Une horrible tempête brassait l'air

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by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

Translation © by Guy Laffaille

An awful Tempest mashed the air

Language: English

Our translations: FRE GER ITA

An awful Tempest mashed the air --
The clouds were gaunt, and few --
A Black -- as of a Spectre's Cloak
Hid Heaven and Earth from view.

The creatures chuckled on the Roofs --
And whistled in the air --
And shook their fists --
And gnashed their teeth --
And swung their frenzied hair.

The morning lit -- the Birds arose --
The Monster's faded eyes
Turned slowly to his native coast --
And peace -- was Paradise!

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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 John Woods Duke (1899 - 1984), "An awful tempest mashed the air", 1968, published 1978 [ soprano and piano ], from Six Poems by Emily Dickinson, no. 4, Southern Music Publishing Co. Inc., New York and Peer Musikverlag GMbH, Hamburg [sung text not yet checked]

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

FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Una tempesta orribile", copyright © 2009, (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: 13
Word count: 69

Une horrible tempête brassait l'air

Language: French (Français) after the English

Une horrible tempête brassait l'air --
Les nuages étaient lugubres, et peu nombreux --
Du Noir -- comme un manteau de spectre
Cachait Ciel et Terre de la vue --

Les créatures gloussaient sur les Toits --
Et sifflaient dans l'air --
Et secouaient leurs poings -- 
Et grinçaient des dents --
Et balançaient leur chevelure frénétique --

Le matin s'éclaira -- les Oiseaux se levèrent --
Les yeux baissés du Monstre
Se tournèrent lentement vers sa côte natale --
Et la paix -- devint Paradis !

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2009 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:

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: 2009-12-18
Line count: 13
Word count: 73