German · New Poems

Buddha

14 lines · 14 notes

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1
Already from afar the strange, shy
Schonalreadyschon · adverbdepends on fühlt
vonfromvon · prepositiondepends on fühlt
ferneafarferne · noun, dative, feminine, singulardepends on von
fühltfeelsfühlen · verb, present, indicative, third-person, singularmain verb of the sentence
dertheder · determiner, nominative, masculine, singulardepends on Pilger
fremdestrangefremd · adjective, nominative, masculine, singulardepends on Pilger
scheueshyscheu · adjective, nominative, masculine, singulardepends on Pilger
WordFrom afar von ferne is a fixed adverbial phrase meaning 'from a distance'. der fremde scheue Pilger, 'the strange, shy pilgrim', strings two adjectives before the noun, each taking the weak ending -e after the definite article der.
2
pilgrim feels how it drips golden from him;
Wordträufen, to trickle träuft is the third-person present of träufen, 'to drip' or 'trickle slowly', an older poetic verb. wie es golden von ihm träuft is a clause governed by fühlt in the line above; the impersonal es leaves the source unnamed.
3
as if kingdoms full of remorse had
Grammarals with the verb fronted so als means 'just as though'. When als introduces an unreal comparison without ob, the verb moves to the front of its clause: als hätten Reiche, 'as though kingdoms had'. hätten is the subjunctive of haben, forming the perfect with the participle aufgehäuft.
4
heaped up their hidden secrets.
WordSecret, hidden things die Heimlichkeit means 'secrecy'; its plural Heimlichkeiten means 'secret' or 'hidden things'. The word shares a root with heim, 'home', and heimlich, 'secret'. aufgehäuft, 'heaped up', is the participle completing hätten from the previous line.
5
But coming nearer he grows bewildered
Wordirre werden, to grow confused irre werden means 'to become confused' or 'lose one's bearings'. näher kommend, 'coming nearer', is a present participle used adverbially. wird … irre, 'grows bewildered', takes vor plus the dative for the cause.
6
before the majesty of these eyebrows:
WordA shortened genitive plural die Augenbraue means 'eyebrow'; dieser Augenbraun is its genitive plural, 'of these eyebrows', after die Hoheit, 'majesty'. The regular plural ending -brauen is shortened here to -braun to rhyme with Fraun later in the poem.
7
for these are not the drinking-vessels
WordTrinkgeschirr, a drinking vessel das Trinkgeschirr means 'a drinking vessel' or 'cup'; -geschirr names tableware or gear collectively, as in Geschirr, 'crockery'. das sind nicht keeps das singular and neuter even though the predicate Trinkgeschirre is plural, a normal pattern for 'these are not'.
8
and the ear-pendants of their women.
GrammarA contracted genitive plural ihrer Fraun is genitive plural, 'of their women', depending on die Ohrgehänge, 'the ear-pendants'. Fraun is a poetic contraction of Frauen, shortened to rhyme with Augenbraun.
9
Could anyone really say which
Grammarwissen zu plus infinitive wissen zu plus an infinitive means 'to know how to' or 'to be able to'. Wüßte einer zu sagen uses the subjunctive wüßte of wissen fronted to open a question. Rilke spells wüßte with ß, the pre-1996 spelling.
10
things were melted down, in order
GrammarPassive with werden einschmelzen means 'to melt down'. Dinge … wurden eingeschmolzen is a passive construction: wurden plus the participle eingeschmolzen, 'were melted down'. um begins the purpose clause completed in the next line.
11
to raise this image upon this flower-calyx,
WordBlumenkelch, a flower's calyx der Blumenkelch is 'the calyx', the cup-shaped base of a flower. auf diesem Blumenkelche is dative after auf, marking position, with the older dative ending -e on Kelche.
12
to raise it: more silent, more calmly golden
Grammarzu inside a separable verb um … zu plus an infinitive means 'in order to'. With the separable verb aufrichten, 'to set upright', the zu is inserted between prefix and stem, giving aufzurichten, 'in order to raise up'.
13
than something golden, and all around
Grammarals after a comparative After the comparatives stummer and ruhiggelber, 'more silent' and 'more calmly golden', als means 'than'. ein goldenes is a neuter adjective used as a noun, 'a golden thing'.
14
touching space too as it touches itself.
GrammarParticiple with a reflexive object berührend is the present participle of berühren, 'to touch', used adverbially. den Raum is its accusative object, 'space', and wie sich selber means 'as itself', with sich selber the reflexive pronoun plus intensifier.

The particulars

The text: Neue Gedichte, Rainer Maria Rilke. New Poems.
Reading aloud: Digital narration, directed by 1732 Studios.
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