{"work":{"slug":"rilke","title":{"source":"Neue Gedichte","translated":"New Poems"},"author":"Rainer Maria Rilke","language":"German","languageCode":"de","url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke"},"unit":{"kind":"poem","number":null,"id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen","title":{"source":"Aus dem Leben eines Heiligen","translated":"From the Life of a Saint"},"section":"New Poems: The Other Part","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen","lines":16},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/die-irren","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/die-bettler","license":"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.","audioBase":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/","lines":[{"number":1,"label":"1","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s1-l1","source":"Er kannte Ängste, deren Eingang schon","translation":"He knew dreads whose very entrance","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Ängste, deren Eingang","title":"Genitive relative pronoun deren","body":"deren is the genitive relative pronoun, 'whose, of which', agreeing with the plural antecedent Ängste, 'dreads, fears'. German marks possession in a relative clause with dessen for masculine or neuter singular and deren for feminine singular and all plurals."}],"words":[{"surface":"Er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on kannte","gloss":"He"},{"surface":"kannte","lemma":"kennen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"knew"},{"surface":"Ängste","lemma":"Angst","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on kannte","gloss":"dreads"},{"surface":"deren","lemma":"der","morphology":"relative pronoun, genitive, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Eingang","gloss":"whose"},{"surface":"Eingang","lemma":"Eingang","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of war","gloss":"entrance"},{"surface":"schon","lemma":"schon","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on war","gloss":"already"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s1-l2","source":"wie Sterben war und nicht zu überstehen.","translation":"was already like dying, and not to be survived.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"nicht zu überstehen","title":"sein zu plus infinitive, passive sense","body":"zu überstehen is the infinitive of überstehen, 'to get through, to survive', with zu. After sein, war, this sein zu construction carries a passive, modal meaning: 'was not to be survived'. überstehen is inseparable, so über- never splits off."}],"words":[{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on war","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"Sterben","lemma":"sterben","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"dying"},{"surface":"war","lemma":"sein","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"was"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on war","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"nicht","lemma":"nicht","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on überstehen","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"zu","lemma":"zu","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on überstehen","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"überstehen","lemma":"überstehen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on und","gloss":"survived"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s1-l3","source":"Sein Herz erlernte, langsam durchzugehen;","translation":"His heart learned, slowly, to pass all the way through;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"durchzugehen","title":"zu wedged inside a separable verb","body":"durchgehen, 'to go through', is a separable-prefix verb. In a zu-infinitive, zu is wedged between prefix and stem: durch-zu-gehen. erlernen means 'to learn thoroughly, to master'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Sein","lemma":"sein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Herz","gloss":"His"},{"surface":"Herz","lemma":"Herz","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of erlernte","gloss":"heart"},{"surface":"erlernte","lemma":"erlernen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"learned"},{"surface":"langsam","lemma":"langsam","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on durchzugehen","gloss":"slowly"},{"surface":"durchzugehen","lemma":"durchgehen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on erlernte","gloss":"to pass all the way through"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s1-l4","source":"er zog es groß wie einen Sohn.","translation":"he reared it up like a son.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"zog es groß","title":"Separable verb for raising a child","body":"großziehen, literally 'to pull big', is the ordinary verb for raising a child or animal. It is separable, so the prefix groß stands apart from the past tense zog, from ziehen, 'to pull'."}],"words":[{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on zog","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"zog","lemma":"ziehen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"reared"},{"surface":"es","lemma":"es","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on zog","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"groß","lemma":"groß","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on zog","gloss":"up","note":"'groß ziehen' = 'to raise, rear up.'"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Sohn","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"einen","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Sohn","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Sohn","lemma":"Sohn","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"son"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s2-l1","source":"Und namenlose Nöte kannte er,","translation":"And nameless straits he knew,","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"namenlose Nöte","title":"Plural noun for dire hardship","body":"die Not, plural Nöte, means 'distress, hardship, dire need'. namenlos means 'nameless', and idiomatically 'unspeakable, immense'. namenlose Nöte are torments too vast to be named."}],"words":[{"surface":"Und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on kannte","gloss":"And"},{"surface":"namenlose","lemma":"namenlos","morphology":"adjective, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Nöte","gloss":"nameless"},{"surface":"Nöte","lemma":"Not","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on kannte","gloss":"straits"},{"surface":"kannte","lemma":"kennen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"knew"},{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on kannte","gloss":"he"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s2-l2","source":"finster und ohne Morgen wie Verschläge;","translation":"dark and without morning, like boarded-up stalls;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Verschläge","title":"Plural noun for boarded stalls","body":"der Verschlag is a rough, boarded-off enclosure, a partitioned cubbyhole, crate, or windowless stall. The plural Verschläge names a row of such dark boxes, matching finster und ohne Morgen, 'dark and without morning'."}],"words":[{"surface":"finster","lemma":"finster","morphology":"adjective","role":"depends on Nöte","gloss":"dark"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on finster","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"ohne","lemma":"ohne","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on und","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"Morgen","lemma":"Morgen","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on ohne","gloss":"morning"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Verschläge","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"Verschläge","lemma":"Verschlag","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Nöte","gloss":"boarded-up stalls"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s2-l3","source":"und seine Seele gab er folgsam her,","translation":"and his soul he gave up obediently,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"gab … her","title":"Separable verb hergeben","body":"hergeben means 'to give up, to hand over'. It is separable: the prefix her drops to the clause end, leaving gab, past of geben, in second position, gab er ... her. folgsam means 'obedient, biddable'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on gab","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"seine","lemma":"sein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Seele","gloss":"his"},{"surface":"Seele","lemma":"Seele","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on gab","gloss":"soul"},{"surface":"gab","lemma":"geben","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"gave"},{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on gab","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"folgsam","lemma":"folgsam","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on gab","gloss":"obediently"},{"surface":"her","lemma":"hergeben","morphology":"separable verb particle","role":"depends on gab","gloss":"up","note":"'gab...her' = separable verb 'hergeben' (give up, surrender)."}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s2-l4","source":"da sie erwachsen war, auf daß sie läge","translation":"now that she was grown, so that she might lie","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"auf daß sie läge","title":"Archaic conjunction of purpose","body":"auf daß is an archaic conjunction of purpose meaning 'so that, in order that'; modern German would use damit. It governs läge, the past subjunctive of liegen, 'to lie'. sie refers to die Seele, 'the soul', grammatically feminine."}],"words":[{"surface":"da","lemma":"da","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on war","gloss":"now that"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"she"},{"surface":"erwachsen","lemma":"erwachsen","morphology":"adjective","role":"depends on war","gloss":"grown"},{"surface":"war","lemma":"sein","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"was"},{"surface":"auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on läge","gloss":"so"},{"surface":"daß","lemma":"daß","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on läge","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on läge","gloss":"she"},{"surface":"läge","lemma":"liegen","morphology":"verb, past, subjunctive, third-person, singular","role":"depends on daß","gloss":"might lie"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s3-l1","source":"bei ihrem Bräutigam und Herrn; und blieb","translation":"beside her bridegroom and lord; and he stayed","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"bei ihrem Bräutigam und Herrn","title":"bei always takes the dative","body":"bei, 'beside, with', always takes the dative: ihrem Bräutigam und Herrn is dative masculine. der Bräutigam means 'bridegroom'. The final -n on Herrn is the weak-noun dative ending of der Herr, 'lord'."}],"words":[{"surface":"bei","lemma":"bei","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on läge","gloss":"beside"},{"surface":"ihrem","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Bräutigam","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"Bräutigam","lemma":"Bräutigam","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on bei","gloss":"bridegroom"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on Bräutigam","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"Herrn","lemma":"Herr","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"lord"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on blieb","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"blieb","lemma":"bleiben","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stayed"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s3-l2","source":"allein zurück an einem solchen Orte,","translation":"behind, alone, in such a place,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"blieb … zurück","title":"Separable verb split by enjambment","body":"blieb, which ended the previous line, belongs to zurückbleiben, 'to remain behind', whose prefix zurück opens this line. an einem solchen Orte is dative, 'in such a place'; the -e on Orte is an older dative ending, now usually dropped."}],"words":[{"surface":"allein","lemma":"allein","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on blieb","gloss":"alone"},{"surface":"zurück","lemma":"zurück","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on blieb","gloss":"behind"},{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on blieb","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"einem","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Orte","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"solchen","lemma":"solcher","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Orte","gloss":"such"},{"surface":"Orte","lemma":"Ort","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on an","gloss":"place"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s3-l3","source":"wo das Alleinsein alles übertrieb,","translation":"where the being-alone outdid all measure,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"das Alleinsein","title":"Infinitive turned into a noun","body":"allein sein, 'to be alone', becomes the neuter noun das Alleinsein, 'the being-alone, the solitude'. übertrieb is the past of übertreiben, 'to exaggerate, to carry to excess'; here the solitude is the subject of that verb."}],"words":[{"surface":"wo","lemma":"wo","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on übertrieb","gloss":"where"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Alleinsein","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Alleinsein","lemma":"Alleinsein","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of übertrieb","gloss":"being-alone"},{"surface":"alles","lemma":"alle","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on übertrieb","gloss":"all measure"},{"surface":"übertrieb","lemma":"übertreiben","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"outdid"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s3-l4","source":"und wohnte weit und wollte niemals Worte.","translation":"and dwelt far off and never wanted words.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s3-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"wohnte weit … wollte niemals Worte","title":"Verb for settled dwelling","body":"wohnen means 'to dwell, to live somewhere', stronger than merely staying. wohnte weit means 'dwelt far off'. wollte niemals Worte means 'never wanted words', from wollen, 'to want', and das Wort, 'word'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on wohnte","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"wohnte","lemma":"wohnen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"dwelt"},{"surface":"weit","lemma":"weit","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on wohnte","gloss":"far off"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on wohnte","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"wollte","lemma":"wollen","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"wanted"},{"surface":"niemals","lemma":"niemals","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on wollte","gloss":"never"},{"surface":"Worte","lemma":"Wort","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on wollte","gloss":"words"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s4-l1","source":"Aber dafür, nach Zeit und Zeit, erfuhr","translation":"But in return, after time on time, he came to know","stanza":4,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s4-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"dafür … erfuhr","title":"erfahren for coming to know","body":"dafür here means 'in return, in exchange for that'. nach Zeit und Zeit means 'after time and time again', that is, after a very long while. erfuhr is the past of erfahren, which means both 'to learn' and 'to come to experience'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Aber","lemma":"aber","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on erfuhr","gloss":"But"},{"surface":"dafür","lemma":"dafür","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on erfuhr","gloss":"in return"},{"surface":"nach","lemma":"nach","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on erfuhr","gloss":"after"},{"surface":"Zeit","lemma":"Zeit","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on nach","gloss":"time"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on Zeit","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"Zeit","lemma":"Zeit","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"time"},{"surface":"erfuhr","lemma":"erfahren","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"came to know"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s4-l2","source":"er auch das Glück, sich in die eignen Hände,","translation":"the happiness, too, of laying himself into his own hands,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s4-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"sich in die eignen Hände … zu legen","title":"Infinitive parts scattered across lines","body":"The infinitive completing das Glück is sich ... zu legen, 'to lay oneself', with its parts spread over three lines. sich in die eignen Hände is accusative, showing motion into, 'into his own hands'. eignen is the poetic short form of eigenen, 'own'."}],"words":[{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on erfuhr","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"auch","lemma":"auch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on erfuhr","gloss":"too"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Glück","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Glück","lemma":"Glück","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on erfuhr","gloss":"happiness"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on legen","gloss":"himself"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on legen","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Hände","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"eignen","lemma":"eigen","morphology":"adjective, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Hände","gloss":"own"},{"surface":"Hände","lemma":"Hand","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on in","gloss":"hands"}]},{"number":15,"label":"15","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s4-l3","source":"damit er eine Zärtlichkeit empfände,","translation":"so that he might feel a tenderness,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s4-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"damit er … empfände","title":"damit sends the verb to the end","body":"damit introduces a purpose clause, 'so that, in order that', and sends its verb, empfände, to the end. empfände is the past subjunctive of empfinden, 'to feel, to sense', expressing a wished-for aim. Zärtlichkeit means 'tenderness'."}],"words":[{"surface":"damit","lemma":"damit","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on empfände","gloss":"so that"},{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on empfände","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"eine","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Zärtlichkeit","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Zärtlichkeit","lemma":"Zärtlichkeit","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on empfände","gloss":"tenderness"},{"surface":"empfände","lemma":"empfinden","morphology":"verb, present, subjunctive, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"might feel"}]},{"number":16,"label":"16","id":"aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s4-l4","source":"zu legen wie die ganze Kreatur.","translation":"to lay, as every living creature does.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/aus-dem-leben-eines-heiligen-s4-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"die ganze Kreatur","title":"Collective noun for all living things","body":"Kreatur means 'creature', but with die ganze, 'the whole', it names all living things together. zu legen completes the infinitive begun two lines earlier: to lay himself in his own hands, as die ganze Kreatur, 'the whole of creation', does."}],"words":[{"surface":"zu","lemma":"zu","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on legen","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"legen","lemma":"legen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on Glück","gloss":"lay"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Kreatur","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Kreatur","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"ganze","lemma":"ganz","morphology":"adjective, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Kreatur","gloss":"whole"},{"surface":"Kreatur","lemma":"Kreatur","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"creature"}]}]}