{"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-greisin","title":{"source":"Die Greisin","translated":"The Old Woman"},"section":"New Poems: The Other Part","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/die-greisin","lines":17},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/dame-vor-dem-spiegel","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/das-bett","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-greisin-s1-l1","source":"Weiße Freundinnen mitten im Heute","translation":"White-haired friends in the midst of the now","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Weiße","title":"Adjective implies white hair","body":"weiss means 'white'; used of people it implies white-haired, aged. Weisse Freundinnen is 'white-haired women friends'; die Freundin is the feminine of der Freund, and Freundinnen is its plural."}],"words":[{"surface":"Weiße","lemma":"weiß","morphology":"adjective, nominative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Freundinnen","gloss":"White-haired"},{"surface":"Freundinnen","lemma":"Freundin","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, plural","role":"subject of lachen","gloss":"friends"},{"surface":"mitten","lemma":"mitten","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on im","gloss":"in the midst"},{"surface":"im","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Freundinnen","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"Heute","lemma":"Heute","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on im","gloss":"now"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"die-greisin-s1-l2","source":"lachen und horchen und planen für morgen","translation":"laugh and listen and plan for tomorrow,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"horchen","title":"Verb for active listening","body":"horchen means 'to listen attentively, to hark, to eavesdrop', an active straining of the ear, unlike hören, 'to hear'. The three present-tense verbs lachen, horchen, planen pile up in sequence."}],"words":[{"surface":"lachen","lemma":"lachen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"laugh"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on lachen","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"horchen","lemma":"horchen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"depends on und","gloss":"listen"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on lachen","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"planen","lemma":"planen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"depends on und","gloss":"plan"},{"surface":"für","lemma":"für","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on planen","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"morgen","lemma":"morgen","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on für","gloss":"tomorrow"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"die-greisin-s1-l3","source":"abseits erwägen gelassene Leute","translation":"off to one side, composed folk weigh","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"erwägen","title":"Verb for weighing a matter","body":"erwägen means 'to weigh up, ponder, consider carefully'. abseits, 'off to the side, apart', sets these gelassene Leute, 'calm, composed people', apart from the others in the line before."}],"words":[{"surface":"abseits","lemma":"abseits","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on erwägen","gloss":"off to one side"},{"surface":"erwägen","lemma":"erwägen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"weigh"},{"surface":"gelassene","lemma":"gelassen","morphology":"adjective, nominative, plural","role":"depends on Leute","gloss":"composed"},{"surface":"Leute","lemma":"Leute","morphology":"noun, nominative, plural","role":"subject of erwägen","gloss":"folk"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"die-greisin-s1-l4","source":"langsam ihre besonderen Sorgen,","translation":"slowly their particular cares,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"besonderen Sorgen","title":"Object placed a line from its verb","body":"The object ihre besonderen Sorgen, 'their particular cares', belongs to erwägen in the line above; German allows the subject gelassene Leute and its verb to stand a full line from the object. besonder- means 'particular, special'."}],"words":[{"surface":"langsam","lemma":"langsam","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on erwägen","gloss":"slowly"},{"surface":"ihre","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Sorgen","gloss":"their"},{"surface":"besonderen","lemma":"besonderer","morphology":"adjective, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Sorgen","gloss":"particular"},{"surface":"Sorgen","lemma":"Sorge","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"object of erwägen","gloss":"cares"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"die-greisin-s2-l1","source":"das Warum und das Wann und das Wie,","translation":"the why and the when and the how,","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"das Warum","title":"Question words made into nouns","body":"German turns the question words warum, 'why', wann, 'when', and wie, 'how', into neuter nouns by placing das before them: das Warum means 'the why of it'. Capitalized and articled, they name abstract questions rather than ask them."}],"words":[{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Warum","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Warum","lemma":"Warum","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"coordinates with Sorgen, object of erwägen","gloss":"why"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on Warum","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Wann","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Wann","lemma":"Wann","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"coordinates with Warum","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on Wann","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Wie","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Wie","lemma":"Wie","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"coordinates with Wann","gloss":"how"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"die-greisin-s2-l2","source":"und man hört sie sagen: Ich glaube–;","translation":"and one hears her say: I believe–;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"man hört sie sagen","title":"Verb of perception takes a bare infinitive","body":"man is the impersonal 'one, people'; man hört sie sagen means 'one hears her say'. A verb of perception like hören takes a bare infinitive, sagen, 'to say', rather than a zu-clause."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on hört","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"man","lemma":"man","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on hört","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"hört","lemma":"hören","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"hears"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on hört","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"sagen","lemma":"sagen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on hört","gloss":"say"},{"surface":"Ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on glaube–","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"glaube–","lemma":"glauben","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the quoted clause","gloss":"believe","note":"the dash marks her trailing off, as if she doesn't finish the sentence."}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"die-greisin-s2-l3","source":"aber in ihrer Spitzenhaube","translation":"but within her lace bonnet","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Spitzenhaube","title":"Compound noun for a lace cap","body":"Spitzenhaube compounds die Spitze, 'lace', and die Haube, 'bonnet, cap, coif', the close lace cap traditionally worn by older women. in ihrer Spitzenhaube means 'within her lace bonnet'."}],"words":[{"surface":"aber","lemma":"aber","morphology":"conjunction","role":"connects to the previous clause, depends on ist","gloss":"but"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"within"},{"surface":"ihrer","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"determiner, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Spitzenhaube","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"Spitzenhaube","lemma":"Spitzenhaube","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"lace bonnet"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"die-greisin-s2-l4","source":"ist sie sicher, als wüßte sie,","translation":"she is certain, as if she knew,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"als wüßte sie","title":"Subjunctive after als drops ob","body":"wüßte is Konjunktiv II, past subjunctive, of wissen, 'to know'. After als, 'as though', German drops ob and brings the verb forward: als wüßte sie, 'as though she knew'."}],"words":[{"surface":"ist","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"she"},{"surface":"sicher","lemma":"sicher","morphology":"adjective","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"certain"},{"surface":"als","lemma":"als","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on wüßte","gloss":"as if"},{"surface":"wüßte","lemma":"wissen","morphology":"verb, past, subjunctive, third-person, singular","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"knew"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on wüßte","gloss":"she"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"die-greisin-s3-l1","source":"daß sie sich irren, diese und alle.","translation":"that they are mistaken, these and all.","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"sich irren","title":"Reflexive verb for being wrong","body":"sich irren means 'to be mistaken, to err' and is reflexive: sie irren sich, 'they are wrong'. daß, older spelling of dass, opens the clause naming what she silently believes, so its verb irren stands at the end."}],"words":[{"surface":"daß","lemma":"daß","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on irren","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on irren","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, plural, reflexive","role":"depends on irren","gloss":"themselves"},{"surface":"irren","lemma":"irren","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"are mistaken"},{"surface":"diese","lemma":"dieser","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"in apposition to sie","gloss":"these"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on diese","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"alle","lemma":"alle","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on und","gloss":"all"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"die-greisin-s3-l2","source":"Und das Kinn, im Niederfalle,","translation":"And the chin, in its falling,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Niederfalle","title":"Coined noun for a falling motion","body":"Niederfalle is a poetic noun built from nieder, 'down', and fallen, 'to fall'. im Niederfalle means 'in the act of falling, sinking down', describing the chin gradually dropping."}],"words":[{"surface":"Und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on lehnt","gloss":"And"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Kinn","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Kinn","lemma":"Kinn","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of lehnt","gloss":"chin"},{"surface":"im","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on lehnt","gloss":"in its"},{"surface":"Niederfalle","lemma":"Niederfall","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on im","gloss":"falling","note":"archaic dative singular of der Niederfall (the falling), with the old-style -e ending."}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"die-greisin-s3-l3","source":"lehnt sich an die weiße Koralle,","translation":"leans against the white coral,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"lehnt sich an","title":"Separable reflexive verb with accusative","body":"sich lehnen an means 'to lean against'; the separable prefix an and the reflexive sich belong together, and an takes the accusative, die weisse Koralle, because it expresses motion toward a resting point."}],"words":[{"surface":"lehnt","lemma":"lehnen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"leans"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on lehnt","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on lehnt","gloss":"against"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Koralle","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"weiße","lemma":"weiß","morphology":"adjective, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Koralle","gloss":"white"},{"surface":"Koralle","lemma":"Koralle","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on an","gloss":"coral"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"die-greisin-s3-l4","source":"die den Schal zur Stirne stimmt.","translation":"which tunes the shawl to the brow.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s3-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"stimmt","title":"Verb borrowed from tuning","body":"stimmen means 'to tune', as one tunes an instrument, and so 'to bring into accord, harmonize'. die den Schal zur Stirne stimmt means 'which tunes the shawl to the brow'; die is the relative pronoun subject."}],"words":[{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"refers to Koralle, subject of stimmt","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Schal","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Schal","lemma":"Schal","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on stimmt","gloss":"shawl"},{"surface":"zur","lemma":"zu","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on stimmt","gloss":"to the"},{"surface":"Stirne","lemma":"Stirne","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on zur","gloss":"brow"},{"surface":"stimmt","lemma":"stimmen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"tunes"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"die-greisin-s4-l1","source":"Einmal aber, bei einem Gelache,","translation":"Once, though, amid a burst of laughter,","stanza":4,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s4-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Gelache","title":"Collective noun from a repeated action","body":"Gelache, akin to das Gelächter, is a collective noun for 'laughing, a spell of laughter'. The prefix Ge- gathers a repeated or scattered action into one mass, as in Gerede, 'chatter'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Einmal","lemma":"einmal","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on holt","gloss":"Once"},{"surface":"aber","lemma":"aber","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Einmal","gloss":"though"},{"surface":"bei","lemma":"bei","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on holt","gloss":"amid"},{"surface":"einem","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Gelache","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Gelache","lemma":"Gelache","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on bei","gloss":"burst of laughter"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"die-greisin-s4-l2","source":"holt sie aus springenden Lidern zwei wache","translation":"she fetches from leaping lids two waking","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s4-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"holt … aus","title":"Verb-second order after a fronted phrase","body":"Because the line opens on the adverbial Einmal aber, the finite verb holt, 'fetches, draws out', comes second and the subject sie follows it, standard German verb-second word order."}],"words":[{"surface":"holt","lemma":"holen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"fetches"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"subject of holt","gloss":"she"},{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on holt","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"springenden","lemma":"springend","morphology":"adjective, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Lidern","gloss":"leaping"},{"surface":"Lidern","lemma":"Lid","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"lids"},{"surface":"zwei","lemma":"zwei","morphology":"numeral","role":"depends on wache","gloss":"two"},{"surface":"wache","lemma":"wach","morphology":"adjective, accusative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Blicke","gloss":"waking"}]},{"number":15,"label":"15","id":"die-greisin-s4-l3","source":"Blicke und zeigt diese harte Sache,","translation":"glances and shows this hard thing,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s4-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Blicke","title":"Plural noun for glances","body":"der Blick is 'a look, glance, gaze'; the plural Blicke completes zwei wache Blicke, 'two waking glances', begun in the line before. die Sache means 'thing, matter'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Blicke","lemma":"Blick","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, plural","role":"object of holt","gloss":"glances"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"coordinates holt and zeigt","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"zeigt","lemma":"zeigen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"second main verb, coordinated with holt","gloss":"shows"},{"surface":"diese","lemma":"dieser","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Sache","gloss":"this"},{"surface":"harte","lemma":"hart","morphology":"adjective, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Sache","gloss":"hard"},{"surface":"Sache","lemma":"Sache","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on zeigt","gloss":"thing"}]},{"number":16,"label":"16","id":"die-greisin-s4-l4","source":"wie man aus einem geheimen Fache","translation":"the way one, from a secret compartment,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s4-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Fache","title":"Noun for a compartment","body":"das Fach means a 'compartment, drawer, pigeonhole'; aus einem geheimen Fache is 'from a secret compartment', the -e an older dative ending. wie man opens the simile that closes the sentence."}],"words":[{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on nimmt","gloss":"the way"},{"surface":"man","lemma":"man","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"subject of nimmt","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on nimmt","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"einem","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Fache","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"geheimen","lemma":"geheim","morphology":"adjective, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Fache","gloss":"secret"},{"surface":"Fache","lemma":"Fach","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"compartment"}]},{"number":17,"label":"17","id":"die-greisin-s4-l5","source":"schöne ererbte Steine nimmt.","translation":"takes out beautiful inherited stones.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/die-greisin-s4-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ererbte","title":"Past participle for inherited things","body":"ererbt is the past participle of ererben, 'to inherit, come into by inheritance', used here as an adjective: ererbte Steine means 'inherited stones', heirloom gems passed down."}],"words":[{"surface":"schöne","lemma":"schön","morphology":"adjective, accusative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Steine","gloss":"beautiful"},{"surface":"ererbte","lemma":"ererbt","morphology":"adjective, accusative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Steine","gloss":"inherited"},{"surface":"Steine","lemma":"Stein","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on nimmt","gloss":"stones"},{"surface":"nimmt","lemma":"nehmen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"takes"}]}]}