{"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-erwachsene","title":{"source":"Die Erwachsene","translated":"The Grown Woman"},"section":"New Poems","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/die-erwachsene","lines":17},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/die-genesende","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/tanagra","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-erwachsene-s1-l1","source":"Das alles stand auf ihr und war die Welt","translation":"All this stood upon her and was the world","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"stand auf ihr","title":"stehen auf, weighing on","body":"stehen auf here means 'to weigh on, rest upon', not literal standing. stand is the past tense of stehen. auf ihr, 'upon her', takes the dative because it marks a fixed position, not motion toward a place."}],"words":[{"surface":"Das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on alles","gloss":"This"},{"surface":"alles","lemma":"alle","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on stand","gloss":"all"},{"surface":"stand","lemma":"stehen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stood"},{"surface":"auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on stand","gloss":"upon"},{"surface":"ihr","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"pronoun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on auf","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on stand","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"war","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"was"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Welt","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Welt","lemma":"Welt","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"world"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"die-erwachsene-s1-l2","source":"und stand auf ihr mit allem, Angst und Gnade,","translation":"and stood upon her with everything, dread and grace,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Angst und Gnade","title":"Dread paired with grace","body":"die Angst means 'fear, dread, anxiety'; die Gnade means 'grace, mercy'. Both are dative here, in apposition to allem, 'everything', after mit: 'with everything, dread and grace'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on stand","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"stand","lemma":"stehen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stood"},{"surface":"auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on stand","gloss":"upon"},{"surface":"ihr","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"pronoun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on auf","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"mit","lemma":"mit","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on stand","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"allem","lemma":"alle","morphology":"pronoun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on mit","gloss":"everything"},{"surface":"Angst","lemma":"Angst","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on allem","gloss":"dread"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on Angst","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"Gnade","lemma":"Gnade","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"grace"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"die-erwachsene-s1-l3","source":"wie Bäume stehen, wachsend und gerade,","translation":"as trees stand, growing and upright,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"wachsend","title":"A participle used adverbially","body":"wachsend is the present participle of wachsen, 'to grow', used here adverbially alongside gerade, 'upright, straight', to describe how Bäume, 'trees', stehen, 'stand'. German freely uses present participles this way without an ending."}],"words":[{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on stehen","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"Bäume","lemma":"Baum","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on stehen","gloss":"trees"},{"surface":"stehen","lemma":"stehen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stand"},{"surface":"wachsend","lemma":"wachsen","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Bäume","gloss":"growing"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on wachsend","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"gerade","lemma":"gerade","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on und","gloss":"upright"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"die-erwachsene-s1-l4","source":"ganz Bild und bildlos wie die Bundeslade","translation":"wholly image and imageless like the Ark of the Covenant","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"ganz","lemma":"ganz","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Bild","gloss":"wholly"},{"surface":"Bild","lemma":"Bild","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"image"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on Bild","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"bildlos","lemma":"bildlos","morphology":"adjective, predicate","role":"depends on und","gloss":"imageless"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Bundeslade","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Bundeslade","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Bundeslade","lemma":"Bundeslade","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"Ark of the Covenant"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"die-erwachsene-s1-l5","source":"und feierlich, wie auf ein Volk gestellt.","translation":"and solemn, as if set up before a people.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s1-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"auf ein Volk gestellt","title":"An elliptical comparison","body":"wie auf ein Volk gestellt means 'as though set up before a people', short for wie [wenn sie] auf ein Volk gestellt [wäre]. gestellt is the past participle of stellen, 'to place, set up', comparing her to a monument positioned before a crowd."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on war","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"feierlich","lemma":"feierlich","morphology":"adjective, predicate","role":"depends on und","gloss":"solemn"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on gestellt","gloss":"as if"},{"surface":"auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on gestellt","gloss":"before"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Volk","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Volk","lemma":"Volk","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on auf","gloss":"people"},{"surface":"gestellt","lemma":"stellen","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"set up","note":"Elliptical comparison: \"as if [she were] set up before a people,\" like a monument."}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"die-erwachsene-s2-l1","source":"Und sie ertrug es; trug bis obenhin","translation":"And she endured it; bore right up to the brim","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ertrug … trug","title":"ertrug and trug, two pasts of bearing","body":"ertrug is the past tense of ertragen, 'to endure, bear'; trug is the past tense of tragen, 'to carry, bear'. bis obenhin means 'right to the brim, all the way to the top', as of a vessel filled to its limit, to the very brim."}],"words":[{"surface":"Und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on ertrug","gloss":"And"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on ertrug","gloss":"she"},{"surface":"ertrug","lemma":"ertragen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"endured"},{"surface":"es","lemma":"es","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on ertrug","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"trug","lemma":"tragen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"bore"},{"surface":"bis","lemma":"bis","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on trug","gloss":"up to"},{"surface":"obenhin","lemma":"obenhin","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on bis","gloss":"the brim","note":"\"bis obenhin\" idiomatically means \"right to the top/brim,\" as of a vessel filled to the limit — a metaphor for bearing something to its full measure."}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"die-erwachsene-s2-l2","source":"das Fliegende, Entfliehende, Entfernte,","translation":"the flying, the fleeing, the far-off,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"das Fliegende, Entfliehende, Entfernte","title":"Adjectives turned into nouns","body":"Fliegende, Entfliehende, and Entfernte are present or past participles used as nouns, each capitalized and taking a neuter noun ending: 'the flying [thing]', 'the fleeing [thing]', 'the far-off [thing]'. German regularly turns participles into nouns this way, with das as their article."}],"words":[{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Fliegende","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Fliegende","lemma":"Fliegende","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on trug","gloss":"flying"},{"surface":"Entfliehende","lemma":"Entfliehende","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on trug","gloss":"fleeing"},{"surface":"Entfernte","lemma":"Entfernte","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on trug","gloss":"far-off"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"die-erwachsene-s2-l3","source":"das Ungeheuere, noch Unerlernte","translation":"the monstrous, the not-yet-learned,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"das Ungeheuere","title":"An adjective turned monstrous noun","body":"Ungeheuere is an adjective, 'monstrous, immense', turned into a noun by taking a capital letter and a neuter ending: 'the monstrous [thing]'. It stands alongside noch Unerlernte, 'the not-yet-learned', in the same list."}],"words":[{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Ungeheuere","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Ungeheuere","lemma":"Ungeheuere","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on trug","gloss":"monstrous"},{"surface":"noch","lemma":"noch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Unerlernte","gloss":"not yet"},{"surface":"Unerlernte","lemma":"unerlernte","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on trug","gloss":"unlearned"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"die-erwachsene-s2-l4","source":"gelassen wie die Wasserträgerin","translation":"as calmly as the water-carrier","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"die Wasserträgerin","title":"The compound for water-carrier","body":"die Wasserträgerin means 'the water-carrier', a compound of Wasser, 'water', and Trägerin, the feminine form of Träger, 'carrier, bearer'. It names the woman she is compared to, calm as one accustomed to carrying a full jug."}],"words":[{"surface":"gelassen","lemma":"gelassen","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on trug","gloss":"calmly"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Wasserträgerin","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Wasserträgerin","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Wasserträgerin","lemma":"Wasserträgerin","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"water-carrier"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"die-erwachsene-s2-l5","source":"den vollen Krug. Bis mitten unterm Spiel,","translation":"her full jug. Until, in the midst of the play,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s2-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"mitten unterm Spiel","title":"Right in the middle of the game","body":"mitten means 'in the middle of, in the midst'. unterm is a contraction of unter dem, 'under the'. das Spiel here means 'the play, the game' rather than a stage play. mitten unterm Spiel means 'in the very midst of the game'."}],"words":[{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Krug","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"vollen","lemma":"voll","morphology":"adjective, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Krug","gloss":"full"},{"surface":"Krug","lemma":"Krug","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"jug"},{"surface":"Bis","lemma":"bis","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on fiel","gloss":"until"},{"surface":"mitten","lemma":"mitten","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on unterm","gloss":"in the midst"},{"surface":"unterm","lemma":"unter","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Bis","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"Spiel","lemma":"Spiel","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on unterm","gloss":"play"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"die-erwachsene-s2-l6","source":"verwandelnd und auf andres vorbereitend,","translation":"transforming her and readying her for other things,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s2-l6.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"auf andres vorbereitend","title":"vorbereitend, a participle used adverbially","body":"vorbereitend is the present participle of vorbereiten, 'to prepare', used adverbially alongside verwandelnd, 'transforming'. auf andres means 'for other things', with andres as an indefinite pronoun, 'something else'."}],"words":[{"surface":"verwandelnd","lemma":"verwandeln","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Schleier","gloss":"transforming"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on verwandelnd","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on vorbereitend","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"andres","lemma":"ander","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on auf","gloss":"other things"},{"surface":"vorbereitend","lemma":"vorbereiten","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on und","gloss":"readying"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"die-erwachsene-s2-l7","source":"der erste weiße Schleier, leise gleitend,","translation":"the first white veil, gently sliding,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s2-l7.m4a","notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Schleier","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"erste","lemma":"erster","morphology":"adjective, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Schleier","gloss":"first"},{"surface":"weiße","lemma":"weiß","morphology":"adjective, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Schleier","gloss":"white"},{"surface":"Schleier","lemma":"Schleier","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of fiel","gloss":"veil"},{"surface":"leise","lemma":"leise","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on gleitend","gloss":"gently"},{"surface":"gleitend","lemma":"gleiten","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Schleier","gloss":"sliding"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"die-erwachsene-s2-l8","source":"über das aufgetane Antlitz fiel","translation":"fell over the opened face","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s2-l8.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"das aufgetane Antlitz","title":"An elevated word for face","body":"das Antlitz is a literary, elevated word for 'face, countenance', more solemn than Gesicht. aufgetan is the past participle of auftun, 'to open up', here used as an adjective: 'the opened face'."}],"words":[{"surface":"über","lemma":"über","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on fiel","gloss":"over"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Antlitz","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"aufgetane","lemma":"aufgetan","morphology":"adjective, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Antlitz","gloss":"opened"},{"surface":"Antlitz","lemma":"Antlitz","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on über","gloss":"face"},{"surface":"fiel","lemma":"fallen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"fell"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"die-erwachsene-s3-l1","source":"fast undurchsichtig und sich nie mehr hebend","translation":"almost opaque and never lifting again","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"sich nie mehr hebend","title":"sich hebend, a reflexive participle","body":"hebend is the present participle of heben, 'to lift, raise'; with sich it means 'lifting itself'. sich nie mehr hebend means 'never lifting itself again', describing the face from the line before as it settles, unmoving."}],"words":[{"surface":"fast","lemma":"fast","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on undurchsichtig","gloss":"almost"},{"surface":"undurchsichtig","lemma":"undurchsichtig","morphology":"adjective, predicate","role":"depends on Schleier","gloss":"opaque"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on undurchsichtig","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on hebend","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"nie","lemma":"nie","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on hebend","gloss":"never"},{"surface":"mehr","lemma":"mehr","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on nie","gloss":"again"},{"surface":"hebend","lemma":"heben","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on und","gloss":"lifting"}]},{"number":15,"label":"15","id":"die-erwachsene-s3-l2","source":"und irgendwie auf alle Fragen ihr","translation":"and somehow, to all her questions,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"auf alle Fragen … ihr","title":"auf... Fragen, answering to","body":"auf alle Fragen means 'to all questions', with auf marking what a response is directed toward. ihr, 'her', is a dative possessive here, modifying Fragen: 'her questions'. The clause's verb, wiedergebend, comes in the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on wiedergebend","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"irgendwie","lemma":"irgendwie","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on wiedergebend","gloss":"somehow"},{"surface":"auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on wiedergebend","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"alle","lemma":"aller","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Fragen","gloss":"all"},{"surface":"Fragen","lemma":"Frage","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on auf","gloss":"questions"},{"surface":"ihr","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Fragen","gloss":"her"}]},{"number":16,"label":"16","id":"die-erwachsene-s3-l3","source":"nur eine Antwort vage wiedergebend:","translation":"giving back only one vague answer:","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"wiedergebend","title":"A participle for giving back","body":"wiedergebend is the present participle of wiedergeben, 'to give back, return'. Paired with nur eine Antwort, 'only one answer', it describes the way she meets every question: by giving back one vague answer, and no more."}],"words":[{"surface":"nur","lemma":"nur","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Antwort","gloss":"only"},{"surface":"eine","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Antwort","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"Antwort","lemma":"Antwort","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on wiedergebend","gloss":"answer"},{"surface":"vage","lemma":"vage","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on wiedergebend","gloss":"vaguely"},{"surface":"wiedergebend","lemma":"wiedergeben","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on und","gloss":"giving back"}]},{"number":17,"label":"17","id":"die-erwachsene-s3-l4","source":"In dir, du Kindgewesene, in dir.","translation":"Within you, you who were a child, within you.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-erwachsene-s3-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"du Kindgewesene","title":"A coined address to a former child","body":"Kindgewesene is coined from Kind, 'child', plus gewesene, the past participle of sein used as an adjective, 'having been'. du Kindgewesene means 'you who once were a child', addressing the grown woman by the child she used to be."}],"words":[{"surface":"In","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"Within"},{"surface":"dir","lemma":"dir","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on In","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"du","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on Kindgewesene","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"Kindgewesene","lemma":"Kindgewesene","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on du","gloss":"who were a child","note":"A Rilke coinage (\"Kind\" child + \"gewesene\" having-been) — \"the one who once was a child,\" addressed directly."},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on In","gloss":"within"},{"surface":"dir","lemma":"dir","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"you"}]}]}