# Alkestis · Alcestis

Neue Gedichte · Rainer Maria Rilke · New Poems

Source: https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/alkestis. Data: https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/alkestis.json. Audio: https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/<line id>.m4a.

**1** Da plötzlich war der Bote unter ihnen,  
Then suddenly the messenger was among them,
> Fronted adverb triggers inversion: Da here means 'then, at that point', not 'there'. Fronting da plötzlich pushes the verb war before the subject der Bote, since German keeps the finite verb in second position. The word order shows the messenger arriving mid sentence.

**2** hineingeworfen in das Überkochen  
flung into the boiling-over
> Directional prefix hinein: Hineingeworfen is the past participle of hineinwerfen, 'to throw in, hurl into'. The prefix hinein- marks motion into something and away from the speaker. Überkochen is the noun form of überkochen, 'to boil over', so the phrase reads 'flung into the boiling over'.

**3** des Hochzeitsmahles wie ein neuer Zusatz.  
of the wedding-feast like a fresh ingredient.
> Genitive plus a noun of addition: Zusatz means an 'addition, additive, admixture', something added into a mixture. Des Hochzeitsmahles is genitive, 'of the wedding feast', naming what the Zusatz is added to. Ein neuer Zusatz, 'a fresh addition', describes what is dropped into it.

**4** Sie fühlten nicht, die Trinkenden, des Gottes  
They did not feel, the drinkers, the god's
> Present participle used as noun: Die Trinkenden is the present participle of trinken, 'to drink', used as a plural noun meaning 'the drinkers'. It stands in apposition to sie, 'they', naming who they are. Des Gottes is genitive, 'the god's', and its noun follows in the next line.

**5** heimlichen Eintritt, welcher seine Gottheit  
secret entrance, he who held his godhead
> Formal relative pronoun: Welcher, 'who, which', is a literary alternative to der as a relative pronoun. Here it is masculine nominative, referring back to der Gott and opening the clause that follows. Die Gottheit means 'godhead, divinity'.

**6** so an sich hielt wie einen nassen Mantel  
close about him like a wet cloak
> Idiom for holding close: An sich halten literally means 'to hold to oneself', and idiomatically 'to hold something close' or 'to restrain oneself'. The reflexive sich marks that the holding is done to his own person. Wie einen nassen Mantel, 'like a wet cloak', gives the comparison.

**7** und ihrer einer schien, der oder jener,  
and seemed one of them, this one or that,
> Old genitive partitive phrase: Ihrer is the genitive of sie, 'them', and einer means 'one'; together ihrer einer means 'one of them', an older construction where everyday German now uses einer von ihnen. Der oder jener, 'this one or that', names no particular guest.

**8** wie er so durchging. Aber plötzlich sah  
as he passed through. But suddenly,
> Separable verb sent to clause end: Durchgehen, 'to go through, pass through', splits apart in a main clause but stays whole here because wie introduces a subordinate clause, so durchging moves to the end. The new sentence starts with sah, 'saw', placed before its subject, which arrives two lines later.

**9** mitten im Sprechen einer von den Gästen  
mid-speech, one of the guests caught sight of

**10** den jungen Hausherrn oben an dem Tische  
the young master of the house, high at the table,
> Weak accusative ending: Hausherr means the 'master, head of the household', here the bridegroom king at his own feast. It takes the weak masculine ending -n in the accusative, den Hausherrn. Oben an dem Tische means 'up at the table', the seat of honor.

**11** wie in die Höh gerissen, nicht mehr liegend  
as if torn aloft, no longer reclining,
> Accusative for motion upward: In die Höh(e) means 'up, into the height'; in takes the accusative here because the motion is upward, not rest. Gerissen is the past participle of reißen, 'to tear, wrench', so the phrase means 'wrenched upward'. Rilke shortens Höhe to Höh for the meter.

**12** und überall und mit dem ganzen Wesen  
and everywhere and with his whole being

**13** ein Fremdes spiegelnd, das ihn furchtbar ansprach.  
mirroring a strangeness that addressed him terribly.
> Separable verb sent to clause end: Ansprechen, 'to address, speak to', splits apart in a main clause, but the relative clause das ihn furchtbar ansprach sends the whole verb to the end. Ein Fremdes is the adjective fremd, 'strange', used as a neuter noun meaning 'a strangeness'.

**14** Und gleich darauf, als klärte sich die Mischung,  
And straightaway, as though the mixture cleared,
> Als introduces a comparison clause: Als followed directly by an inverted verb means 'as though', short for als ob. Klärte is the past subjunctive of klären, 'to clear, settle'; the reflexive sich klären means 'to clear, become clear', as a liquid settles.

**15** war Stille; nur mit einem Satz am Boden  
there was silence; only with a sediment at the bottom
> Satz meaning sediment: Satz has several meanings; paired with am Boden, 'at the bottom', it means the 'dregs, lees, sediment' that settle out of a liquid. The same noun elsewhere means 'leap' or 'sentence', but here it names what is left after a mixture clears.

**16** von trübem Lärm und einem Niederschlag  
of murky noise and a precipitate
> Precipitate from a settling mixture: Niederschlag names what settles or precipitates out of a mixture, like sediment or fallout. Trübem Lärm means 'murky, cloudy noise'. Together the phrase treats the feast's noise as a cloudiness that drops out as residue.

**17** fallenden Lallens, schon verdorben riechend  
of falling babble, already smelling spoiled
> Nominalized verb for babble: Lallen means 'to babble, slur one's words', the speech of someone very drunk; das Lallen turns it into a noun, 'the babbling'. Fallenden Lallens is genitive, 'of falling babble', continuing the chain of genitives after Niederschlag. Verdorben riechend means 'smelling spoiled'.

**18** nach dumpfem umgestandenen Gelächter.  
of dull, stagnant laughter gone stale.
> Gone stale like standing liquid: Umgestanden, from umstehen, describes a liquid that has stood too long and gone flat or stale. Applied to Gelächter, 'laughter', it treats the merriment as something that has sat and soured. Dumpf means 'dull, muffled, musty'; nach, 'of', governs this phrase from riechend in the line before.

**19** Und da erkannten sie den schlanken Gott,  
And then they knew the slender god,
> Recognizing through the prefix er: Erkennen means 'to recognize, perceive, make out', stronger than plain kennen, 'to know'; the prefix er- marks arriving at knowledge. Da erkannten sie means 'then they recognized'. Der schlanke Gott, 'the slender god', is the disguised messenger named at last.

**20** und wie er dastand, innerlich voll Sendung  
and how he stood there, inwardly full of mission,
> Separable verb sent to clause end: Dastehen, 'to stand there', splits apart in a main clause, but the wie-clause wie er dastand keeps the verb whole at the end. Die Sendung means 'mission, errand, what one is sent to do', from senden, 'to send'.

**21** und unerbittlich,–wußten sie es beinah.  
and inexorable,—they knew it almost.
> Inexorable, unable to be begged: Unerbittlich means 'inexorable, relentless, not to be entreated', built on erbitten, 'to obtain by asking'. The source text runs a comma directly into a dash with no space, which merges this word with the next, wußten, into one token in the parse.

**22** Und doch, als es gesagt war, war es mehr  
And yet, once it was spoken, it was more
> Als marks a single past event: Here als is the conjunction 'when, once', marking a single past event rather than a comparison, and it sends the verb to the clause end: als es gesagt war means 'once it had been spoken'. Es war gesagt is the passive of sagen, 'to say'.

**23** als alles Wissen, gar nicht zu begreifen.  
than all knowing, not to be grasped at all.
> An infinitive with passive meaning: Zu begreifen with no subject carries a passive sense, 'to be grasped, comprehensible'. Gar nicht zu begreifen means 'not at all to be grasped'. Gar nicht intensifies the negative, meaning 'not in the least'.

**24** Admet muß sterben. Wann? In dieser Stunde.  
Admetos must die. When? In this very hour.


**25** Der aber brach die Schale seines Schreckens  
But he broke the shell of his terror
> Der used as a pronoun: Der opens the stanza as a stressed demonstrative pronoun meaning 'he, that one', referring to Admetos, not as an article. German can begin a sentence with der, die, or das to mean 'he, she, it' with emphasis. Die Schale means 'shell, husk, bowl'.

**26** in Stücken ab und streckte seine Hände  
to pieces and stretched out his hands
> Separable verb split across lines: The verb here is abbrechen, 'to break off, snap off', split across the line break: brach die Schale in Stücken ab means 'broke the shell off in pieces'. The prefix ab- lands at the start of this line. In Stücken means 'in pieces, to bits'.

**27** heraus aus ihr, um mit dem Gott zu handeln.  
out of it, to bargain with the god.
> Um plus zu for purpose: Um ... zu plus an infinitive expresses purpose: um mit dem Gott zu handeln means 'in order to deal with the god'. Handeln means both 'to act' and 'to trade, haggle'. Heraus aus ihr means 'out of it', referring back to the shell.

**28** Um Jahre, um ein einzig Jahr noch Jugend,  
For years, for one single year more of youth,
> Um means for in bargaining: In haggling, um means 'for', naming the amount bargained over: um Jahre means 'for years'. Ein einzig Jahr drops the ending of einziges, 'single', for the meter, giving 'one single year'.

**29** um Monate, um Wochen, um paar Tage,  
for months, for weeks, for a few days,

**30** ach, Tage nicht, um Nächte, nur um eine,  
ah, not days, for nights, only for one,

**31** um eine Nacht, um diese nur: um die.  
for one night, for this one only: for this.
> A stressed demonstrative pronoun: The bare die at the end of the line is a stressed demonstrative, 'this one, that very one', not an article, since it has no noun attached. Um diese nur, um die means 'for this one only, for this'.

**32** Der Gott verneinte, und da schrie er auf  
The god said no, and then he cried out
> Separable verb aufschreien: Aufschreien, 'to cry out, scream out', splits apart: da schrie er auf means 'then he cried out', with the prefix auf- placed at the end of the line. Verneinen means 'to deny, say no, refuse', from nein, 'no'.

**33** und schrie's hinaus und hielt es nicht und schrie,  
and screamed it out and could not hold it and screamed,
> Clitic 's fuses onto a verb: Schrie's is schrie es, 'screamed it', with es contracted onto the verb as 's, a colloquial form Rilke keeps for meter and speed. The verb is separable hinausschreien, 'to scream out', with the prefix hinaus- at the line's end.

**34** wie seine Mutter aufschrie beim Gebären.  
as his mother cried out in giving birth.
> Beim plus nominalized infinitive: Beim, short for bei dem, plus a capitalized infinitive describes an action in progress, 'while doing something'. Das Gebären turns gebären, 'to give birth', into a noun, so beim Gebären means 'in giving birth, while bearing'.


**35** Und die trat zu ihm, eine alte Frau,  
And she stepped up to him, an old woman,
> Die as demonstrative subject: Die here is a stressed demonstrative pronoun meaning 'she, that one', naming the mother, given in apposition as eine alte Frau, 'an old woman'. Trat zu ihm comes from separable zutreten, 'to step up to', with zu taking the dative ihm, 'to him'.

**36** und auch der Vater kam, der alte Vater,  
and the father came too, the old father,

**37** und beide standen, alt, veraltet, ratlos,  
and both stood, old, outworn, at a loss,
> From old to outworn: Alt means 'old'; veraltet, from veralten, 'to grow obsolete', means 'outdated, antiquated', past mere age and past usefulness. Ratlos means 'at a loss, helpless', literally 'without counsel'.

**38** beim Schreienden, der plötzlich, wie noch nie  
beside the screaming man, who suddenly, as never before
> A participle used as a noun: Der Schreiende is the present participle of schreien, 'to scream', used as a noun meaning 'the one who is screaming'. After bei, 'beside', it takes the dative form beim Schreienden. Wie noch nie means 'as never before'.

**39** so nah, sie ansah, abbrach, schluckte, sagte:  
so near, looked at them, broke off, swallowed, said:
> A string of bare past verbs: Four past-tense verbs appear with no conjunctions between them: ansah, 'looked at', from separable ansehen; abbrach, 'broke off'; schluckte, 'swallowed'; sagte, 'said'. Sie, 'them', is the shared object of ansah. Sagte introduces the direct speech after the colon.

**40** Vater,  
Father,

**41** liegt dir denn viel daran an diesem Rest,  
do you really care so much about this remnant,
> Idiom for caring about something: Mir liegt an etwas is the idiom 'it matters to me, I care about it'. The dative dir, 'to you', names who cares, while daran and an diesem Rest both point to what is cared about, 'this remnant'. Denn is a particle marking a real, pressing question.

**42** an diesem Satz, der dich beim Schlingen hindert?  
this sediment that gets in the way of your gulping?
> Satz meaning sediment again: Satz here again means 'dregs, sediment', as earlier in the poem. Der dich beim Schlingen hindert means 'that hinders you in gulping'. Schlingen means 'to gulp, gobble, gorge'.

**43** Geh, gieß ihn weg. Und du, du alte Frau,  
Go, pour it out. And you, you old woman,
> Imperative of weggießen: Gieß ... weg is the du-form imperative of weggießen, 'to pour away, pour out', with the prefix weg-, 'away', placed at the end. Ihn, masculine accusative, refers back to der Rest or der Satz from the lines before.

**44** Matrone,  
matron,
> A formal, ceremonial title: Matrone means 'matron', a dignified married or elderly woman, with a formal, ceremonial tone. It stands alone on its own line as a second address to the mother, after du alte Frau.

**45** was tust du denn noch hier: du hast geboren.  
what are you still doing here: you have given birth.
> Present perfect with haben: Du hast geboren is the present perfect of gebären, 'to bear, give birth': 'you have given birth'. German forms this tense with haben plus a past participle at the end of the clause. The particle denn in was tust du denn noch hier adds emphasis, not a literal meaning.

**46** Und beide hielt er sie wie Opfertiere  
And he held them both like sacrificial beasts
> Compound noun for sacrificial animal: Opfertiere compounds das Opfer, 'sacrifice, victim', and das Tier, 'animal', giving 'sacrificial animals'. Beide and sie both refer to the same pair, doubling the object of hielt, 'held', for stress: 'both of them he held'.

**47** in einem Griff. Auf einmal ließ er los  
in a single grip. All at once he let go
> Separable verb loslassen: Loslassen, 'to let go, release', splits in a main clause. Ließ er los means 'he let go', with the prefix los- pushed to the end of the clause. Auf einmal is the fixed phrase 'all at once, suddenly'.

**48** und stieß die Alten fort, voll Einfall, strahlend  
and thrust the old ones away, full of a sudden idea, radiant
> Noun from einfallen: Der Einfall, 'a sudden idea, a brainwave', comes from einfallen, 'to occur to one'. Voll Einfall means 'full of a sudden idea'. Stieß die Alten fort is the separable verb fortstoßen, 'to shove away', with fort at the end.

**49** und atemholend, rufend: Kreon, Kreon!  
and drawing breath, calling: Kreon, Kreon!

**50** Und nichts als das; und nichts als diesen Namen.  
And nothing but that; and nothing but this name.
> This phrase means only: Nichts als means 'nothing but, only'. Diesen Namen is accusative because it follows als; der Name is a weak masculine noun, adding -n in every case but the nominative, so Name becomes Namen here.

**51** Aber in seinem Antlitz stand das andere,  
But in his face stood the other thing,
> Literary word for face: Das Antlitz is an elevated, literary word for 'face, countenance'; everyday German uses das Gesicht. Das andere means 'the other thing'. Stand, 'stood', describes an expression fixed on a face.

**52** das er nicht sagte, namenlos erwartend,  
which he did not say, awaiting it namelessly,

**53** wie ers dem jungen Freunde, dem Geliebten,  
as he, glowing, held it out across the cluttered table
> Dative indirect object: Dem jungen Freunde and dem Geliebten are both dative, 'to the young friend, the beloved', the indirect object of a verb completed on the next line. Freunde keeps an older dative ending in -e. Der Geliebte, 'the beloved one', is an adjective used as a noun. Ers fuses er and es, 'he it'.

**54** erglühend hinhielt übern wirren Tisch.  
to the young friend, the beloved.
> Separable verb in subordinate clause: Hinhalten, 'to hold out, offer toward', splits in a main clause but stays together at the end of this wie-clause: wie ers hinhielt means 'as he held it out'. Erglühend, 'glowing', is a present participle. Übern contracts über den, 'over the'.


**55** Die Alten (stand da), siehst du, sind kein Loskauf,  
The old ones (it stood there), you see, are no ransom,
> Noun from loskaufen: Der Loskauf, 'ransom, redemption', comes from loskaufen, 'to buy free, redeem'. Kein Loskauf means 'no ransom'. Stand da is a parenthetical, 'it stood there', and siehst du means 'you see'.

**56** sie sind verbraucht und schlecht und beinah wertlos,  
they are used up and bad and nearly worthless,
> Past participle used as adjective: Verbraucht is the past participle of verbrauchen, 'to use up, consume', used here as an adjective meaning 'used up, worn out'. It is joined by und to schlecht, 'bad', and beinah wertlos, 'nearly worthless'. Beinah means 'nearly'.

**57** du aber, du, in deiner ganzen Schönheit–  
but you, you, in all your beauty—
> Repeated pronoun for contrast: The doubled du, 'you', with the contrastive aber, 'but, however', shifts the address from one subject to another. The line ends on a dash after Schönheit, 'beauty', leaving the sentence unfinished. The dash is kept as Rilke wrote it.


**58** Da aber sah er seinen Freund nicht mehr.  
But then he saw his friend no longer.
> No longer true: Nicht mehr means 'no longer, not any more', implying something was true before and now is not. Da aber sah er ... nicht mehr means 'but then he saw ... no longer'. Aber marks a turn in the sentence.

**59** Er blieb zurück, und das, was kam, war sie,  
He stayed behind, and what came was she,
> Separable verb zurückbleiben: Zurückbleiben, 'to stay behind, remain', splits in a main clause: er blieb zurück means 'he stayed behind', with zurück at the end. Das, was kam, war sie uses a cleft construction, 'that which came was she', putting weight on sie, 'she', at the end of the clause.

**60** ein wenig kleiner fast, als er sie kannte,  
a little smaller, almost, than he had known her,

**61** und leicht und traurig in dem bleichen Brautkleid.  
and light and sad in the pale bridal gown.
> Compound noun for wedding dress: Das Brautkleid compounds die Braut, 'bride', and das Kleid, 'dress', giving 'wedding dress, bridal gown'. Bleich means 'pale, wan'. Leicht, 'light', and traurig, 'sad', both describe the same subject.

**62** Die andern alle sind nur ihre Gasse,  
All the others are only her lane,
> Gasse as a parted path: Die Gasse is a narrow 'lane, alley', and also names the lane a crowd opens when it parts, as in the phrase eine Gasse bilden. Ihre Gasse means 'her lane'. Die andern alle sind nur ihre Gasse means 'all the others are only her lane'.

**63** durch die sie kommt und kommt–: (gleich wird sie da sein  
through which she comes and comes—: (in a moment she will be there
> Repeated verb for ongoing action: Repeating a verb, kommt und kommt, 'comes and comes, keeps coming', stretches the action out over time. Gleich here is a time adverb, 'in a moment, right away'. Wird sie da sein is the future tense, 'she will be there'.

**64** in seinen Armen, die sich schmerzhaft auftun).  
in his arms, which painfully open).
> Reflexive separable verb at clause end: Sich auftun, 'to open up, open out', is both reflexive and separable. In the relative clause die sich schmerzhaft auftun, the whole verb moves to the end: 'which open themselves painfully'. Schmerzhaft means 'painfully'.

**65** Doch wie er wartet, spricht sie; nicht zu ihm.  
Yet as he waits, she speaks; not to him.
> Wie meaning as or while: Wie here is temporal, meaning 'as, while', and sends the verb to the end of its clause: wie er wartet means 'as he waits'. Doch means 'yet, but'. Nicht zu ihm means 'not to him', using zu plus the dative ihm.

**66** Sie spricht zum Gotte, und der Gott vernimmt sie,  
She speaks to the god, and the god hears her,
> Elevated verb for hearing: Vernehmen, here vernimmt, is an elevated word for 'to hear, perceive, take in', more formal than hören. Zum Gotte is zu dem Gotte with an older dative ending in -e on Gott.

**67** und alle hörens gleichsam erst im Gotte:  
and all of them hear it, as it were, only in the god:
> A softening comparison word: Gleichsam means 'as it were, so to speak', softening the claim that follows. Hörens fuses hören and the clitic 's, standing for es, 'it': 'hear it'. Erst here means 'only, not until'.


**68** Ersatz kann keiner für ihn sein. Ich bins.  
No one can be a substitute for him. I am.
> Noun for substitute: Der Ersatz means 'substitute, replacement, stand-in'. Keiner means 'no one'. Ich bins fuses ich bin and the clitic 's, standing for es: 'I am it, I am the one'.

**69** Ich bin Ersatz. Denn keiner ist zu Ende,  
I am the substitute. For no one is at an end,
> Idiom for being finished: Zu Ende sein is the idiom 'to be at an end, finished, over'. Keiner ist zu Ende means 'no one is at an end'. Denn, 'for, because', is a coordinating conjunction, so it does not change the word order of the clause that follows.

**70** wie ich es bin. Was bleibt mir denn von dem,  
the way I am. For what is left to me of

**71** was ich hier war? Das ists ja, daß ich sterbe.  
what I was here? That is just it, that I am dying.
> Particle ja for emphasis: Das ists ja fuses das ist and the clitic 's, standing for es, giving 'that is it'. Here ja means 'just, precisely', not 'yes'. Daß ich sterbe, 'that I am dying', is a subordinate clause with the verb at the end; daß is the older spelling of dass.

**72** Hat sie dirs nicht gesagt, da sie dirs auftrug,  
Did she not tell you, when she charged you with it,
> Separable verb with da meaning when: Auftragen, 'to charge, commission, entrust a task', splits in a main clause but stays whole at the end of this da-clause, where da means 'when': da sie dirs auftrug means 'when she charged you with it'. Dirs fuses dir and es, 'it to you'.

**73** daß jenes Lager, das da drinnen wartet,  
that the bed that waits in there
> Noun for bed or resting place: Das Lager means 'bed, couch, resting-place'. Jenes is the demonstrative 'that, yonder'. Das da drinnen wartet means 'that waits in there', describing Lager.

**74** zur Unterwelt gehört? Ich nahm ja Abschied.  
belongs to the underworld? I have taken my leave.
> Set phrase for taking leave: Abschied nehmen is the set phrase 'to take leave, say goodbye'; der Abschied means 'farewell, parting'. Ich nahm ja Abschied means 'I did take my leave', with ja adding emphasis. Zur Unterwelt gehören means 'to belong to the underworld', using zu plus the dative.

**75** Abschied über Abschied.  
Farewell upon farewell.
> Über for one upon another: Abschied über Abschied uses über, 'over, upon', to stack one instance of a noun on another, here 'farewell upon farewell'. The phrase has no verb and stands alone on its own line.

**76** Kein Sterbender nimmt mehr davon. Ich ging ja,  
No dying person takes more of it than I. I went,
> Participle used as a noun: Der Sterbende is the present participle of sterben, 'to die', used as a noun meaning 'a dying person, one who is dying'. Davon means 'of it', referring back to Abschied. Ja in ich ging ja adds emphasis, not a new meaning.

**77** damit das alles, unter dem begraben,  
so that all of it, buried beneath which
> A purpose conjunction sends verb last: Damit is a subordinating conjunction meaning 'so that, in order that', and it sends the verb of its clause to the end. That verb, zergeht, appears two lines later. Unter dem begraben means 'buried beneath which'.

**78** der jetzt mein Gatte ist, zergeht, sich auflöst–.  
the one who is now my husband—may decay, dissolve—.
> Two verbs for dissolving: Zergehen means 'to melt away, dissolve', and sich auflösen means 'to dissolve, break up, come undone'. Both verbs close the same subordinate clause. Der Gatte is an elevated word for 'husband, spouse'.

**79** So für mich hin: ich sterbe ja für ihn.  
Like this, away into myself: for I die for him.
> Idiom for speaking to oneself: Vor sich hin is the idiom for speaking or acting to oneself, as in vor sich hin reden, 'to murmur to oneself'; Rilke writes für mich hin instead. So für mich hin means 'just like this, off into myself'. Ja in ich sterbe ja für ihn adds emphasis to the plain fact stated.


**80** Und wie der Wind auf hoher See, der umspringt,  
And as the wind on the high sea, which veers about,
> Separable verb umspringen: Umspringen, said of wind, means 'to shift, veer round suddenly'. It splits in a main clause but stays whole at the end of this relative clause: der umspringt, 'which veers about'. Auf hoher See is a fixed phrase, 'on the open sea', with an older strong adjective ending.

**81** so trat der Gott fast wie zu einer Toten  
so the god stepped, almost as to a dead woman,
> Adjective used as a noun: Die Tote, 'the dead woman', is an adjective used as a noun, here dative after zu: zu einer Toten means 'to a dead woman'. Fast wie means 'nearly as', conceding the comparison is not exact. Trat comes from treten, 'to step'.

**82** und war auf einmal weit von ihrem Gatten,  
and was all at once far from her husband,

**83** dem er, versteckt in einem kleinen Zeichen,  
to whom he, hidden within a small sign,
> Dative relative pronoun: Dem is the dative relative pronoun 'to whom', referring back to an earlier noun. Its clause runs over two lines and ends with a verb on the next line. Versteckt in einem kleinen Zeichen means 'hidden in a small sign', versteckt being a past participle.

**84** die hundert Leben dieser Erde zuwarf.  
tossed the hundred lives of this earth.
> Separable verb zuwerfen: Zuwerfen, 'to throw to, toss to someone', splits in a main clause, but here a relative clause sends it to the end: dem er ... zuwarf means 'to whom he tossed'. The prefix zu- marks throwing toward a recipient. Die hundert Leben dieser Erde means 'the hundred lives of this earth'.

**85** Der stürzte taumelnd zu den beiden hin  
He lurched, reeling, toward the two of them
> Separable verb hinstürzen: Hinstürzen, 'to rush toward, plunge headlong', splits: der stürzte ... hin means 'he plunged toward', with the prefix hin- at the end. Taumelnd, 'reeling, staggering', is a present participle. Der here is a demonstrative pronoun standing for 'he'.

**86** und griff nach ihnen wie im Traum. Sie gingen  
and grasped at them as if in a dream. They were already
> Verb plus preposition greifen nach: Greifen nach, 'to reach for, grasp at', takes nach with the dative, here ihnen, 'at them'. Wie im Traum means 'as in a dream'. Sie gingen begins a new sentence, using gehen in a durative sense, 'were going, walking on'.

**87** schon auf den Eingang zu, in dem die Frauen  
moving toward the entrance, in which the women
> Separable verb split by a phrase: auf etwas zugehen, 'to walk toward something', is separable. Its parts frame the goal: auf den Eingang, 'toward the entrance', sits between auf and the closing zu. gingen ... zu together mean 'were walking toward'.

**88** verweint sich drängten. Aber einmal sah  
crowded, tear-stained. But once
> Adjective built on weinen: verweint is an adjective built on weinen, 'to cry', describing a face red and swollen from crying, so 'tear stained'. sich drängen is the reflexive verb 'to crowd, to press together', describing the women in the doorway.

**89** er noch des Mädchens Antlitz, das sich wandte  
he saw once more the girl's face, which turned
> Genitive noun placed before its noun: des Mädchens is the genitive of das Mädchen, 'the girl', meaning 'the girl's'. It is placed before its noun Antlitz, 'face', giving des Mädchens Antlitz, 'the girl's face', instead of the usual das Antlitz des Mädchens.

**90** mit einem Lächeln, hell wie eine Hoffnung,  
with a smile, bright as a hope,

**91** die beinah ein Versprechen war: erwachsen  
that was almost a promise: grown,
> The noun for promise: das Versprechen, 'a promise', comes from the verb versprechen, 'to promise'. It is nominative, following war, 'was': ein Versprechen war means 'was a promise'.

**92** zurückzukommen aus dem tiefen Tode  
to come back out of the deep death
> zu splits a separable infinitive: zurückkommen, 'to come back, to return', is a separable verb. In a zu infinitive, zu goes between the prefix and the stem, giving zurück zu kommen, written as one word, zurückzukommen, 'to come back'.

**93** zu ihm, dem Lebenden–  
to him, the living one—
> Adjective used as a noun: der Lebende, 'the living one', is the adjective lebend, 'living', used as a noun, from the verb leben, 'to live'. Here it is dative, dem Lebenden, standing in apposition to ihm, 'to him'.


**94** Da schlug er jäh  
Then abruptly he struck
> Adverb for sudden: jäh is an adverb meaning 'abrupt, sudden'. It describes how he struck, schlug, from schlagen, 'to strike, to beat': Da schlug er jäh means 'then he struck abruptly'.

**95** die Hände vors Gesicht, wie er so kniete,  
his hands before his face, as he knelt there,
> vor takes the accusative for motion: vors is short for vor das, 'before the'. vor takes the accusative case here, das Gesicht, 'the face', because the hands move to a new position rather than resting in one. vors Gesicht means 'before the face'.

**96** um nichts zu sehen mehr nach diesem Lächeln.  
so as to see nothing more after that smile.
> um zu states a purpose: um plus an infinitive with zu states a purpose: um nichts zu sehen means 'in order to see nothing'. mehr, 'more', is placed after sehen for the line, so nichts ... mehr together mean 'nothing more'.

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Source text: public domain (Rainer Maria Rilke, died 1926; Neue Gedichte published 1907 and 1908), from Wikisource. English translation and notes: © 2026 1732 Studios, LLC. Narration: synthesized for this edition.