by
Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)
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.
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: 69
Hoffnung ist das gefiedert Ding
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Hoffnung ist das gefiedert Ding,
das in der Seel' sich regt,
und Lieder ohne Worte singt
aufs Neue unentwegt.
Im Sturm klingt's uns am liebsten drein;
und schlimm muss wehn der Wind,
in dem verstummt das Vöglein klein,
bei dem man Wärme findt.
Ich hört's in bitterkaltem Land,
auf unbekanntem Meer;
doch auch, wenn sich's in Not befand,
hat's nie ein Korn begehrt.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-17
Line count: 12
Word count: 63