by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
Translation © by Walter A. Aue

Hope is the thing with feathers
Language: English 
Available translation(s): FRE GER GER
Hope is [the]1 thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

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1 Syderman: "a"; further changes may exist not noted.

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):

  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Walter A. Aue) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Bertram Kottmann) , 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: 12
Word count: 69

Die Hoffnung ist das Federding
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Die Hoffnung ist das Federding,
das in der Seel' sich birgt
und Weisen ohne Worte singt
und niemals müde wird.

Am süß'ten klingt es in den Bö'n -
und schlimm der Sturm der kränkt
und Schaden bringt dem Vögelchen,
das soviel Wärme schenkt.

Ich hab's auf fremd'ster See gehört
und auf der kält'sten Flur;
doch nie hat's in Gefahr begehrt
von mir ein Körnchen nur.

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship:

  • Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2010 by Walter A. Aue, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Walter A. Aue.  Contact: waue (AT) dal (DOT) ca

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This text was added to the website: 2010-01-12
Line count: 12
Word count: 65