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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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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 against a primary source]
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 -- 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 !
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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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- a text in English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Poems by Emily Dickinson, first published 1891
This text was added to the website: 2009-12-18
Line count: 13
Word count: 74