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.
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):
- by Ronald A. Beckett , "Hope", 2012 [ voice and piano ], from Five Poems by Emily Dickinson, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Leonard Berkowitz (b. 1926), "Hope", published 1968 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Four Songs on Poems of Emily Dickinson, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gordon Ware Binkerd (1916 - 2003), "Hope is the thing with feathers" [ SSAA chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Otto Luening (1900 - 1996), "Hope is the thing with feathers", published 1961 [ medium voice and piano ], from Songs to Poems of Emily Dickinson [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ben Moore (b. 1960), "Hope is the thing with feathers " [ voice and piano ], from Eight Songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928 - 2016), "Hope is the thing with feathers", 1972 [ chorus a cappella ], from Elämän kirja (A Book of Life), no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Starer (1924 - 2001), "Hope is the thing with feathers", published 1977 [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Sydeman (b. 1928), "Hope is a thing with feathers", published 1970 [ soprano or tenor and violoncello ], from Three Songs after Emily Dickinson [sung text not yet checked]
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: 70
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.