Chaque Vie converge vers un Centre | Chaque Vie converge vers un Centre

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by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

Each life converges to some centre

Language: English

Our translations: FRE ITA

Each life converges to some centre
Expressed or still;
Exists in every human nature
A goal,

Admitted scarcely to itself, it may be,
Too fair
For credibility's temerity
To dare.

Adored with caution, as a brittle heaven,
To reach
Were hopeless as the rainbow's raiment
To touch,

Yet persevered toward, surer for the distance;
How high
Unto the saints' slow diligence
The sky!

Ungained, it may be, by a life's low venture,
But then,
Eternity enables the endeavoring
Again.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Poems by Emily Dickinson, first published 1891 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

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

by Daniel Rogers Pinkham (1923 - 2006), "Each life converges to some centre", published 1963 [ SSAA chorus and piano or chamber orchestra ], from An Emily Dickinson Mosaic [sung text not yet checked]

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

FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chaque Vie converge vers un Centre", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Ogni esistenza converge a un qualche centro", copyright © 2008, (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: 79

Chaque Vie converge vers un Centre

Language: French (Français) after the English

Chaque Vie converge vers un Centre --
Déclaré -- ou tu --
Dans chaque Nature Humaine existe
Un But --

À peine admis en elle-même -- peut-être --
Trop beau
Pour la témérité de sa Crédibilité
Pour oser.

Adoré avec précaution -- comme un Paradis Fragile --
Pour l'atteindre
Ce serait sans espoir comme pour le Vêtement d'un Arc-en-ciel
De le toucher.

Pourtant on persévère vers lui -- plus sûr -- dans le Lointain --
Combien haut --
Grâce à la lente diligence des Saints --
Apparaît le Ciel --

Pas atteint -- peut-être -- par un petit Hasard de la Vie --
Mais alors --
L'Éternité permet une tentative 
À nouveau.

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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Poems by Emily Dickinson, first published 1891
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2016-12-30
Line count: 20
Word count: 94