Emily Dickinson's poems in translation/Polish/Hope is the Thing with Feathers/Stanisław Barańczak's translation

The translation

Translation by Stanisław Barańczak	A back translation	The original poem
"Nadzieja" jest tym upierzonym Stworzeniem na gałązce Duszy - co śpiewa melodie Bez słów i nie milknące - W świście Wichru - brzmi uszom najsłodziej - I srogich by trzeba Nawałnic - Aby spłoszyć maleńkiego ptaka, Co tak wielu zdołał ogrzać i nakarmić - Śpiewał mi już na Morzach Obcości - W Krainach Chłodu - Nie żądając w zamian Okruszka - Choć konał z Głodu.	"Hope" is the feathered Creature on the twig Of the Soul – that sings melodies Wordless and never-ending – In the whistle of the Gale – it sounds the sweetest – And harsh must be Storms – To startle the tiny bird That managed to warm and feed so many – It already sang me on the Seas of Strangeness – In the Lands of Chill – Not demanding a Crumb in return – Though it was dying of Hunger.	“Hope” is the 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.