{"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":"der-koenig","title":{"source":"Der König","translated":"The King"},"section":"New Poems","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/der-koenig","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/selbstbildnis-aus-dem-jahre-1906","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/auferstehung","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":"der-koenig-s1-l1","source":"Der König ist sechzehn Jahre alt.","translation":"The king is sixteen years old.","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"sechzehn Jahre alt","title":"Age with Jahre alt","body":"German states an age with the phrase Jahre alt placed after sein. Der König ist sechzehn Jahre alt means 'the king is sixteen years old'. Jahre stays in the accusative plural without an article, an accusative of extent, the same pattern as zwei Meter lang."}],"words":[{"surface":"Der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on König","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"König","lemma":"König","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of ist","gloss":"king"},{"surface":"ist","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"sechzehn","lemma":"sechzehn","morphology":"numeral","role":"depends on Jahre","gloss":"sixteen"},{"surface":"Jahre","lemma":"Jahr","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on alt","gloss":"years"},{"surface":"alt","lemma":"alt","morphology":"adjective, predicate (uninflected)","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"old"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"der-koenig-s1-l2","source":"Sechzehn Jahre und schon der Staat.","translation":"Sixteen years old, and already the state.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"und schon der Staat","title":"A clause missing its verb","body":"This line has no verb. Und schon der Staat drops ist and leaves the bare nominative der Staat, 'the state', after schon, 'already'. The parses confirm Staat is nominative, so an understood ist completes the sentence."}],"words":[{"surface":"Sechzehn","lemma":"sechzehn","morphology":"numeral","role":"depends on Jahre","gloss":"sixteen"},{"surface":"Jahre","lemma":"Jahr","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"years"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"connects Jahre to Staat","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"schon","lemma":"schon","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Staat","gloss":"already"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Staat","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Staat","lemma":"Staat","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"state"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"der-koenig-s1-l3","source":"Er schaut, wie aus einem Hinterhalt,","translation":"He looks out, as if from an ambush,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Hinterhalt","title":"An ambush in German","body":"Der Hinterhalt is an 'ambush', a hidden place from which someone watches or strikes unseen. Wie aus einem Hinterhalt means 'as though from an ambush'. Wie here means 'as, as though' and introduces the comparison. Einem is dative after aus."}],"words":[{"surface":"Er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of schaut","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"schaut","lemma":"schauen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"looks"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"as if"},{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on schaut","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"einem","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Hinterhalt","gloss":"an"},{"surface":"Hinterhalt","lemma":"Hinterhalt","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"ambush"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"der-koenig-s1-l4","source":"vorbei an den Greisen vom Rat","translation":"past the graybeards of the council","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"vorbei an den Greisen","title":"Governs the dative case","body":"Vorbei an means 'past, going past' and takes the dative. An den Greisen is dative plural, 'past the old men'. Der Greis is an aged man. Vom, a contraction of von dem, gives 'of the council', der Rat."}],"words":[{"surface":"vorbei","lemma":"vorbei","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on an","gloss":"past"},{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on schaut (previous line)","gloss":"by"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Greisen","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Greisen","lemma":"Greis","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on an","gloss":"graybeards"},{"surface":"vom","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Greisen","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"Rat","lemma":"Rat","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on vom","gloss":"council"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"der-koenig-s2-l1","source":"in den Saal hinein und irgendwohin","translation":"into the hall and off somewhere,","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"in den Saal hinein","title":"Doubling the preposition with hin-","body":"Hinein means 'in, inward, away from the speaker' and reinforces the motion already carried by in den Saal, accusative of direction, 'into the hall'. German often pairs a preposition with hin- or her- to mark a path of motion. Irgendwohin means 'to somewhere or other'."}],"words":[{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on schaut (s1-l3)","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Saal","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Saal","lemma":"Saal","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"hall"},{"surface":"hinein","lemma":"hinein","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on in","gloss":"in","note":"hinein pairs with the preposition in ('in den Saal hinein') to reinforce the sense of motion into the hall — a common German circumfix pattern."},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on in","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"irgendwohin","lemma":"irgendwohin","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on und","gloss":"off somewhere"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"der-koenig-s2-l2","source":"und fühlt vielleicht nur dies:","translation":"and feels perhaps only this:","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on fühlt","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"fühlt","lemma":"fühlen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"feels"},{"surface":"vielleicht","lemma":"vielleicht","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on fühlt","gloss":"perhaps"},{"surface":"nur","lemma":"nur","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on dies","gloss":"only"},{"surface":"dies","lemma":"dieser","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"object of fühlt","gloss":"this"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"der-koenig-s2-l3","source":"an dem schmalen langen harten Kinn","translation":"at his narrow, long, hard chin","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"an dem … Kinn","title":"Dative marks a point of contact","body":"An with the dative marks where something rests or touches: an dem Kinn means 'at the chin'. The three adjectives schmalen, langen, and harten each take the dative ending -en after dem, agreeing with Kinn."}],"words":[{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on dies (colon introduces what he feels)","gloss":"at"},{"surface":"dem","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Kinn","gloss":"his"},{"surface":"schmalen","lemma":"schmal","morphology":"adjective, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Kinn","gloss":"narrow"},{"surface":"langen","lemma":"lang","morphology":"adjective, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Kinn","gloss":"long"},{"surface":"harten","lemma":"hart","morphology":"adjective, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Kinn","gloss":"hard"},{"surface":"Kinn","lemma":"Kinn","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on an","gloss":"chin"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"der-koenig-s2-l4","source":"die kalte Kette vom Vlies.","translation":"the cold chain of the Fleece.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Kette","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"kalte","lemma":"kalt","morphology":"adjective, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Kette","gloss":"cold"},{"surface":"Kette","lemma":"Kette","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"object of fühlt (s2-l2), explains dies — coordinated with an dem Kinn","gloss":"chain"},{"surface":"vom","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Kette","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"Vlies","lemma":"Vlies","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on vom","gloss":"fleece","note":"Refers to the Order of the Golden Fleece, a chain-collar worn by Habsburg royalty — the cold ceremonial chain around the young king's neck."}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"der-koenig-s3-l1","source":"Das Todesurteil vor ihm bleibt","translation":"The death sentence before him stays","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Todesurteil","title":"Death sentence, a compound noun","body":"Todesurteil combines Tod, 'death', and Urteil, 'judgment, verdict'. Das Todesurteil means a death sentence, here a document awaiting the king's signature. Vor ihm is dative after vor, marking location, 'before him'. Todesurteil is the neuter subject of bleibt."}],"words":[{"surface":"Das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Todesurteil","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Todesurteil","lemma":"Todesurteil","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of bleibt","gloss":"death sentence"},{"surface":"vor","lemma":"vor","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Todesurteil","gloss":"before"},{"surface":"ihm","lemma":"ihm","morphology":"pronoun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on vor","gloss":"him"},{"surface":"bleibt","lemma":"bleiben","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stays"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"der-koenig-s3-l2","source":"lang ohne Namenszug.","translation":"long without a signature.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Namenszug","title":"Signature as a written stroke","body":"Der Namenszug literally means 'stroke of the name', built from Name and Zug, 'stroke, line'. It names a signature or autograph. Ohne Namenszug means 'without a signature'. Lang here is an adverb meaning 'for a long time', not an adjective."}],"words":[{"surface":"lang","lemma":"lang","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on bleibt (previous line)","gloss":"long"},{"surface":"ohne","lemma":"ohne","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on lang","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"Namenszug","lemma":"Namenszug","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on ohne","gloss":"signature"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"der-koenig-s3-l3","source":"Und sie denken: wie er sich quält.","translation":"And they think: how he is tormenting himself.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"wie er sich quält","title":"Reflexive verb sich quälen","body":"Sich quälen is reflexive, meaning 'to torment oneself, to suffer'. Sich is the accusative reflexive pronoun referring back to er. Wie here is exclamatory, 'how...!', not a question, so wie er sich quält means 'how he torments himself'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on denken","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"subject of denken","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"denken","lemma":"denken","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"think"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on quält","gloss":"how"},{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of quält","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on quält","gloss":"himself"},{"surface":"quält","lemma":"quälen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on denken","gloss":"is tormenting"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"der-koenig-s4-l1","source":"Sie wüßten, kennten sie ihn genug,","translation":"They would know, if they knew him well enough,","stanza":4,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s4-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"kennten sie ihn","title":"Conditional clause without wenn","body":"Both verbs are Konjunktiv II. Wüßten, from wissen, means 'would know'; kennten, from kennen, means 'knew'. German can drop wenn, 'if', and front the verb instead: kennten sie ihn genug stands for wenn sie ihn genug kennten, 'if they knew him well enough'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"subject of wüßten","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"wüßten","lemma":"wissen","morphology":"verb, past, subjunctive, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"would know"},{"surface":"kennten","lemma":"kennen","morphology":"verb, past, subjunctive, third-person, plural","role":"introduces the conditional clause (inverted for 'wenn'), depends on wüßten","gloss":"knew","note":"kennten sie ihn genug is a verb-first conditional clause standing in for wenn sie ihn genug kennten ('if they knew him well enough') — a literary construction that drops wenn and fronts the verb."},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"subject of kennten","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"ihn","lemma":"ihn","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"object of kennten","gloss":"him"},{"surface":"genug","lemma":"genug","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on kennten","gloss":"well enough"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"der-koenig-s4-l2","source":"daß er nur langsam bis siebzig zählt,","translation":"that he is only slowly counting to seventy,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s4-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"daß er … zählt","title":"The verb moves to the end","body":"Daß, the older spelling of dass, 'that', is a subordinating conjunction, so its finite verb zählt, 'counts', moves to the end of the clause, after nur langsam bis siebzig, 'only slowly up to seventy'. This clause completes Sie wüßten from the line above."}],"words":[{"surface":"daß","lemma":"daß","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on zählt","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of zählt","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"nur","lemma":"nur","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on langsam","gloss":"only"},{"surface":"langsam","lemma":"langsam","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on zählt","gloss":"slowly"},{"surface":"bis","lemma":"bis","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on zählt","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"siebzig","lemma":"siebzig","morphology":"numeral","role":"depends on bis","gloss":"seventy"},{"surface":"zählt","lemma":"zählen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"is counting"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"der-koenig-s4-l3","source":"eh er es unterschreibt.","translation":"before he signs it.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/der-koenig-s4-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"eh er es unterschreibt","title":"Inseparable prefix on unterschreiben","body":"Unterschreiben means 'to sign, to put one's name under'. It is inseparable, so the prefix unter- stays fixed to the stem, and unterschreibt sits at the end of the clause introduced by eh, a short form of ehe, 'before'. Es refers back to the death sentence."}],"words":[{"surface":"eh","lemma":"ehe","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on unterschreibt","gloss":"before","note":"eh is a poetic short form of ehe ('before')."},{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of unterschreibt","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"es","lemma":"es","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"object of unterschreibt","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"unterschreibt","lemma":"unterschreiben","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"signs"}]}]}