# Das Wappen · The Coat of Arms

Neue Gedichte · Rainer Maria Rilke · New Poems: The Other Part

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

**1** Wie ein Spiegel, der, von ferne tragend,  
Like a mirror that, bearing from afar,
> Present 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** lautlos in sich aufnahm, ist der Schild;  
soundlessly took into itself, the shield is so;
> Separable 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** offen einstens, dann zusammenschlagend  
open once, then clapping shut
> Clapping 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** über einem Spiegelbild  
over a mirror-image


**5** jener Wesen, die in des Geschlechts  
of those beings that, in the lineage's
> Genitive 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.
> Lineage, 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** Weiten wohnen, nicht mehr zu bestreiten,  
wide expanses dwell, no longer to be disputed,
> Passive 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** seiner Dinge, seiner Wirklichkeiten  
of its things, of its realities

**8** (rechte links und linke rechts),  
(right ones on the left and left ones on the right),


**9** die er eingesteht und sagt und zeigt.  
which it admits and speaks and shows.
> Confessing, 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** Drauf, mit Ruhm und Dunkel ausgeschlagen,  
Upon it, lined with glory and darkness,
> Lined, 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** ruht der Spangenhelm, verkürzt,  
rests the barred helm, foreshortened,


**12** den das Flügelkleinod übersteigt,  
which the winged crest surmounts,
> A 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** während seine Decke wie mit Klagen  
while its mantling, as if with laments,

**14** reich und aufgeregt herniederstürzt.  
richly and agitatedly plunges down.
> Separable 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'.

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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.