{"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":"die-erblindende","title":{"source":"Die Erblindende","translated":"The Woman Going Blind"},"section":"New Poems","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/die-erblindende","lines":16},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/tanagra","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/in-einem-fremden-park","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":"die-erblindende-s1-l1","source":"Sie saß so wie die anderen beim Tee.","translation":"She sat just as the others did at tea.","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Die Erblindende","title":"A noun coined from going blind","body":"Erblindende is the present participle of erblinden, 'to go blind', turned into a feminine noun with a capital letter: 'the woman going blind'. It names the poem's subject before she is otherwise introduced, in the line that follows."}],"words":[{"surface":"Sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on saß","gloss":"She"},{"surface":"saß","lemma":"sitzen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"sat"},{"surface":"so","lemma":"so","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on saß","gloss":"just"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on anderen","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, plural","role":"depends on anderen","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"anderen","lemma":"anderer","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"others"},{"surface":"beim","lemma":"bei","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on saß","gloss":"at"},{"surface":"Tee","lemma":"Tee","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on beim","gloss":"tea"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"die-erblindende-s1-l2","source":"Mir war zuerst, als ob sie ihre Tasse","translation":"At first it seemed to me as if she held","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Mir war","title":"An impersonal way of seeming","body":"mir war, literally 'it was to me', is an impersonal construction meaning 'it seemed to me'. mir is dative, the one to whom something seems true. als ob introduces the impression itself, though its verb does not arrive until the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"Mir","lemma":"mir","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"to me"},{"surface":"war","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"seemed"},{"surface":"zuerst","lemma":"zuerst","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on war","gloss":"at first"},{"surface":"als","lemma":"als","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on fasse","gloss":"as","note":"'als ob' (as if) is split by the line break; the clause's verb 'fasse' comes in the next line."},{"surface":"ob","lemma":"ob","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on fasse","gloss":"if"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on fasse","gloss":"she"},{"surface":"ihre","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Tasse","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"Tasse","lemma":"Tasse","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on fasse","gloss":"cup"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"die-erblindende-s1-l3","source":"ein wenig anders als die andern fasse.","translation":"her cup a little differently than the rest.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"fasse","title":"Completing an als ob clause","body":"fasse is the Subjunctive I form of fassen, 'to hold, grasp', completing the als ob clause begun in the line above: als ob sie... fasse means 'as though she held'. Subjunctive I is common in reported or imagined perception like this."}],"words":[{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner","role":"depends on wenig","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"wenig","lemma":"wenig","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on anders","gloss":"little"},{"surface":"anders","lemma":"anders","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on fasse","gloss":"differently"},{"surface":"als","lemma":"als","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on andern","gloss":"than"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, plural","role":"depends on andern","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"andern","lemma":"anderer","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on als","gloss":"others"},{"surface":"fasse","lemma":"fassen","morphology":"verb, present, subjunctive, third-person, singular","role":"depends on ob","gloss":"held","note":"Subjunctive I, completing the 'als ob' clause begun in the line above."}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"die-erblindende-s1-l4","source":"Sie lächelte einmal. Es tat fast weh.","translation":"She smiled just once. It almost gave one pain.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"tat … weh","title":"tat weh, hurting","body":"weh tun means 'to hurt, cause pain'; tat is the past tense of tun, 'to do', here forming the idiom with weh. es tat fast weh means 'it hurt, nearly', with es as an impersonal subject."}],"words":[{"surface":"Sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on lächelte","gloss":"She"},{"surface":"lächelte","lemma":"lächeln","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"smiled"},{"surface":"einmal","lemma":"einmal","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on lächelte","gloss":"once"},{"surface":"Es","lemma":"es","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on tat","gloss":"It"},{"surface":"tat","lemma":"tun","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"gave"},{"surface":"fast","lemma":"fast","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on weh","gloss":"almost"},{"surface":"weh","lemma":"weh","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on tat","gloss":"pain"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"die-erblindende-s2-l1","source":"Und als man schließlich sich erhob und sprach","translation":"And when at last the company rose and talked","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"man","title":"An impersonal one or they","body":"man is an impersonal pronoun meaning 'one, people, they' in a general sense, always taking a third-person singular verb. Here it stands for the whole company at tea: als man... sich erhob means 'when the company rose'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"And"},{"surface":"als","lemma":"als","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on erhob","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"man","lemma":"man","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on erhob","gloss":"the company"},{"surface":"schließlich","lemma":"schließlich","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on erhob","gloss":"at last"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on erhob","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"erhob","lemma":"erheben","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"rose"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on erhob","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"sprach","lemma":"sprechen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"talked"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"die-erblindende-s2-l2","source":"und langsam und wie es der Zufall brachte","translation":"and slowly, and as chance happened to bring it,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"wie es der Zufall brachte","title":"However chance happened to bring it","body":"der Zufall means 'chance, coincidence'. wie es der Zufall brachte is an idiom meaning 'as chance happened to bring it, however things fell out', describing how people drifted together without plan."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"langsam","lemma":"langsam","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on und","gloss":"slowly"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on langsam","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on brachte","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"es","lemma":"es","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on brachte","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Zufall","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Zufall","lemma":"Zufall","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on brachte","gloss":"chance"},{"surface":"brachte","lemma":"bringen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"brought"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"die-erblindende-s2-l3","source":"durch viele Zimmer ging (man sprach und lachte),","translation":"went on through many rooms (they talked and laughed),","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"durch","lemma":"durch","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on ging","gloss":"through"},{"surface":"viele","lemma":"vieler","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Zimmer","gloss":"many"},{"surface":"Zimmer","lemma":"Zimmer","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on durch","gloss":"rooms"},{"surface":"ging","lemma":"gehen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"went"},{"surface":"man","lemma":"man","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on sprach","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"sprach","lemma":"sprechen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the parenthetical clause","gloss":"talked"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on sprach","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"lachte","lemma":"lachen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"laughed"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"die-erblindende-s2-l4","source":"da sah ich sie. Sie ging den andern nach,","translation":"then I saw her. She followed after the rest,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"ging den andern nach","title":"jemandem nachgehen","body":"jemandem nachgehen means 'to follow after someone, go after someone'. nach is the separable prefix, placed at the end of the clause; den andern, 'the others', is dative, the person being followed."}],"words":[{"surface":"da","lemma":"da","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on sah","gloss":"then"},{"surface":"sah","lemma":"sehen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"saw"},{"surface":"ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on sah","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on sah","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"Sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on ging","gloss":"She"},{"surface":"ging","lemma":"gehen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"followed"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, plural","role":"depends on andern","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"andern","lemma":"anderer","morphology":"pronoun, dative, plural","role":"depends on ging","gloss":"rest"},{"surface":"nach","lemma":"nach","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on ging","gloss":"after"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"die-erblindende-s3-l1","source":"verhalten, so wie eine, welche gleich","translation":"held back, like one who in a moment now","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"verhalten","title":"Held in check, restrained","body":"verhalten is the past participle of sich verhalten used adjectivally, meaning 'restrained, held back, reserved'. It describes how she moved, still and controlled, like someone about to have to perform."}],"words":[{"surface":"verhalten","lemma":"verhalten","morphology":"verb, past participle","role":"depends on ging","gloss":"held back"},{"surface":"so","lemma":"so","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on verhalten","gloss":"just"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on eine","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"eine","lemma":"eine","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"welche","lemma":"welcher","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"refers to eine; subject of wird","gloss":"who"},{"surface":"gleich","lemma":"gleich","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on welche","gloss":"in a moment"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"die-erblindende-s3-l2","source":"wird singen müssen und vor vielen Leuten;","translation":"will have to sing, and that before a crowd;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"wird singen müssen","title":"wird... müssen, a double modal future","body":"wird... müssen combines werden, forming the future tense, with müssen, 'must, have to': wird singen müssen means 'will have to sing'. The two infinitives, müssen and singen, stack at the end of the clause."}],"words":[{"surface":"wird","lemma":"werden","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"will"},{"surface":"singen","lemma":"singen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on müssen","gloss":"sing"},{"surface":"müssen","lemma":"müssen","morphology":"auxiliary verb, infinitive","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"have to"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on müssen","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"vor","lemma":"vor","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on und","gloss":"before"},{"surface":"vielen","lemma":"vieler","morphology":"determiner, dative, plural","role":"depends on Leuten","gloss":"many"},{"surface":"Leuten","lemma":"Leute","morphology":"noun, dative, plural","role":"depends on vor","gloss":"people"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"die-erblindende-s3-l3","source":"auf ihren hellen Augen, die sich freuten,","translation":"upon her bright eyes, which were filled with joy,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"die sich freuten","title":"sich freuen, a reflexive verb","body":"sich freuen means 'to be glad, rejoice, take pleasure'; it always takes the reflexive pronoun sich as part of its basic meaning. die sich freuten, 'which rejoiced', is a relative clause describing ihren hellen Augen, 'her bright eyes'."}],"words":[{"surface":"auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"upon"},{"surface":"ihren","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Augen","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"hellen","lemma":"hell","morphology":"adjective, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Augen","gloss":"bright"},{"surface":"Augen","lemma":"Auge","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on auf","gloss":"eyes"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on freuten","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, plural, reflexive","role":"depends on freuten","gloss":"themselves"},{"surface":"freuten","lemma":"freuen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"depends on Augen","gloss":"rejoiced"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"die-erblindende-s3-l4","source":"war Licht von außen wie auf einem Teich.","translation":"there lay a light from outside, as on a pond.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s3-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Licht von außen","title":"Light coming from outside","body":"von außen means 'from outside'. Licht von außen means 'light from outside', describing a light that falls on the eyes rather than one that shines from within them, as the comparison to a pond, wie auf einem Teich, makes clear."}],"words":[{"surface":"war","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"was"},{"surface":"Licht","lemma":"Licht","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"light"},{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Licht","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"außen","lemma":"außen","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on von","gloss":"outside"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on auf","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"einem","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Teich","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Teich","lemma":"Teich","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on auf","gloss":"pond"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"die-erblindende-s4-l1","source":"Sie folgte langsam, und sie brauchte lang,","translation":"She followed slowly, and she needed long,","stanza":4,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s4-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"brauchte lang","title":"Taking a long time","body":"brauchen here means 'to need, take (time)'; lang used adverbially means 'a long time'. sie brauchte lang means 'she took a long time', describing how slowly she moved rather than what she needed."}],"words":[{"surface":"Sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on folgte","gloss":"She"},{"surface":"folgte","lemma":"folgen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"followed"},{"surface":"langsam","lemma":"langsam","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on folgte","gloss":"slowly"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on folgte","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on brauchte","gloss":"she"},{"surface":"brauchte","lemma":"brauchen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"needed"},{"surface":"lang","lemma":"lang","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on brauchte","gloss":"long"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"die-erblindende-s4-l2","source":"als wäre etwas noch nicht überstiegen;","translation":"as though some thing were not yet climbed across;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s4-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"als wäre … überstiegen","title":"als wäre... überstiegen","body":"überstiegen is the past participle of übersteigen, 'to climb over, surmount'. als wäre etwas... überstiegen means 'as though something had not yet been surmounted', using Subjunctive II for an unreal state, with noch nicht, 'not yet', negating it."}],"words":[{"surface":"als","lemma":"als","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on wäre","gloss":"as though"},{"surface":"wäre","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, subjunctive, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"were"},{"surface":"etwas","lemma":"etwas","morphology":"pronoun, neuter","role":"depends on wäre","gloss":"something"},{"surface":"noch","lemma":"noch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on nicht","gloss":"yet"},{"surface":"nicht","lemma":"nicht","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on überstiegen","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"überstiegen","lemma":"übersteigen","morphology":"verb, past participle","role":"depends on wäre","gloss":"climbed across"}]},{"number":15,"label":"15","id":"die-erblindende-s4-l3","source":"und doch: als ob, nach einem Übergang,","translation":"and yet: as if, once some crossing were made,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s4-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Übergang","title":"A noun for crossing over","body":"der Übergang means 'crossing, transition, passage'. nach einem Übergang means 'after a crossing', with nach taking the dative. The clause it belongs to, als ob, does not reach its verb, würde, until two lines later."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"doch","lemma":"doch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on und","gloss":"yet"},{"surface":"als","lemma":"als","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on würde","gloss":"as","note":"'als ob' (as if) is split by the line break; its verb 'würde' arrives two lines later."},{"surface":"ob","lemma":"ob","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on als","gloss":"if"},{"surface":"nach","lemma":"nach","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on würde","gloss":"after"},{"surface":"einem","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Übergang","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Übergang","lemma":"Übergang","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on nach","gloss":"crossing"}]},{"number":16,"label":"16","id":"die-erblindende-s4-l4","source":"sie nicht mehr gehen würde, sondern fliegen.","translation":"she would no longer walk, but fly.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erblindende-s4-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"nicht mehr … sondern","title":"nicht mehr..., sondern, correcting a claim","body":"sondern means 'but rather, but instead', used only after a negation to correct what was just denied. nicht mehr gehen... sondern fliegen means 'no longer walk... but instead fly', replacing one verb with another."}],"words":[{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on würde","gloss":"she"},{"surface":"nicht","lemma":"nicht","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on gehen","gloss":"no"},{"surface":"mehr","lemma":"mehr","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on nicht","gloss":"longer"},{"surface":"gehen","lemma":"gehen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on würde","gloss":"walk"},{"surface":"würde","lemma":"werden","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, subjunctive, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"would"},{"surface":"sondern","lemma":"sondern","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on würde","gloss":"but"},{"surface":"fliegen","lemma":"fliegen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on sondern","gloss":"fly"}]}]}