by
Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
I heard a Fly buzz ‑‑ when I died
Language: English
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 [sure]1
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 --
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• M. Rusche About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Rusche: "firm"
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):
- by Norman Dinerstein (b. 1937), "Dying", published 1961 [ soprano and string quartet ], from Four Settings for Soprano and String Quartet, no. 1, New York, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
- by Brian Holmes (b. 1946), "I heard a fly buzz when I died" [ soprano, chorus, children's chorus, and orchestra ], from Amherst Requiem, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Marjorie M. Rusche , "I heard a fly buzz", 1994 [ soprano, clarinet, violin, and cello ], from Songs of Love and Death, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Donald Ibrahim Swann (1923 - 1994), "Dying" [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by William Sydeman (b. 1928), "I heard a fly buzz when I died", published 1970 [ soprano or tenor and violoncello ], from Three Songs after Emily Dickinson [sung text not yet checked]
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
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.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2018-10-17
Line count: 16
Word count: 84
