German · New Poems: The Other Part

Das Wappen

The Coat of Arms

14 lines · 10 notes

Tap a line to open its words. The mark beside it plays it.

1
Like a mirror that, bearing from afar,
WieLikewie · prepositionhead of the phrase
einaein · determiner, nominative, masculine, singulardepends on Spiegel
SpiegelmirrorSpiegel · noun, nominative, masculine, singulardepends on Wie
derthatder · pronoun, nominative, masculine, singulardepends on aufnahm
vonfromvon · prepositiondepends on tragend
ferneafarFerne · noun, dative, feminine, singulardepends on von
tragendbearingtragen · verb, participledepends on der
GrammarPresent participle used as modifier tragend is the present participle of tragen, 'to carry, to bear', formed by adding -d to the infinitive. It modifies der, the mirror, in the phrase von ferne tragend, 'bearing from afar'.
2
soundlessly took into itself, the shield is so;
GrammarSeparable prefix stays attached here aufnehmen means 'to take in, to absorb'. It is separable, but here the simple past aufnahm keeps its prefix auf attached because the verb sits at the end of its clause: in sich aufnahm, 'took into itself'.
3
open once, then clapping shut
WordClapping shut, not open zusammenschlagend is the present participle of zusammenschlagen, literally 'to strike together', here 'to clap or snap shut'. einstens is an older form of einst, 'once, formerly'.
4
over a mirror-image
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of those beings that, in the lineage's
GrammarGenitive plural depends on Spiegelbild jener Wesen, 'of those beings', is genitive plural, depending on Spiegelbild in the line above. jener is the demonstrative 'that, those', more literary than dieser.
WordLineage, not gender des Geschlechts is the genitive singular of das Geschlecht. The word can mean 'sex' or 'species', but here it means 'lineage, family line'.
6
wide expanses dwell, no longer to be disputed,
GrammarPassive sense with zu nicht mehr zu bestreiten uses zu plus the infinitive to mean 'no longer to be disputed'. bestreiten means 'to dispute, to contest, to deny'; the construction states what is or is not to be done, here negated.
7
of its things, of its realities
8
(right ones on the left and left ones on the right),
9
which it admits and speaks and shows.
WordConfessing, not just showing eingestehen means 'to admit, to confess'. It is a separable verb; here it is present tense, third-person singular, paired with sagt, 'speaks', and zeigt, 'shows'.
10
Upon it, lined with glory and darkness,
WordLined, not simply struck ausgeschlagen is the past participle of ausschlagen, here meaning 'lined, upholstered', as a surface is lined with cloth. mit Ruhm und Dunkel ausgeschlagen means 'lined with glory and darkness'. Drauf contracts darauf, 'upon it'.
11
rests the barred helm, foreshortened,
12
which the winged crest surmounts,
WordA compound noun, winged crest Flügelkleinod combines Flügel, 'wing', and Kleinod, 'jewel, precious ornament'; in heraldry Kleinod names the crest atop a helm. übersteigt, from übersteigen, 'to surmount, to rise above', is the main verb, and den refers back to the helm named earlier.
13
while its mantling, as if with laments,
14
richly and agitatedly plunges down.
GrammarSeparable verb ends the clause herniederstürzen, 'to plunge down', combines hernieder, 'down toward the speaker', and stürzen, 'to plunge'. It closes the während clause begun two lines above, so the verb lands last. aufgeregt means 'agitated, stirred up'.

The particulars

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