# Der Auszug des verlorenen Sohnes · The Departure of the Prodigal Son

Neue Gedichte · Rainer Maria Rilke · New Poems

Source: https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/der-auszug-des-verlorenen-sohnes. Data: https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/der-auszug-des-verlorenen-sohnes.json. Audio: https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/<line id>.m4a.

**1** NUN fortzugehn von alle dem Verworrnen,  
NOW to go away from all that is tangled,
> Separable verb in the zu infinitive: 'fortgehen', 'to go away, to leave', is separable: the prefix 'fort-' normally splits off, but in the 'zu'-infinitive, 'zu' slides between prefix and stem, 'fort-zu-gehen', clipped here to 'fortzugehn'.
> The tangled, the confused: 'verworren' means 'tangled, confused, snarled'. Its participle is used here as a neuter noun, 'das Verworrne', 'that which is tangled', dative after 'von'. 'alle dem' is an archaic form for 'all dem'.

**2** das unser ist und uns doch nicht gehört,  
that is ours and yet does not belong to us,
> gehoren takes the dative: 'gehoren', 'to belong to', governs the dative, not a possessive: 'uns gehort' means 'belongs to us'. This contrasts with 'das unser ist', 'that is ours', where 'unser' is a predicate possessive pronoun.

**3** das, wie das Wasser in den alten Bornen,  
that, like the water in the old wells,
> An archaic word for wells: 'der Born' is a poetic, archaic word for 'well, spring, fountain', related to 'der Brunnen'. 'in den alten Bornen' is dative plural, 'in the old wells', after the preposition 'in'.

**4** uns zitternd spiegelt und das Bild zerstört;  
mirrors us tremblingly and destroys the image;
> Present participle as adverb: 'zitternd' is the present participle of 'zittern', 'to shake, to quiver', formed by adding '-d' to the stem. It is used here adverbially, modifying 'spiegelt': 'spiegelt uns zitternd', 'mirrors us, quivering'.

**5** von allem diesen, das sich wie mit Dornen  
from all of this, which as if with thorns
> Thorns that cling: 'der Dorn', plural 'Dornen', means 'thorn'. 'wie mit Dornen ... anhangt' uses 'wie mit' plus dative, 'as though with', to compare the clinging to thorns catching on cloth.

**6** noch einmal an uns anhängt–fortzugehn  
clings to us once more—to go away
> Separable verb anhangen: 'anhangen', 'to cling to, to attach itself to', is separable; the prefix 'an-' lands at the end of its clause: 'das sich ... an uns anhangt' means 'which clings to us'.

**7** und Das und Den,  
and this thing and that man,
> Neuter and masculine accusative: Two demonstratives stand as accusative objects of 'anzuschauen', further on: 'Das', neuter, 'that thing', and 'Den', masculine accusative, 'that man, him'. Both are capitalized here though used as pronouns, not nouns.

**8** die man schon nicht mehr sah  
which one no longer even saw
> The impersonal subject: 'man' is the impersonal pronoun, 'one, you, people in general'. 'die man schon nicht mehr sah' means 'which one no longer saw', with the relative 'die' referring back to 'Das und Den'.

**9** (so täglich waren sie und so gewöhnlich),  
(so daily were they and so ordinary),
> so taglich, so gewohnlich: 'taglich' means 'daily, everyday'; 'gewohnlich' means 'ordinary, commonplace'. Both are predicate adjectives after 'waren', 'were', joined by 'und', 'and', inside the parenthesis.

**10** auf einmal anzuschauen: sanft, versöhnlich  
all at once to look upon: gentle, conciliatory
> The second leaving infinitive: 'anschauen', 'to look at, to behold', is separable; in the 'zu'-infinitive it becomes 'an-zu-schauen'. It governs the accusative objects 'Das und Den' from a few lines back. 'auf einmal' means 'all at once, suddenly'.

**11** und wie an einem Anfang und von nah  
and as at a beginning and from close by

**12** und ahnend einzusehn, wie unpersönlich,  
and, sensing it, to grasp how impersonally,
> A third zu infinitive: 'einsehen', 'to perceive, to come to understand, to grasp', is separable, 'ein-zu-sehen', clipped to 'einzusehn'. 'ahnend' is the present participle of 'ahnen', 'to sense, to have a presentiment', modifying the main verb.
> Impersonally: 'unpersonlich' means 'impersonal, not directed at any one person'. It is used adverbially here, modifying 'geschah' in the next line: 'wie ... unpersonlich ... das Leid geschah'.

**13** wie über alle hin das Leid geschah,  
how over everyone the sorrow came to pass,
> Spreading across: 'uber ... hin' is a framing construction meaning 'across, all over, spread out over': 'uber alle hin ... geschah' means 'happened, spread out over everyone'. 'geschah' is the past tense of 'geschehen', 'to happen'.

**14** von dem die Kindheit voll war bis zum Rand–:  
with which childhood was full up to the brim—:
> Full of: 'voll von etwas' means 'full of something'; the relative 'von dem' refers back to 'das Leid', 'the sorrow'. 'bis zum Rand' means 'up to the brim', a fixed prepositional phrase.

**15** Und dann doch fortzugehen, Hand aus Hand,  
And then to go away nonetheless, hand out of hand,
> Still, nonetheless: 'doch' is a flavoring particle meaning 'yet, still, all the same', adding contrast without changing the sentence's grammar. 'in der Gewalt haben' is the fixed idiom 'to have in one's power'.

**16** als ob man ein Geheiltes neu zerrisse,  
as though one tore open afresh a thing once healed,
> als ob with the subjunctive: 'als ob', 'as though', introduces a comparison and pulls its verb to the clause's end in the Konjunktiv II: 'zerrisse' is the subjunctive of 'zerreißen', 'to tear apart'. 'ein Geheiltes' is a neuter participle used as a noun, 'a healed thing'.

**17** und fortzugehn: wohin? Ins Ungewisse,  
and to go away: where to? Into the uncertain,
> Into the uncertain: 'ungewiss' means 'uncertain, unknown'; as a neuter noun, 'das Ungewisse' means 'the uncertain, what is not known'. 'ins Ungewisse' contracts 'in das Ungewisse', 'into the uncertain'.

**18** weit in ein unverwandtes warmes Land,  
far into an unrelated, warm land,
> Unrelated, not kin: 'verwandt' means 'related, akin, kindred'; the prefix 'un-' negates it, giving 'unverwandt', 'unrelated, having no kinship'. It modifies 'Land' as an attributive adjective, accusative after 'in'.

**19** das hinter allem Handeln wie Kulisse  
which behind all one's doings, like stage scenery,
> Stage scenery: 'die Kulisse' is the painted scenery or backdrop of a stage, the flats behind the actors. 'wie Kulisse' compares 'das', the land, to this scenery using 'wie', 'like'.

**20** gleichgültig sein wird: Garten oder Wand;  
will be indifferent: garden or wall;
> Future sein wird across the lines: 'gleichgultig' means 'indifferent, a matter of no consequence'. 'sein wird' is the future tense, 'werden' plus 'sein': 'wird ... sein', 'will be', its two parts split across the line.

**21** und fortzugehn: warum? Aus Drang, aus Artung,  
and to go away: why? Out of urge, out of nature,
> Naming the cause: The preposition 'aus' here means 'out of, from', in the sense of motive. 'der Drang' means 'urge, drive, impulse'; 'die Artung' means 'inborn nature, disposition', from 'Art', 'kind, manner'.

**22** aus Ungeduld, aus dunkler Erwartung,  
out of impatience, out of dark expectation,
> Dark expectation: 'die Ungeduld' means 'impatience'; 'die Erwartung' means 'expectation, anticipation'. 'dunkler Erwartung' is dative singular after 'aus', the adjective 'dunkel', 'dark', taking the weak ending after no article.

**23** aus Unverständlichkeit und Unverstand:  
out of incomprehensibility and want of understanding:
> Unverstandlichkeit versus Unverstand: 'die Unverstandlichkeit' means 'incomprehensibility'; 'der Unverstand' means 'lack of understanding, folly'. Both nouns follow 'aus', 'out of', and are joined by 'und', 'and'.

**24** Dies alles auf sich nehmen und vergebens  
To take all this upon oneself, and in vain
> To take upon oneself: 'etwas auf sich nehmen' is a fixed idiom, 'to take something upon oneself'; 'sich' is the reflexive pronoun. 'Dies alles auf sich nehmen' means 'to take all this upon oneself', an infinitive phrase.

**25** vielleicht Gehaltnes fallen lassen, um  
perhaps to let fall what was held fast, in order
> What has been held: 'Gehaltnes', poetic for 'Gehaltenes', is the past participle of 'halten', 'to hold', used as a neuter noun: 'what has been held'. 'fallen lassen' means 'to let fall, to let drop'.

**26** allein zu sterben, wissend nicht warum–  
to die alone, not knowing why—
> um zu sterben and wissend nicht: 'um ... zu sterben' completes a purpose clause begun earlier: 'in order to die'. 'wissend' is the present participle of 'wissen', 'to know'; the negation 'nicht' is fronted before 'warum', 'why', for stress.


**27** Ist das der Eingang eines neuen Lebens?  
Is that the entrance into a new life?
> Eingang with the genitive: 'der Eingang' means 'entrance, way in'; 'eines neuen Lebens' is the genitive, 'of a new life', depending on it. 'Ist das der Eingang' is a question, 'ist' third person singular of 'sein'.

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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.