung text for setting by M. Rusche)

See original

Language: English

Our translations: GER

I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died -- 
The Stillness in the Room
Was like the Stillness in the Air -- 
Between the Heaves of Storm.

The Eyes around -- had wrung them dry -- 
And Breaths were gathering firm
For that last Onset -- when the King
Be witnessed -- in the Room -- 

I willed my Keepsakes -- Signed away
What portion of me be
Assignable -- and then it was
There interposed a Fly -- 

With Blue -- uncertain stumbling Buzz -- 
Between the light -- and me -- 
And then the Windows failed -- and then
I could not see to see --

See also Anna Clyne's setting "Between the Rooms"

Composition:

Marjorie M. Rusche

Songs of Love and Death

Text Authorship:

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, first published 1896

See other settings of this text.

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

GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2018, (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: 16
Word count: 93

Da war ’ne Fliege, als ich starb

(Sung text translation for setting by M. Rusche)

See original

Language: German (Deutsch) after the English

Da war ’ne Fliege, als ich starb,
ich hörte nur ihr Surr’n
im Zimmer, bleiern still - wie Luft
in Ruhe vor dem Sturm.

Die Augen um mich, leer geweint,
und für den letzten Schritt
ein Atem holen - wenn der Herr
ins Sterbezimmer tritt.

Vermacht war das, was übrig blieb
von meinem Erdensein,
da mischte vor dem letzten End
sich ein Fliege ein

mit blauem, unstetem Gebrumm
im Lichte mir zu stehn -
dann brach das Auge mir, und ich
konnt’ nicht mehr sehn, zu sehn.

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Text Authorship:

Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2018 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, first published 1896
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This text was added to the website: 2018-10-17
Line count: 16
Word count: 84