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

When they come back ‑‑ if Blossoms do
Language: English 
Our translations:  CAT FRE GER ITA
When they come back -- if Blossoms do --
I always feel a doubt
If Blossoms can be born again
When once the Art is out --

When they begin, if Robins [may]1,
I always had a fear
I did not tell, it was their last Experiment
Last Year,

When it is May, if May return,
[Had]2 nobody a pang
Lest [in]3 a Face so beautiful
[He]4 might not look again?

If I am there -- One does not know
What Party -- One may be
Tomorrow, but if I am there
I take back all I say --

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   A. Copland •   J. Coulthard 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Copland: "do"
2 Coulthard: "Hath", Copland: "Has"
3 Coulthard, Copland: "on"
4 Copland: "We"

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):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Quan elles retornin", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Quand elles reviennent, si les fleurs reviennent", copyright © 2008, (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 page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 98

Quand elles reviennent, si les fleurs reviennent
Language: French (Français)  after the English 
Quand elles reviennent, si les fleurs reviennent
Je ressens toujours un doute
Que les fleurs puissent renaître
Quand leur beauté est finie

Quand ils commencent, si les merles commencent
J'ai toujours eu une crainte
Je n'ai pas dit que c'était leur dernier
Essai l'an dernier

Quand c'est le mois de Mai, si Mai revient
Personne n'a une crainte
Qu'un visage si beau
Nous ne puissions le revoir.

Si je suis là, on ne sait pas
En quelle compagnie, on peut être
Demain, mais si je suis là
Je retire tout ce que j'ai dit.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2008 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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Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2008-11-09
Line count: 16
Word count: 94