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Because I [could]1 not stop for Death -- He kindly stopped for me -- The carriage held but just ourselves -- and Immortality. We slowly drove -- he knew no haste, And I had put away My labour, and my leisure too For His Civility -- We passed the school, where children played, [ At wrestling in a ring]2 We passed the fields of gazing grain, We passed the setting sun. We paused before a house that seemed a swelling of the ground; The roof was scarcely visible, The cornice but a mound. Since then 'tis centuries; but each Feels shorter than the day I first surmised the horses' heads Were toward eternity.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Copland, Kagen: "would"
2 Copland: "Their lessons scarcely done"
Authorship:
- by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Poems of Emily Dickinson, first published 1890 [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 Coolidge Adams (b. 1947), "Because I could not stop for Death ", 1980-1, first performed 1981 [ chorus and orchestra ], from Harmonium, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Because I could not stop for death", 1990 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ernst Bacon (1898 - 1990), "Immortality", 1978 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Jason Bechtold , "Because I couuld not stop for death" [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Fania Chapiro (1926 - 1994), "Because I could not stop for death", 1988, from Three songs of death, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990), "The chariot", 1949-50, published 1951 [ mezzo-soprano, piano ], from Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson, no. 12 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Leslie Crabtree (b. 1941), "Because I could not stop for Death", 2007 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Sergius Kagen (1909 - 1964), "Because I would not stop for Death", published 1951 [ medium voice, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Tim Silva , "Because I couuld not stop for death", 2008 [ women's chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
Another version of this text exists in the database.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La voiture", copyright © 2008, (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) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "La carrozza", 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: 20
Word count: 108
Poiché non potevo fermarmi per la morte -- fu Lei, gentile, a fermarsi per me -- La carrozza portava noi due soltanto -- e l'Immortalità. Procedevamo lenti - Lei non aveva fretta, e io avevo rinunciato al lavoro e allo svago per la Sua cortesia -- Superammo la scuola dove i bimbi giocavano in cerchio - nell'intervallo - Superammo i campi di stupito frumento Superammo il sole al tramonto - Poi sostammo davanti a una casa, un gonfiore del terreno, alla vista, appena visibile il tetto, l' architrave nient'altro che un tumulo Sono passati i secoli da allora - ma ognuno a me pare più breve del giorno in cui compresi che le teste dei cavalli procedevano verso l'eternità -
Superammo la scuola dove i bimbi giocavano in cerchio - nell'intervallo - Superammo i campi di stupito frumento Superammo il sole al tramonto - O piuttosto fu lui a superarci, e calò la rugiada con un brivido gelido - Ché era solo di garza la mia veste e solo di tulle la mantellina. Poi sostammo davanti a una casa, un gonfiore del terreno, alla vista, appena visibile il tetto, l' architrave a livello di terra.
Authorship:
- Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2011 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886), no title, appears in Poems of Emily Dickinson, first published 1890
This text was added to the website: 2011-09-10
Line count: 20
Word count: 116