# Die Parke I-VII · The Parks I-VII

Neue Gedichte · Rainer Maria Rilke · New Poems: The Other Part

Source: https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/die-parke-i-vii. Data: https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/die-parke-i-vii.json. Audio: https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/<line id>.m4a.

**1** Unaufhaltsam heben sich die Parke  
Unstoppably the parks rise up
> Adverb built with -sam: unaufhaltsam comes from aufhalten, 'to hold back', plus un- and the suffix -sam, giving 'unstoppable'. It is an adverb modifying heben, describing how the parks rise. Parke is a poetic plural of Park; the standard plural is Parks.

**2** aus dem sanft zerfallenden Vergehn;  
out of the softly crumbling decay;
> An infinitive turned noun: vergehen means 'to pass away, fade'. Capitalized as Vergehn it becomes a noun meaning 'the passing away'. zerfallend, 'crumbling', modifies it, and aus dem ... Vergehn is dative after aus, 'out of'.

**3** überhäuft mit Himmeln, überstarke  
heaped over with skies, overstrong
> A participle governing mit: überhäuft is the past participle of überhäufen, 'to heap over, overwhelm'. Whatever something is heaped with takes mit plus dative, so mit Himmeln means 'with skies'. überstarke, 'overstrong', begins the next line's adjective.

**4** Überlieferte, die überstehn,  
handed-down things that outlast,
> Participle used as a noun: Überlieferte is the past participle of überliefern, 'to hand down', used here as a plural noun meaning 'things handed down'. überstehn, short for überstehen, means 'to survive, outlast'. The relative pronoun die refers back to Überlieferte.


**5** um sich auf den klaren Rasenplänen  
to spread themselves out on the clear lawns
> Purpose clause with um zu: um plus zu plus infinitive means 'in order to'. The clause opens here and finishes in the next line with auszubreiten und zurückzuziehn. Rasenplänen is the dative plural of Rasenplan, 'lawn', governed by the preposition auf.

**6** auszubreiten und zurückzuziehn,  
and to draw themselves back in,
> zu splits a separable verb: Both verbs are separable and sit inside the um zu construction. ausbreiten, 'to spread out', becomes aus-zu-breiten, and zurückziehen, 'to draw back', becomes zurück-zu-ziehn, with zu wedged between prefix and stem. The reflexive sich applies to both.

**7** immer mit demselben souveränen  
always with the same sovereign

**8** Aufwand, wie beschützt durch ihn,  
lavishness, as if protected by it,
> A noun for lavish display: der Aufwand means 'expenditure, outlay, lavish display'. Here mit ... Aufwand, dative after mit, names the gardens' extravagant display. wie beschützt durch ihn means 'as though protected by it', with ihn referring back to the masculine noun Aufwand.


**9** und den unerschöpflichen Erlös  
and still increasing the inexhaustible yield
> A noun plus an un- adjective: der Erlös means 'proceeds, return, yield'. unerschöpflich means 'inexhaustible', built from un-, erschöpfen, 'to exhaust', and the suffix -lich. den ... Erlös is the accusative object of vermehrend in the next line, 'increasing the inexhaustible yield'.

**10** königlicher Größe noch vermehrend,  
of royal greatness yet further,
> Genitive modifying the noun before it: königlicher Größe is genitive, 'of royal greatness', modifying Erlös from the line before: 'the inexhaustible yield of royal greatness'. vermehrend is the present participle of vermehren, 'to increase', used adverbially. noch here means 'still, further'.

**11** aus sich steigend, in sich wiederkehrend:  
rising out of themselves, returning into themselves:
> Paired present participles: Two present participles balance each other: aus sich steigend, 'rising out of itself', and in sich wiederkehrend, 'returning into itself'. wiederkehren means 'to return, recur'. Both modify Parke, the subject carried over from earlier in the sentence.

**12** huldvoll, prunkend, purpurn und pompös.  
gracious, resplendent, purple and pompous.
> Four closing adjectives: huldvoll, 'gracious, full of favour', comes from Huld, 'grace'. prunkend, 'showing off splendor', is the participle of prunken, from Prunk, 'pomp'. purpurn means 'purple' and pompös means 'pompous, grand'; all four modify Parke.


**13** II  
II


**14** Leise von den Alleen  
Softly by the avenues
> A tree-lined avenue: die Allee names a tree-lined walk, the long straight paths typical of a formal garden. The plural Alleen is dative after von, 'by, from'. leise means 'softly'.

**15** ergriffen, rechts und links,  
taken hold of, right and left,
> Participle before its main verb: ergriffen is the past participle of ergreifen, 'to seize, take hold of'. It describes the implied du, 'you', of trittst two lines later: walking softly seized by the avenues to right and left. The main verb trittst arrives only then.

**16** folgend dem Weitergehen  
following the onward going
> folgen takes the dative: folgen, 'to follow', takes a dative object: folgend dem Weitergehen means 'following the going onward'. das Weitergehen is the nouned infinitive of weitergehen, 'to walk on', a separable verb. dem is the dative article.

**17** irgendeines Winks,  
of some beckoning,
> Genitive noun plus an indefinite: der Wink means 'a sign, beckon, hint', from winken, 'to wave, beckon'. irgendeines Winks is genitive, 'of some beckoning or other', depending on Weitergehen above. irgendein means 'some ... or other, any'.


**18** trittst du mit einem Male  
you step all at once
> A fixed idiom with mit: mit einem Male means 'all at once, suddenly'. trittst du is the second-person singular of treten, 'to step, tread', and it is the main verb of the sentence begun in the previous stanza. du means 'you'.

**19** in das Beisammensein  
into the being-together
> Another nouned infinitive: das Beisammensein means 'togetherness, being together', from beisammen, 'together', plus sein, 'to be', another nouned infinitive. in das Beisammensein is accusative after in, marking motion into something.

**20** einer schattigen Wasserschale  
of a shadowy water-basin

**21** mit vier Bänken aus Stein;  
with four benches of stone;


**22** in eine abgetrennte  
into a cut-off
> Participle used as an adjective: abgetrennt is the past participle of abtrennen, 'to separate off, detach', used attributively before Zeit in the next line: eine abgetrennte Zeit, 'a cut-off stretch of time'. The line break separates the adjective from its noun.

**23** Zeit, die allein vergeht.  
time, that passes alone.

**24** Auf feuchte Postamente,  
Onto damp pedestals,
> A pedestal for a statue: das Postament means 'a pedestal, plinth, base' for a statue. The plural Postamente is accusative after auf, marking motion onto something. The next line explains: auf denen nichts mehr steht, 'on which nothing stands any more'.

**25** auf denen nichts mehr steht,  
on which nothing stands any more,
> Relative pronoun after a preposition: auf denen means 'on which'. The relative pronoun denen is dative plural, referring back to Postamente, with auf here marking location rather than motion. nichts mehr means 'nothing any more'.


**26** hebst du einen tiefen  
you draw a deep
> Fronting inverts verb and subject: hebst du means 'you raise, draw', from heben, 'to lift'. The sentence is fronted by the long phrase from the previous lines, so the verb comes before its subject du. The object einen tiefen ... Atemzug spans the line break.

**27** erwartenden Atemzug;  
expectant breath;
> A compound noun for breath: der Atemzug means 'a breath, an intake of breath', from Atem, 'breath', and Zug, 'pull, draught'. erwartend, 'expectant', is the present participle of erwarten, 'to expect, wait for', and modifies Atemzug.

**28** während das silberne Triefen  
while the silvery trickling
> Subordinating conjunction sends verb last: während means 'while, as'. As a subordinating conjunction it sends its verb to the end of the clause, here zählt, which arrives two lines later. das Triefen is the nouned infinitive of triefen, 'to drip, trickle'.

**29** vor dem dunkeln Bug  
before the dark prow
> A ship's bow, borrowed: der Bug means 'the bow, prow' of a ship, here used for the curved front edge of the stone basin. vor dem dunkeln Bug is dative after vor, 'before, in front of'. dunkeln is an older form of dunklen, 'dark'.


**30** dich schon zu den Seinen  
already counts you among its own
> A fixed phrase with zu: die Seinen means 'his or its own people, one's own'. zu den Seinen zählen means 'to count among one's own'. zählen zu takes the dative, so das Triefen ... zählt dich zu den Seinen means 'counts you among its own'.

**31** zählt und weiterspricht.  
and goes on speaking.
> Prefix rejoins its stem: weitersprechen means 'to go on speaking', from weiter-, 'on, further', and sprechen, 'to speak'. The separable prefix weiter- rejoins the stem here because the verb closes the während clause. zählt und weiterspricht is that clause's long-delayed predicate.

**32** Und du fühlst dich unter Steinen,  
And you feel yourself among stones
> Reflexive verb sich fühlen: sich fühlen means 'to feel oneself, to feel a certain way'. du fühlst dich unter Steinen means 'you feel yourself among stones'. unter Steinen is dative after unter, 'among'. The relative clause die hören follows in the next line.

**33** die hören, und rührst dich nicht.  
that hear, and you do not stir.
> Reflexive verb sich rühren: sich rühren means 'to stir, move, budge'. du ... rührst dich nicht means 'you do not move'. nicht negates the verb rührst. This closes the sentence begun with fühlst dich two lines earlier.


**34** III  
III


**35** Den Teichen und den eingerahmten Weihern  
From the ponds and the framed-in pools
> Dative object of a verb: verheimlichen, 'to keep secret, conceal', takes a dative for whoever is kept in the dark: den Teichen ... verheimlicht man das Verhör means 'from the ponds one conceals the interrogation'. der Weiher means 'a pond, pool'; eingerahmt means 'framed in'.

**36** verheimlicht man noch immer das Verhör  
one still keeps hidden the questioning
> Noun from a verb, plus man: das Verhör means 'interrogation, questioning, trial', from verhören, 'to interrogate'. The impersonal man means 'one, they', an unnamed someone. noch immer means 'still, even now'. das Verhör is the accusative object of verheimlicht.

**37** der Könige. Sie warten unter Schleiern,  
of the kings. They wait beneath veils,
> Genitive split across a line: der Könige means 'of the kings', genitive plural, completing das Verhör der Könige, 'the kings' interrogation'. The genitive is split across the line break. Sie then refers to the pools and takes warten as its verb, 'they wait'.

**38** und jeden Augenblick kann Monseigneur  
and at any moment Monseigneur may


**39** vorüberkommen; und dann wollen sie  
come passing by; and then they wish
> Separable verb standing whole: vorüberkommen means 'to come past, pass by', from vorüber-, 'past', and kommen, 'to come'. It stands as a whole infinitive here, completing kann ... vorüberkommen from the line before. wollen sie means 'they want, wish to'.

**40** des Königs Laune oder Trauer mildern  
to soften the king's whim or sorrow
> Genitive set before its noun: des Königs Laune means 'the king's mood', a genitive placed before its noun rather than after, an older word order. die Laune means 'mood, whim'; die Trauer means 'mourning, sorrow'. mildern means 'to soften, soothe'.

**41** und von den Marmorrändern wieder die  
and from the marble rims again let down the
> Article separated from its noun: der Marmorrand means 'marble edge, rim', from Marmor, 'marble', and Rand, 'edge'. von den Marmorrändern is dative plural after von, 'from'. The article die at the line's end belongs to Teppiche in the next line.

**42** Teppiche mit alten Spiegelbildern  
carpets with old reflections
> Two compound nouns for images: der Teppich means 'carpet, tapestry'; das Spiegelbild means 'reflection, mirror image', from Spiegel, 'mirror', and Bild, 'picture'. Both nouns build the sentence's extended image of woven cloth carried across the line break from hinunterhängen.


**43** hinunterhängen, wie um einen Platz:  
let hang down, as if around a square:
> Separable infinitive closes a clause: hinunterhängen means 'to hang down', from hinunter-, 'down', and hängen, 'to hang'. This separable infinitive completes the long clause begun with wollen sie several lines earlier. wie um einen Platz means 'as though around a public square'.

**44** auf grünem Grund, mit Silber, Rosa, Grau,  
on a green ground, with silver, pink, gray,
> Ground as a design surface: der Grund here means the 'ground' or background of a woven design, as in tapestry, not the soil. auf grünem Grund means 'on a green ground'. What follows lists colors: silver, pink, gray.

**45** gewährtem Weiß und leicht gerührtem Blau  
a granted white and lightly stirred blue
> Participles used as adjectives: gewährt, from gewähren, 'to grant, allow', gives gewährtem Weiß, 'a granted white'. gerührt, from rühren, 'to stir', gives leicht gerührtem Blau, 'a lightly stirred blue'. Both are dative after mit from the previous line.

**46** und einem Könige und einer Frau  
and a king and a woman

**47** und Blumen in dem wellenden Besatz.  
and flowers in the rippling border.
> A border, plus a participle: der Besatz means 'trimming, border, edging' of a fabric. wellend, 'rippling', is the present participle of wellen, 'to undulate', and describes water rather than cloth. Both nouns continue the tapestry image from earlier lines.


**48** IV  
IV


**49** Und Natur, erlaucht und als verletze  
And Nature, illustrious, and as though it injured
> Subjunctive after als without ob: erlaucht means 'illustrious, of high lineage'. als verletze sie uses als plus subjunctive I, verletze, from verletzen, 'to injure, offend', without ob or wenn: 'as though it offended'. Because ob is dropped, the verb jumps to second position right after als.

**50** sie nur unentschloßnes Ungefähr,  
only an irresolute approximation,
> Adjective made into a noun: ungefähr usually means 'approximately'; nouned as das Ungefähr it means 'the vague, the approximate'. unentschloßnes, short for unentschlossenes, 'irresolute, undecided', sharpens it. sie nur unentschloßnes Ungefähr is the object of the subjunctive verletze from the line before.

**51** nahm von diesen Königen Gesetze,  
took its laws from these kings,
> Main verb arrives at last: nahm is the simple past of nehmen, 'to take', the long-postponed main verb of the sentence opened by Und Natur. von diesen Königen Gesetze nehmen means 'to take laws from these kings'.

**52** selber selig, um den Tapis-vert  
blissful itself, to pile up, around the tapis-vert,


**53** ihrer Bäume Traum und Übertreibung  
the dream and exaggeration of its trees
> Genitive set before its noun: ihrer Bäume Traum und Übertreibung means 'its trees' dream and exaggeration', with the genitive ihrer Bäume, 'of its trees', placed before the noun it modifies. die Übertreibung means 'exaggeration, overstatement'. The whole phrase is the accusative object of aufzutürmen.

**54** aufzutürmen aus gebauschtem Grün  
out of billowed green,
> Separable verb inside um zu: auftürmen means 'to pile up, heap into a tower', from auf- and Turm, 'tower'. As a separable verb in the um zu clause it becomes auf-zu-türmen. aus gebauschtem Grün means 'out of billowed green', from bauschen, 'to billow'.

**55** und die Abende nach der Beschreibung  
and to paint the evenings, after the description
> nach meaning according to: nach plus dative can mean 'after, according to, following the model of': nach der Beschreibung von Verliebten means 'according to the account of lovers'. die Beschreibung means 'description', from beschreiben, 'to describe'.

**56** von Verliebten in die Avenün  
by lovers, into the avenues,
> Lovers named, plus a poetic plural: Verliebte means 'people in love', the substantivized past participle of sich verlieben, 'to fall in love'. Avenün is Rilke's Germanized plural of French avenue, chosen to rhyme with Grün; in die Avenün is accusative after in.


**57** einzumalen mit dem weichen Pinsel,  
with the soft brush,
> Second infinitive in the clause: einmalen means 'to paint in, paint into', from ein- and malen, 'to paint'; as a separable verb in um zu it becomes ein-zu-malen. It governs die Abende ... in die Avenün from the lines above. der Pinsel means 'paintbrush'.

**58** der ein firnisklares aufgelöstes  
that seemed to hold, glistening, a varnish-clear, dissolved
> A compound Rilke coined: Firnis means 'varnish, the clear glaze on a painting'; combined with klar, 'clear', it gives 'varnish-clear, lacquer-bright'. aufgelöst, 'dissolved', from auflösen, modifies Lächeln in the next line. der is the relative pronoun referring to Pinsel, the brush.

**59** Lächeln glänzend zu enthalten schien:  
smile within it:
> scheinen zu plus an infinitive: scheinen plus zu plus infinitive means 'to seem to'. der ... zu enthalten schien means 'which seemed to contain'. enthalten means 'to contain, hold', with ein ... aufgelöstes Lächeln, 'a dissolved smile', as its object. glänzend means 'gleaming'.


**60** der Natur ein liebes, nicht ihr größtes,  
a smile dear to Nature, not its greatest,
> Dative marks who something is for: der Natur is dative, 'to or for Nature': ein der Natur liebes [Lächeln] means 'a smile dear to Nature'. lieb means 'dear, beloved'. nicht ihr größtes means 'not its greatest', with ihr the possessive 'its'.

**61** aber eines, das sie selbst verliehn,  
but one that it lent out itself,
> Past participle of verleihen: verliehn, short for verliehen, is the past participle of verleihen, 'to lend out, bestow'. eines, das sie selbst verliehn means 'one that it itself lent'. sie refers to Nature; selbst means 'itself'. The verb stands at the clause's end.

**62** um auf rosenvoller Liebes-Insel  
to raise it, on a rose-filled isle of love,

**63** es zu einem größern aufzuziehn.  
into something greater.
> Separable verb meaning to raise: aufziehen means 'to raise, rear, bring up', as one raises a child; auf-zu-ziehn is its separable form in the um zu clause. es zu einem größern aufzuziehn means 'to raise it into something greater'. größern is short for größeren.


**64** V  
V


**65** Götter von Alleen und Altanen,  
Gods of avenues and balconies,
> A balcony, paired with avenues: der Altan means 'a balcony, raised terrace'. The plural Altanen pairs with Alleen, 'avenues', both dative after von, 'of'. Götter von Alleen und Altanen names the garden statues that this part of the poem describes.

**66** niemals ganzgeglaubte Götter, die  
gods never wholly believed in, that
> Rilke welds two words together: ganz, 'wholly, fully', is fused to geglaubt, the participle of glauben, 'to believe', giving ganzgeglaubte, 'wholly-believed'. niemals ganzgeglaubte Götter means 'gods never fully believed in'. The trailing die is the relative pronoun opening the next line.

**67** altern in den gradbesehnittnen Bahnen,  
grow old in the straight-cut walks,
> A verb and a compound adjective: altern means 'to grow old, age'. gradbeschnitten, printed here as gradbesehnittnen, means 'straight-cut', from grad or gerade, 'straight', and beschneiden, 'to cut, trim', describing the clipped paths, Bahnen, 'tracks, walks'. in den ... Bahnen marks location, dative.

**68** höchstens angelächelte Dianen,  
at most smiled-at Dianas,

**69** wenn die königliche Venerie  
when the royal hunting-party


**70** wie ein Wind die hohen Morgen teilend  
splitting the high mornings like a wind
> Present participle modifying a noun: teilend, from teilen, 'to divide, split', is a present participle here modifying the hunt named later in the sentence. wie ein Wind means 'like a wind'. die hohen Morgen, 'the high mornings', is the accusative object of teilend.

**71** aufbrach, übereilt und übereilend–;  
set out, hurried and hurrying–;
> A verb, plus paired participles: aufbrach is the simple past of aufbrechen, 'to set out, depart', the verb of the wenn clause here at clause end. übereilt, 'hurried', is passive, and übereilend, 'hurrying', is active, both from übereilen, 'to hurry, rush'.

**72** höchstens angelächelte, doch nie  
at most smiled-at, yet never


**73** angeflehte Götter. Elegante  
implored gods. Elegant
> Past participle of anflehen: angefleht is the past participle of anflehen, 'to implore, beseech, beg'. höchstens angelächelte, doch nie angeflehte Götter means 'gods at most smiled at, yet never implored', with the contrast split across the stanza break.

**74** Pseudonyme, unter denen man  
pseudonyms, under which one
> A borrowed noun, plus a relative: das Pseudonym means 'pseudonym, assumed name'. unter denen means 'under which', with the relative denen dative plural after unter. man means 'one'. The clause's verb completes in the next line, where someone hides and burns under these names.

**75** sich verbarg und blühte oder brannte,–  
hid, and bloomed or burned,–
> Reflexive verb, strong past tense: sich verbergen means 'to hide oneself, conceal oneself'; verbarg is its strong simple past. blühte, from blühen, 'to bloom', and brannte, from brennen, 'to burn', are also simple past forms, coordinated with verbarg by und and oder.

**76** leichtgeneigte, lächelnd angewandte  
lightly inclined, smilingly invoked
> Two compound participles for gods: leichtgeneigt means 'lightly inclined, favorably disposed', from leicht and geneigt, the participle of sich neigen, 'to incline'. angewandt is the participle of anwenden, 'to apply, use, invoke'. Both modify Götter, named explicitly in the next line.

**77** Götter, die noch manchmal dann und wann  
gods that still, now and then,
> A fixed phrase for occasional times: dann und wann means 'now and then, from time to time'. noch manchmal dann und wann stacks three time words for emphasis. die reopens a relative clause whose verb, gewähren, 'to grant', arrives in the next line.


**78** das gewähren, was sie einst gewährten,  
grant what they once granted,
> Infinitive as main verb: gewähren means 'to grant, bestow, accord'. das gewähren, was sie einst gewährten means 'grant that which they once granted', with das the object, 'that', and was a relative pronoun, 'which'. einst means 'once, formerly'.

**79** wenn das Blühen der entzückten Gärten  
when the blooming of the enchanted gardens
> Nouned infinitive plus a participle: das Blühen is the nouned infinitive of blühen, 'the blooming'. entzückt, 'delighted, enraptured', is the past participle of entzücken, 'to enchant'; der entzückten Gärten is genitive plural, 'of the enraptured gardens'. wenn sends its verb, nimmt, to the end.

**80** ihnen ihre kalte Haltung nimmt;  
takes their cold composure from them;
> Dative marks who loses something: nehmen with a dative person and accusative thing means 'to take something from someone': das Blühen ... nimmt ihnen ihre kalte Haltung means 'the blooming takes their cold bearing from them'. die Haltung means 'posture, bearing, composure'.

**81** wenn sie ganz von ersten Schatten beben  
when they tremble all over with the first shadows
> Verb plus causal von: beben means 'to tremble, quiver, shake'. ganz means 'entirely, all over'. von ersten Schatten means 'with the first shadows', a causal von plus dative marking the cause of the shaking in this second wenn clause.

**82** und Versprechen um Versprechen geben,  
and give promise upon promise,
> Repeated noun linked by um: Versprechen um Versprechen means 'promise upon promise, one after another', the same pattern as Tag um Tag, 'day after day'; um links the repeated noun. das Versprechen means 'promise', from versprechen, 'to promise'.

**83** alle unbegrenzt und unbestimmt.  
all boundless and indefinite.
> Two adjectives built with un-: unbegrenzt means 'boundless, unlimited', from un- plus begrenzt, 'limited'. unbestimmt means 'indefinite, undetermined', from un- plus bestimmt, 'definite'. alle refers back to the promises named in the line before.


**84** VI  
VI


**85** Fühlst du, wie keiner von allen  
Do you feel how none of all the
> Verb-first yes-no question: Fühlst du ...? is a yes-no question with the verb first, since German has no do-support. wie means 'how', opening an embedded clause whose verb falls to the end, in the next line. keiner von allen means 'none of all'.

**86** Wegen steht und stockt;  
paths stops and stalls;
> Two verbs for stopping: stehen means 'to stand, stop, be still'; stocken means 'to falter, halt, come to a standstill'. keiner ... steht und stockt means 'not one path stands still and stalls', the predicate of the wie clause begun in the line before.

**87** von gelassenen Treppen fallen,  
from unhurried stairways fall,
> Adjective from a verb's participle: gelassen means 'calm, unhurried, composed', originally the participle of lassen, 'to let'. von gelassenen Treppen means 'from the calm stairways', dative after von. Its subject, die Wege, 'the paths', is delayed until a later line.

**88** durch ein Nichts von Neigung  
through a mere nothing of a slope
> A fixed phrase for a trace: ein Nichts von X means 'a mere nothing of X, the barest trace of X'. die Neigung means 'incline, slope'. durch ein Nichts von Neigung means 'through the barest hint of a slope'.

**89** leise weitergelockt,  
softly lured onward,
> Separable participle, prefix rejoined: weitergelockt is the past participle of weiterlocken, 'to lure further on', from weiter-, 'further', and locken, 'to lure'. leise means 'softly'. The participle modifies die Wege, the still-pending subject of the sentence.

**90** über alle Terrassen  
over all the terraces

**91** die Wege, zwischen den Massen  
the paths, between the masses,
> The long-delayed subject named: die Wege, 'the paths', is finally the explicit subject of the verb held back across five lines of description. zwischen den Massen means 'between the masses', dative after zwischen, referring to the clipped hedges.

**92** verlangsamt und gelenkt,  
slowed and steered,
> Two past participles as predicate: verlangsamt, from verlangsamen, 'to slow down', and gelenkt, from lenken, 'to steer, guide', are past participles describing die Wege, 'slowed and steered' by the masses of hedge between them.

**93** bis zu den weiten Teichen,  
as far as the wide ponds,
> bis zu takes the dative: bis zu means 'as far as, up to' and takes the dative: bis zu den weiten Teichen means 'as far as the wide ponds'. The paths run all the way down to the great basins named here.

**94** wo sie (wie einem Gleichen)  
where (as to an equal)
> A noun made from an adjective: ein Gleicher means 'an equal, a peer'. wie einem Gleichen means 'as to an equal', dative. sie refers back to die Wege, 'the paths', the object of verschenkt in the next line.

**95** der reiche Park verschenkt  
the rich park gives away
> To give away as a gift: verschenken means 'to give away as a gift', from ver- and schenken, 'to give'. der reiche Park verschenkt sie ... an den reichen Raum means 'the rich park gives them away to the rich space'. an plus accusative marks the recipient.


**96** an den reichen Raum: den Einen,  
to the rich space: the One,
> An adjective used as a noun: den Einen means 'the One', accusative, with ein capitalized and declined like a noun, in apposition to den reichen Raum. The colon introduces it. The relative der in the next line elaborates it further.

**97** der mit Scheinen und Widerscheinen  
that with shinings and reflections
> Two nouns built on Schein: der Schein means 'shine, gleam, light'; der Widerschein means 'reflection, reflected glow', from wider-, 'back, counter', plus Schein. The plurals Scheinen und Widerscheinen are dative after mit. der is the relative pronoun referring back to den Einen.

**98** seinen Besitz durchdringt,  
pervades its possession,
> Verb plus noun for holdings: durchdringen means 'to penetrate, pervade, permeate'. der Besitz means 'possession, property, holding'. der ... seinen Besitz durchdringt means 'which pervades its own domain', with durchdringt closing the relative clause, as German subordinate order requires.

**99** aus dem er von allen Seiten  
from which it, on all sides,
> Relative pronoun after aus: aus dem means 'out of which', with the relative dem dative after aus, referring to Besitz. er stands for the 'One' named earlier. von allen Seiten means 'from all sides'. The clause's verb, bringt, completes the next line.

**100** Weiten mit sich bringt,  
brings distances with it,
> Noun plus a fixed phrase: die Weite means 'expanse, distance, openness'; the plural Weiten means 'far distances'. mit sich bringen means 'to bring along, entail', a fixed phrase. er ... bringt Weiten mit sich means 'it brings far distances along with it'.

**101** wenn er aus schließenden Weihern  
when it, out of closing pools,
> Present participle before its noun: schließend, from schließen, 'to close, shut', is a present participle: schließende Weiher means 'closing pools'. aus schließenden Weihern is dative after aus, 'out of'. wenn sends its verb, schwingt, to the end of the part.

**102** zu wolkigen Abendfeiern  
to cloudy evening festivals
> A compound noun for a festival: die Abendfeier means 'evening celebration, festival', from Abend, 'evening', and Feier, 'celebration'; the plural Abendfeiern is dative after zu, 'to'. wolkig means 'cloudy'.

**103** sich in die Himmel schwingt.  
swings up into the skies.
> Reflexive verb of soaring motion: sich schwingen means 'to swing oneself up, soar, vault'. sich in die Himmel schwingen means 'to swing up into the skies', with in die Himmel accusative for motion into. schwingt is the long-deferred verb of the wenn clause.


**104** VII  
VII


**105** Aber Schalen sind, drin der Najaden  
But there are basins in which the naiads'

**106** Spiegelbilder, die sie nicht mehr baden,  
reflections, which they no longer bathe,
> Relative clause with object fronted: die sie nicht mehr baden means 'which they no longer bathe': die is the relative object, 'which', referring to Spiegelbilder, and sie the subject, 'they'. baden means 'to bathe'.

**107** wie ertrunken liegen, sehr verzerrt;  
lie as if drowned, sorely distorted;
> Two past participles for ruin: ertrunken means 'drowned', the past participle of ertrinken, 'to drown'; wie ertrunken means 'as though drowned'. verzerrt means 'distorted, contorted, warped', from verzerren. Both describe how the reflections lie in the water.

**108** die Alleen sind durch Balustraden  
the avenues are, by balustrades,
> A borrowed noun for railings: die Balustrade means 'balustrade, stone railing', a row of small pillars topped by a rail. durch Balustraden means 'by, through balustrades', an instrumental durch plus accusative. sind depends on the participle versperrt in the next line.

**109** in der Ferne wie versperrt.  
in the distance as if barred shut.
> Past participle of versperren: versperrt is the past participle of versperren, 'to block, bar, obstruct'. wie versperrt means 'as though barred, blocked off'. in der Ferne means 'in the distance', dative.


**110** Immer geht ein feuchter Blätterfall  
Always a damp fall of leaves goes
> A compound noun for falling leaves: der Blätterfall means 'the falling of leaves', from Blätter, 'leaves', and Fall, 'fall'. feucht means 'damp, moist'. immer means 'always, constantly', modifying geht, the main verb of the sentence.

**111** durch die Luft hinunter wie auf Stufen,  
down through the air as if down steps,
> Directional adverb, not a preposition: hinunter means 'down, downward, away from the speaker'. geht ... hinunter means 'goes, descends downward'. wie auf Stufen means 'as though on steps', from die Stufe, 'step'.

**112** jeder Vogelruf ist wie verrufen,  
every birdcall sounds as if ill-omened,
> A wordplay lost in translation: verrufen means 'ill-reputed, notorious, of evil repute'. jeder Vogelruf ist wie verrufen means 'every birdcall is as though ill-famed', playing verrufen against Vogelruf, 'birdcall', both built on rufen, 'to call'.

**113** wie vergiftet jede Nachtigall.  
as if poisoned every nightingale.
> Elided verb across parallel lines: vergiftet means 'poisoned', the past participle of vergiften, 'to poison'. The line drops a repeated ist from the previous line, so it reads [ist] wie vergiftet jede Nachtigall, 'every nightingale is as though poisoned'. die Nachtigall means 'nightingale'.


**114** Selbst der Frühling ist da nicht mehr gebend,  
Even spring is no longer giving there,
> sein plus a present participle: selbst before a noun means 'even': selbst der Frühling means 'even spring'. ist ... gebend pairs sein with the present participle of geben, 'to give', for a state, 'is no longer giving'. da means 'there'; nicht mehr means 'no longer'.

**115** diese Büsche glauben nicht an ihn;  
these bushes do not believe in it;
> A verb plus accusative for belief: glauben an means 'to believe in' and takes the accusative: glauben nicht an ihn means 'do not believe in it', with ihn standing for the masculine Frühling, 'spring'. der Busch means 'bush, shrub'.

**116** ungern duftet trübe, überlebend  
reluctantly, dully, surviving on, there breathes its scent
> Three adverbs before the subject: ungern means 'reluctantly, unwillingly'. duften means 'to give off a scent'. trübe means 'dull, murky' here used adverbially, and überlebend, 'surviving, outliving', is the present participle of überleben. The subject these describe arrives only in the next line.

**117** abgestandener Jasmin  
the stale jasmine,
> Adjective for stale scent: abgestanden means 'stale, flat, gone off', the past participle of abstehen, normally used of stagnant water or air. der Jasmin means 'jasmine'. abgestandener Jasmin is the delayed subject of duftet from the line above.


**118** alt und mit Zerfallendem vermischt.  
old and mingled with decaying things.
> vermischt mit plus a nouned participle: vermischt mit takes the dative and means 'mixed, mingled with', from vermischen, 'to mix'. Zerfallendem is the present participle of zerfallen, 'to decay, crumble', used as a neuter noun, 'decaying matter'.

**119** Mit dir weiter rückt ein Bündel Mücken,  
Along with you a swarm of midges moves on,
> A noun phrase, plus a moving verb: das Bündel means 'bundle, cluster'; die Mücke means 'midge, gnat', so ein Bündel Mücken means 'a swarm of midges'. weiterrücken means 'to move on, shift further', a separable verb with weiter split off and standing first here.

**120** so als würde hinter deinem Rücken  
as if behind your back
> Subjunctive after so als: so als, plus a subjunctive verb, means 'as though'. würde ... vernichtet, in the next line, is subjunctive II passive, 'were annihilated'. Because ob is dropped, würde jumps up right after als. hinter deinem Rücken means 'behind your back', dative.

**121** alles gleich vernichtet und verwischt.  
everything were at once destroyed and erased.
> Two past participles for destruction: vernichtet means 'annihilated, destroyed', from vernichten. verwischt means 'blurred, smeared away, effaced', from verwischen. gleich here means 'at once, immediately'. Both complete so als würde ... vernichtet und verwischt from the line before.

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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.