by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Within my Garden, rides a Bird
Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE GER
Within my Garden, rides a Bird
[Opon]1 a single Wheel --
Whose spokes a dizzy Music make
As 'twere a travelling Mill --

He never stops, but slackens --
Above the Ripest Rose -
Partakes without alighting --
And praises as he goes,

Till every spice is tasted --
And then his Fairy Gig
Reels in remoter atmospheres --
And I rejoin my Dog,

And He and I, perplex us
If positive, 'twere we --
Or bore the Garden in the Brain
This Curiosity -

But He, the best Logician,
Refers my clumsy eye --
To just vibrating Blossoms!
An Exquisite Reply!

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   J. Philips 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)

Confirmed with The Poems of Emily Dickinson, ed. R.W. Franklin, Volume 2, Cambridge, MA and London, England: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1998, Poem 370. Note: in one of the earlier published versions of this poem, stanza 5, line 2, word 3 was "duller" instead of "clumsy".

1 [sic] ; Philips: "Upon"

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

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


Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2014-08-28
Line count: 20
Word count: 93

Dans mon Jardin, un Oiseau pédale
Language: French (Français)  after the English 
Dans mon Jardin, un Oiseau pédale
Sur une seule Roue --
Qui fait une musique folle
Comme s'il y avait un Moulin --

Il ne s'arrête jamais, mais ralentit
Au-dessus de la Rose la plus Ouverte --
Prend quelque chose sans se poser
Et la loue en s'en allant,

Jusqu'à ce que chaque épice ait été goûtée --
Et alors son Cabriolet Magique
Vacille vers des atmosphères plus éloignées --
Et je rejoins mon Chien,

Et Lui et Moi, nous nous posons la question
Si c'était vrai ce qui était devant nous,
Ou si le Jardin dans la Tête a fait naître
Cette Curiosité --

Mais Lui, le meilleur Logicien,
Renvoie mon œil maladroit --
Aux Fleurs qui vibrent encore !
Une Réponse exquise !

About the headline (FAQ)

Translation of title "The hummingbird" = "L'oiseau-mouche"

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2016 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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This text was added to the website: 2016-04-13
Line count: 20
Word count: 116