by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani

The chariot
 (Sung text for setting by A. Copland)
 See base text
Language: English 
Our translations:  CAT FRE GER GER ITA
Because I would 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,
Their lessons scarcely done
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.

Composition:

Text Authorship:

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La voiture", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Walter A. Aue) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2011, (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: 20
Word count: 109

Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the English 
Poiché non avrei voluto 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
Non appena finite le lezioni
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 -

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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This text was added to the website: 2011-09-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 114