# Die Rosenschale · The Bowl of Roses

Neue Gedichte · Rainer Maria Rilke · New Poems

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

**1** Zornige sahst du flackern, sahst zwei Knaben  
Angry ones you saw flaring up, you saw two boys
> Adjective used as noun: zornig means 'angry, wrathful'. Capitalized and given a plural ending, Zornige becomes a noun, 'angry ones'. It stands first in the line as the fronted accusative object of sahst, giving object then verb then subject.

**2** zu einem Etwas sich zusammenballen,  
clench themselves together into a Something,
> Reflexive with separable prefix: zusammenballen means 'to clump, to ball together'; with reflexive sich it means 'to ball themselves together'. The prefix zusammen- is separable, but here the clause begins with zu, so the infinitive stays whole at the end. ein Etwas nouns the pronoun etwas, 'a Something'.

**3** das Haß war und sich auf der Erde wälzte  
that was hatred and rolled about on the ground
> Verb meaning to roll: sich wälzen means 'to roll, writhe, wallow', of a heavy body turning over on the ground. The reflexive sich is required here, not optional. auf der Erde is dative, marking location rather than motion toward it.

**4** wie ein von Bienen überfallnes Tier;  
like an animal set upon by bees;
> Past participle used as adjective: überfallnes, short for überfallenes, is the past participle of überfallen, 'to attack, assail', placed before the noun Tier. The agent is marked with von plus dative, von Bienen, 'by bees'. This packs a passive clause into one adjective.

**5** Schauspieler, aufgetürmte Übertreiber,  
Actors, exaggerators piled high,
> Noun for one who exaggerates: Übertreiber is a Rilke coinage from übertreiben, 'to exaggerate, overdo'; it means 'one who exaggerates'. aufgetürmte, from auftürmen, 'to tower up, pile high', describes the actors as heaped together.

**6** rasende Pferde, die zusammenbrachen,  
raging horses that collapsed,
> Separable verb in past tense: zusammenbrechen, 'to collapse, break down', is separable, but in this relative clause introduced by die it stays whole and final. brachen is the strong past of brechen. rasend means 'raging, frenzied'.

**7** den Blick wegwerfend, bläkend das Gebiß,  
flinging the gaze away, baring the teeth,
> Present participles as adverbials: wegwerfend, from separable wegwerfen, 'to throw away', and bläkend, from bläken, 'to bare', are present participles describing simultaneous actions, 'throwing away the gaze, baring the teeth'. den Blick is the accusative object of wegwerfend; das Gebiß means the set of teeth.

**8** als schälte sich der Schädel aus dem Maule.  
as if the skull were peeling itself out of the maw.
> als plus subjunctive for as if: als here means 'as though' and takes the subjunctive with verb second word order, no ob needed: als schälte sich der Schädel means 'as though the skull were peeling itself'. schälte is the past subjunctive of schälen, 'to peel'. aus dem Maule is dative, Maul meaning an animal's mouth.


**9** Nun aber weißt du, wie sich das vergißt:  
But now you know how that gets forgotten:
> Reflexive without a named subject: sich vergessen is used here in a middle voice sense: wie sich das vergißt means 'how that forgets itself', that is, 'how that gets forgotten', with no one named as doing the forgetting. vergißt is the older spelling of today's vergisst.

**10** denn vor dir steht die volle Rosenschale,  
for before you stands the full bowl of roses,
> Compound noun for rose bowl: Rosenschale combines Rose and Schale into 'rose bowl', a shallow dish in which cut roses are arranged. Schale here means bowl or dish, not peel, though the two words are spelled alike.

**11** die unvergeßlich ist und angefüllt  
which is unforgettable and brimmed full

**12** mit jenem Äußersten von Sein und Neigen,  
with that utmost of being and inclining,
> Superlative used as a noun: das Äußerste is the substantivized superlative of äußer-, 'the outermost, the utmost'. jenem Äußersten is dative after mit. Sein, 'being', and Neigen, 'inclining, leaning', are infinitives turned into nouns and joined by und.

**13** Hinhalten, Niemals-Gebenkönnen, Dastehn,  
holding-out, never-being-able-to-give, standing-there,
> Hyphenated noun coinages: Rilke fuses phrases into single nouns: Hinhalten, 'holding out'; Niemals-Gebenkönnen, literally 'never being able to give'; Dastehn, 'standing there'. German lets infinitives and modal constructions become neuter nouns, and hyphens hold the longer coinages together as one word.

**14** das unser sein mag: Äußerstes auch uns.  
that may be ours: an utmost for us too.
> mögen expressing possibility: mag, from mögen, here means 'may, might', expressing possibility rather than liking: das unser sein mag means 'that may be ours'. unser is the possessive used as a predicate, 'ours'. The closing phrase Äußerstes auch uns drops the verb.


**15** Lautloses Leben, Aufgehn ohne Ende,  
Soundless life, opening without end,
> Verb for opening up: aufgehn, short for aufgehen, means 'to open up, rise, come up', used of buds, dough, or the sun. As a noun, das Aufgehn means 'the opening, the unfolding'. lautlos means 'soundless'.

**16** Raum-brauchen, ohne Raum von jenem Raum  
needing space, without taking space from that space

**17** zu nehmen, den die Dinge rings verringern,  
which the things all around diminish,
> ohne plus zu and infinitive: ohne Raum zu nehmen means 'without taking space'; ohne plus zu and an infinitive renders English 'without doing'. zu nehmen is held to the start of this line, separated from ohne by the line break. den ... verringern is a relative clause, 'which the things diminish'.

**18** fast nicht Umrissen-sein wie Ausgespartes  
almost not being outlined, like something left blank
> Noun for something left blank: From aussparen, 'to leave out, leave blank, reserve space'. das Ausgesparte means 'that which is left blank', like an untouched patch a painter saves. Umrissen-sein, a nouned passive meaning 'being outlined', is paired with it.

**19** und lauter Inneres, viel seltsam Zartes  
and nothing but inwardness, much strangely tender stuff
> Indeclinable word for sheer: lauter is indeclinable and means 'sheer, pure, nothing but, all'. lauter Inneres means 'nothing but inwardness'. Inneres and Zartes are substantivized adjectives, both neuter; seltsam means 'strange, strangely'.

**20** und Sich-bescheinendes bis an den Rand:  
and self-illumining things, right up to the brim:
> Reflexive participle turned noun: bescheinen means 'to shine on, illuminate'. The reflexive present participle sich bescheinend, 'shining on itself', is hyphenated and nouned as Sich-bescheinendes, 'self-illumining things'. bis an den Rand means 'right up to the edge', accusative after an marking the limit reached.

**21** ist irgend etwas uns bekannt wie dies?  
is anything at all known to us like this?
> bekannt takes the dative: bekannt, 'known, familiar', takes the dative of the person to whom something is known: uns bekannt means 'known to us'. irgend etwas means 'anything at all'. The verb ist stands first because this is a question.

**22** Und dann wie dies: daß ein Gefühl entsteht,  
And then like this: that a feeling arises,

**23** weil Blütenblätter Blütenblätter rühren?  
because petals are touching petals?
> Same noun as subject and object: Blütenblatt means 'petal', literally 'blossom leaf', plural Blütenblätter. The line uses the plural noun as both subject and object of rühren, 'to touch, stir', so it reads 'petals touch petals'.


**24** Und dies: daß eins sich aufschlägt wie ein Lid,  
And this: that one opens itself like an eyelid,
> Separable verb with reflexive: aufschlagen, 'to open, fling open', used of a book or an eye, is separable; with sich it means 'to open itself'. In this daß clause the verb stays whole and final, prefix attached. eins means 'one of them'; Lid means 'eyelid'.

**25** und drunter liegen lauter Augenlider,  
and beneath lie nothing but eyelids,

**26** geschlossene, als ob sie zehnfach schlafend  
closed ones, as though, tenfold asleep, they
> als ob for as though: als ob introduces a hypothetical comparison, normally with subjunctive and verb final word order; here the clause runs over three lines and the finite verb hätten lands in the next line. zehnfach means 'tenfold'; schlafend is a present participle, 'sleeping'. geschlossene is the substantivized participle, 'closed ones'.

**27** zu dämpfen hätten eines Innern Sehkraft.  
had to dampen an inner being's power of sight.
> haben zu plus infinitive: hätten zu dämpfen means 'would have to dampen, muffle'; haben plus zu and an infinitive expresses what must be done, and hätten, a subjunctive form, carries the as though mood from als ob. eines Innern is genitive, 'of an inner being'; Sehkraft means 'power of sight'.

**28** Und dies vor allem: daß durch diese Blätter  
And this above all: that through these leaves

**29** das Licht hindurch muß. Aus den tausend Himmeln  
the light must pass. Out of the thousand skies
> Modal verb with implied motion: das Licht hindurch muß means 'the light must pass through'. German can drop the infinitive of motion after a modal, so muß ... hindurch implies hindurchgehen, 'must go through'. muß is the older spelling of today's muss.

**30** filtern sie langsam jeden Tropfen Dunkel,  
they slowly filter every drop of darkness,
> Measure word plus substance: jeden Tropfen Dunkel means 'every drop of darkness'. German places the measured substance directly after the measure word with no of or von: Tropfen Dunkel, 'drop of darkness'. Dunkel is the noun 'darkness'. The fronted phrase before it puts the verb before the subject, filtern sie.

**31** in dessen Feuerschein das wirre Bündel  
in whose firelight the tangled cluster
> Genitive form of the relative pronoun: dessen is the genitive of the relative pronoun, 'whose', referring back to Tropfen Dunkel: in dessen Feuerschein means 'in whose firelight'. wirr means 'tangled, confused'.

**32** der Staubgeläße sich erregt und aufbäumt.  
of the stamens stirs and rears itself up.
> Reflexive separable verb for rearing: sich aufbäumen means 'to rear up, rise up', as a horse rears. It is reflexive and separable, appearing whole and final here after und. der Staubgeläße is genitive plural, 'of the stamens', an archaic spelling of Staubgefäße.


**33** Und die Bewegung in den Rosen, sieh:  
And the movement in the roses, look:

**34** Gebärden von so kleinem Ausschlagswinkel,  
gestures of so small a swing of arc,
> Compound noun for angle of swing: Ausschlagswinkel combines Ausschlag, 'deflection, swing', as of a pendulum or needle, with Winkel, 'angle', giving 'angle of deflection'. Gebärden means 'gestures'. The compound measures the roses' motion in precise, technical language.

**35** daß sie unsichtbar blieben, liefen ihre  
that they would stay invisible, did their
> Conditional formed by inversion: liefen ihre Strahlen nicht auseinander, completed in the next line, is a conditional clause formed by putting the subjunctive verb first instead of using wenn: liefen ... nicht means 'if they did not run'. blieben, 'would remain', is the paired main clause of this counterfactual.

**36** Strahlen nicht auseinander in das Weltall.  
rays not run apart into the universe.
> Verb for running apart: auseinander means 'apart, in different directions'; with laufen it gives 'to run, diverge apart'. It is split from its verb here: liefen ihre Strahlen ... auseinander. das Weltall means 'the universe'; in das Weltall is accusative, marking motion into it.


**37** Sieh jene weiße, die sich selig aufschlug  
Look at that white one, which opened itself in bliss
> Adjective for blissful: selig means 'blissful, blessed', and of a deceased person, 'late'. sich selig aufschlug means 'opened itself blissfully'. jene weiße, 'that white one', is a substantivized adjective standing in for jene weiße Rose, 'that white rose'.

**38** und dasteht in den großen offnen Blättern  
and stands there in its great open petals

**39** wie eine Venus aufrecht in der Muschel;  
like a Venus upright in the shell;

**40** und die errötende, die wie verwirrt  
and the blushing one, which as if confused
> Participle for blushing: erröten means 'to blush, redden'; die errötende means 'the blushing one', a present participle turned into a noun and referring to a rose. verwirrt means 'confused, bewildered'.

**41** nach einer kühlen sich hinüberwendet,  
turns itself over toward a cool one,
> Separable reflexive with dative object: hinüberwenden, 'to turn over, across, toward', is separable; with sich it means 'to turn oneself over'. It governs nach plus dative: nach einer kühlen means 'toward a cool one'. The prefix hinüber- adds the sense 'over there, to the other side'.

**42** und wie die kühle fühllos sich zurückzieht,  
and how the cool one, unfeeling, draws itself back,
> Verb for withdrawing: zurückziehen, 'to pull back, withdraw', is separable; reflexive sich zurückziehen means 'to withdraw oneself, retreat'. fühllos means 'unfeeling, numb', built like an English '-less' word from Gefühl, 'feeling'. wie here means 'how'.

**43** und wie die kalte steht, in sich gehüllt,  
and how the cold one stands, wrapped in itself,
> Past participle for wrapped: hüllen means 'to wrap, shroud'; gehüllt is its past participle. in sich gehüllt means 'wrapped, enfolded in itself', standing as a predicate describing die kalte, 'the cold one'.

**44** unter den offenen, die alles abtun.  
among the open ones, which cast everything off.
> Separable verb for casting off: abtun is separable and means 'to take off, lay aside, do away with, dismiss'. die alles abtun means 'which put everything off'. The verb introduces what a rose's open petals lay aside next.

**45** Und was sie abtun, wie das leicht und schwer,  
And what they cast off — how that is light and heavy,

**46** wie es ein Mantel, eine Last, ein Flügel  
how it can be a coat, a burden, a wing

**47** und eine Maske sein kann, je nachdem,  
and a mask, depending,
> Depending on the case: je nachdem means 'depending, as the case may be'. It closes the list Mantel, Last, Flügel, Maske, coat, burden, wing, mask, saying that which one fits varies. sein kann means 'can be'.

**48** und wie sie's abtun: wie vor dem Geliebten.  
and how they cast it off: as before the beloved.
> A nominalized adjective: der Geliebte is 'the beloved one', a nominalized participle of lieben that declines like an adjective. vor dem Geliebten is dative, 'before the beloved'. sie's contracts sie es, 'they it'.


**49** Was können sie nicht sein: war jene gelbe,  
What can they not be: was that yellow one,

**50** die hohl und offen daliegt, nicht die Schale  
which lies there hollow and open, not the rind
> Bowl or peel: Schale means both 'bowl, dish' and 'peel, rind, husk, shell'. Here it shifts from the earlier Rosenschale sense to 'rind', as in die Schale von einer Frucht, 'the rind of a fruit'.

**51** von einer Frucht, darin dasselbe Gelb,  
of a fruit, in which the same yellow,
> A fused pronominal adverb: darin fuses da and in, replacing 'in' plus a pronoun for things: 'in it, in which'. It refers back to Schale von einer Frucht. dasselbe Gelb means 'the same yellow'.

**52** gesammelter, orangeröter, Saft war?  
gathered, more orange-red, was juice?
> Comparatives in apposition: gesammelter and orangeröter are comparative adjectives, 'more gathered' and 'more orange red', placed in apposition to Saft, 'juice'. The clause inverts, ending in war, 'was', forming a question.

**53** Und wars für diese schon zu viel, das Aufgehn,  
And was it already too much for this one, the opening,
> A contraction of war es: wars contracts war es, 'was it'. für diese means 'for this one'; schon zu viel means 'already too much'. The delayed subject das Aufgehn, 'the opening', names what was too much.

**54** weil an der Luft ihr namenloses Rosa  
because in the air its nameless pink
> In the open air: an der Luft means 'in the open air, exposed to the air', dative after an for location. namenlos means 'nameless'; Rosa is the neuter noun for 'pink'. ihr means 'its', referring to the rose.

**55** den bittern Nachgeschmack des Lila annahm?  
took on the bitter aftertaste of lilac?
> To take something on: annehmen means 'to take on, assume, adopt', here of a color. Its past nahm ... an stays whole and final in this weil clause: den ... Nachgeschmack ... annahm. Nachgeschmack means 'aftertaste'; des Lila is genitive, 'of lilac'.

**56** Und die batistene, ist sie kein Kleid,  
And the cambric one, is it not a dress,
> Made of cambric: Batist means 'batiste, cambric', a fine sheer linen; the adjective batisten means 'made of cambric'. die batistene means 'the cambric one', a rose. kein Kleid negates the noun: 'not a dress'.

**57** in dem noch zart und atemwarm das Hemd steckt,  
in which the shift still sticks, tender and warm with breath,
> Warm with breath: atemwarm compounds Atem, 'breath', and warm, so 'warm with breath'. Hemd here means 'shift, chemise', not just 'shirt'. steckt, from stecken, means 'sticks, is lodged', with Hemd as its subject.

**58** mit dem zugleich es abgeworfen wurde  
with which at once it was thrown off
> Passive with werden: es ... abgeworfen wurde means 'it was thrown off', formed with the werden passive in the past: wurde plus the past participle abgeworfen, from separable abwerfen, 'to cast off'. mit dem is a dative relative, 'with which'; zugleich means 'at the same time'.

**59** im Morgenschatten an dem alten Waldbad?  
in the morning shadow at the old forest pool?
> Forest bathing place: Waldbad compounds Wald, 'forest', and Bad, 'bathing place', so 'woodland pool'. im Morgenschatten is dative after in, 'in the morning shadow'; an dem alten Waldbad is dative after an, 'at the old forest pool'.

**60** Und dieses hier, opalnes Porzellan,  
And this one here, opaline porcelain,
> Opal colored porcelain: opalen, spelled opalnes here, means 'opaline, opal like', milky and iridescent. Porzellan means 'porcelain, china'. Both are nominative neuter, in apposition to dieses, 'this one'.

**61** zerbrechlich, eine flache Chinatasse  
fragile, a shallow china cup

**62** und angefüllt mit kleinen hellen Faltern,–  
and filled with little bright moths,–
> One word for moth or butterfly: Falter means 'butterfly or moth', using the same form for singular and plural; here it appears as the dative plural Faltern after mit. angefüllt mit means 'filled, brimmed with'. hell means 'bright, pale, light'.

**63** und jene da, die nichts enthält als sich?  
and that one there, which holds nothing but itself?
> Nothing but, nothing except: nichts ... als means 'nothing but, nothing except'. die nichts enthält als sich means 'which holds nothing but itself'. enthalten means 'to contain, hold'; sich here is the reflexive 'itself'.


**64** Und sind nicht alle so, nur sich enthaltend,  
And are not all of them so, only containing themselves,
> Reflexive present participle: sich enthaltend means 'containing themselves', the present participle of enthalten with the reflexive sich. nur means 'only'. sind nicht alle so asks, 'are they not all like this'.

**65** wenn Sich-enthalten heißt: die Welt da draußen  
if self-containing means: the world out there
> A verb meaning to signify: heißen here means 'to mean, signify': wenn Sich-enthalten heißt means 'if self containing means'. Sich-enthalten is the reflexive infinitive turned into a hyphenated noun, 'self containment'.

**66** und Wind und Regen und Geduld des Frühlings  
and wind and rain and the patience of spring

**67** und Schuld und Unruh und vermummtes Schicksal  
and guilt and unrest and muffled fate
> Muffled or disguised: vermummen means 'to muffle up, disguise, mask'; vermummt means 'masked, muffled, hooded'. vermummtes Schicksal means 'muffled fate'. Unruh is a clipped form of Unruhe, 'unrest'.

**68** und Dunkelheit der abendlichen Erde  
and the darkness of the evening earth

**69** bis auf der Wolken Wandel, Flucht und Anflug,  
down to the clouds' shifting, flight and approach,
> A genitive placed before its noun: der Wolken is the genitive plural of Wolke, 'cloud': 'of the clouds'. Placed before its noun, der Wolken Wandel means 'the clouds' change'. bis auf here means 'down to, including'. Wandel means 'change', Flucht 'flight', Anflug 'approach'.

**70** bis auf den vagen Einfluß ferner Sterne  
down to the vague influence of distant stars
> The word for influence: Einfluß, today spelled Einfluss, means 'influence', literally 'in flowing'. der vage Einfluß ferner Sterne means 'the vague influence of distant stars', with ferner Sterne a genitive plural.

**71** in eine Hand voll Innres zu verwandeln?  
into a handful of inwardness to transform?
> The delayed final infinitive: verwandeln in plus accusative means 'to transform into'. This zu verwandeln completes heißt ... zu verwandeln, 'means to transform into a handful of inwardness'. Innres is a short form of Inneres, 'inwardness'.


**72** Nun liegt es sorglos in den offnen Rosen.  
Now it lies, free of care, in the open roses.
> Care plus the suffix -los: sorglos combines Sorge, 'care, worry', with the suffix -los, '-less', so 'carefree, free of care'. es refers back to the handful of inwardness named in the previous line. offnen is a short form of offenen, 'open'.

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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.