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

Going to Heaven!
Language: English 
Our translations:  CAT FRE GER ITA
Going to Heaven!
I don't know when,
Pray do not ask me how, -
Indeed I'm too astonished
To think of answering you!
Going to Heaven! -
How dim it sounds!
And yet it will be done
As sure as flocks go home at night
Unto the shepherd's arm!

Perhaps you're going too!
Who knows?
If you should get there first
Save just a little place for me
Close to the two I lost!
The smallest "robe" will fit me,
And just a bit of "crown";
For you know we do not mind our dress
When we are going home. 

1 I'm glad I don't believe it
For it would stop my breath,
And I'd like to look a little more
At such a curious earth!
I am glad they did believe it
Whom I have never found
Since the mighty autumn afternoon
I left them in the ground.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   A. Copland 

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1 Copland adds here "Going to Heaven!"

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) , "Me’n vaig al cel!", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Je monte au ciel !", 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 text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 27
Word count: 147

Je monte au ciel !
Language: French (Français)  after the English 
Je monte au ciel ! 
Je ne sais pas quand
Je vous en prie, ne me demandez pas comment
Car je suis trop étonnée
Pour penser à vous répondre
Je monte au ciel ! 
Comme cela semble vague
Et pourtant ce sera fait
Aussi sûrement que les troupeaux rentrent le soir
Vers l'abri du berger !

Peut-être montez-vous aussi ! 
Qui sait ?
Si vous y arrivez le premier
Gardez-moi une petite place
Près des deux que j'ai perdus.
La moindre robe m'ira
Et juste une petite couronne
Car vous savez qu'on ne fait pas attention à ses habits
Quand on rentre à la maison.

Je suis contente de ne pas y croire
Car cela arrêterait ma respiration
Et j'aimerais regarder un peu plus
Une si curieuse terre.
Je suis contente qu'ils l'ait cru
Ceux que je n'ai jamais trouvés
Depuis ce sacré après-midi d'automne
Où je les ai laissés sous terre.

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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This text was added to the website: 2008-11-09
Line count: 27
Word count: 147