by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

He fumbles at your Soul
Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE
He fumbles at your Soul
As Players at the Keys
Before they drop full Music on --
He stuns you by Degrees --

Prepares your brittle substance
For the Ethereal Blow
By fainter Hammers -- further heard --
Then nearer -- Then so slow --

Your Breath has time to straighten --
Your Brain -- to bubble cool --
Deals -- One -- imperial Thunderbolt --
That scalps your naked soul --

When Winds take Forests in their Paws --
The Firmaments -- are still --

About the headline (FAQ)

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):

    [ None yet in the database ]

Set in a modified version by Paul Gibson.

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

  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-11-19
Line count: 14
Word count: 70