{"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":"fremde-familie","title":{"source":"Fremde Familie","translated":"Strange Family"},"section":"New Poems: The Other Part","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/fremde-familie","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/die-bettler","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/leichenwaesche","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":"fremde-familie-s1-l1","source":"So wie der Staub, der irgendwie beginnt","translation":"Just as the dust, which somehow begins","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"So wie","title":"Extended comparison across stanzas","body":"so wie, 'just as', opens a comparison completed only in the second stanza by so bildeten sie sich, 'so they took shape'. The whole first stanza is the wie half of the comparison, and the sentence stays open across the stanza break."}],"words":[{"surface":"So","lemma":"so","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on wie (correlative \"so wie\")","gloss":"just"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Staub","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Staub","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Staub","lemma":"Staub","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"dust"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on beginnt","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"irgendwie","lemma":"irgendwie","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on beginnt","gloss":"somehow"},{"surface":"beginnt","lemma":"beginnen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the relative clause modifying Staub","gloss":"begins"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"fremde-familie-s1-l2","source":"und nirgends ist, zu unerklärtem Zwecke","translation":"and is nowhere, toward some unexplained purpose","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"zu unerklärtem Zwecke","title":"zu always takes the dative","body":"zu always takes the dative: zu unerklärtem Zwecke means 'for an unexplained purpose'. The -e on Zwecke is the old dative ending on the masculine noun der Zweck, kept here for the meter. unerklärt means 'unexplained'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"nirgends","lemma":"nirgends","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"nowhere"},{"surface":"ist","lemma":"sein","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"coordinated with beginnt (previous line)","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"zu","lemma":"zu","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on gerinnt (fremde-familie-s1-l4)","gloss":"toward"},{"surface":"unerklärtem","lemma":"unerklärt","morphology":"adjective, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Zwecke","gloss":"unexplained"},{"surface":"Zwecke","lemma":"Zweck","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on zu","gloss":"purpose"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"fremde-familie-s1-l3","source":"an einem leeren Morgen in der Ecke,","translation":"on an empty morning, in the corner","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on gerinnt (fremde-familie-s1-l4)","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"einem","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Morgen","gloss":"an"},{"surface":"leeren","lemma":"leer","morphology":"adjective, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Morgen","gloss":"empty"},{"surface":"Morgen","lemma":"Morgen","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on an","gloss":"morning"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on gerinnt (fremde-familie-s1-l4)","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Ecke","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Ecke","lemma":"Ecke","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"corner"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"fremde-familie-s1-l4","source":"in die man sieht, ganz rasch zu Grau gerinnt,","translation":"one looks into, congeals quite swiftly into grey,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"gerinnt","title":"Verb for curdling applied to dust","body":"gerinnen means 'to clot, to curdle, to congeal', normally used of milk or blood. zu Grau gerinnt means 'congeals into grey'. in die man sieht, 'into which one looks', is accusative because the looking is directed into the corner it describes."}],"words":[{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on sieht","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"man","lemma":"man","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on sieht","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"sieht","lemma":"sehen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the relative clause","gloss":"looks"},{"surface":"ganz","lemma":"ganz","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on rasch","gloss":"quite"},{"surface":"rasch","lemma":"rasch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on gerinnt","gloss":"swiftly"},{"surface":"zu","lemma":"zu","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on gerinnt","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"Grau","lemma":"Grau","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on zu","gloss":"grey"},{"surface":"gerinnt","lemma":"gerinnen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject: Staub, fremde-familie-s1-l1)","gloss":"congeals"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"fremde-familie-s2-l1","source":"so bildeten sie sich, wer weiß aus was,","translation":"so they took shape, who knows out of what,","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"bildeten sie sich","title":"Reflexive verb for taking shape","body":"sich bilden is the reflexive verb 'to form, to come into being'. bildeten is its past tense. This line answers the so wie of the first stanza: so bildeten sie sich, wer weiß aus was, 'so they took shape, who knows out of what'."}],"words":[{"surface":"so","lemma":"so","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on bildeten","gloss":"so"},{"surface":"bildeten","lemma":"bilden","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"took shape"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on bildeten","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, plural, reflexive","role":"depends on bildeten","gloss":"(themselves)"},{"surface":"wer","lemma":"wer","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on weiß","gloss":"who"},{"surface":"weiß","lemma":"wissen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the parenthetical clause","gloss":"knows"},{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on bildeten","gloss":"out of"},{"surface":"was","lemma":"was","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"what"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"fremde-familie-s2-l2","source":"im letzten Augenblick vor deinen Schritten","translation":"in the last instant before your steps,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"im","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on bildeten (previous line)","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"letzten","lemma":"letzter","morphology":"adjective, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Augenblick","gloss":"last"},{"surface":"Augenblick","lemma":"Augenblick","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on im","gloss":"instant"},{"surface":"vor","lemma":"vor","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Augenblick","gloss":"before"},{"surface":"deinen","lemma":"dein","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Schritten","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"Schritten","lemma":"Schritt","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on vor","gloss":"steps"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"fremde-familie-s2-l3","source":"und waren etwas Ungewisses mitten","translation":"and were something uncertain there in the midst","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"etwas Ungewisses","title":"etwas plus capitalized adjective noun","body":"After etwas, 'something', an adjective is capitalized and nominalized with a strong neuter -es ending: etwas Ungewisses means 'something uncertain'. The same pattern gives etwas Schönes, 'something beautiful'. ungewiss means 'uncertain, indistinct'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on waren","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"waren","lemma":"sein","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb, coordinated with bildeten (subject: sie, s2-l1)","gloss":"were"},{"surface":"etwas","lemma":"etwas","morphology":"pronoun, neuter","role":"depends on Ungewisses","gloss":"something"},{"surface":"Ungewisses","lemma":"ungewiss","morphology":"adjective, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"predicate complement of waren","gloss":"uncertain"},{"surface":"mitten","lemma":"mitten","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on waren","gloss":"in the midst"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"fremde-familie-s2-l4","source":"im nassen Niederschlag der Gasse, das","translation":"of the wet drizzle of the lane — which","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Niederschlag","title":"Noun spanning rain and sediment","body":"der Niederschlag means both 'precipitation', as in rain or drizzle, and 'sediment, deposit'. im nassen Niederschlag der Gasse holds both senses, the wet that has settled over the alley. die Gasse means 'a narrow lane'."}],"words":[{"surface":"im","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on mitten (previous line, \"mitten im\")","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"nassen","lemma":"nass","morphology":"adjective, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Niederschlag","gloss":"wet"},{"surface":"Niederschlag","lemma":"Niederschlag","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on im","gloss":"drizzle"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, genitive, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Gasse","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Gasse","lemma":"Gasse","morphology":"noun, genitive, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Niederschlag","gloss":"lane"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of verlangte (refers back to etwas Ungewisses, s2-l3)","gloss":"which"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"fremde-familie-s3-l1","source":"nach dir verlangte. Oder nicht nach dir.","translation":"longed for you. Or not for you.","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"nach dir verlangte","title":"verlangen nach governs the dative","body":"verlangen nach means 'to long for, to crave', and governs the dative, hence nach dir, 'for you'. verlangte belongs to das, 'which', stranded at the end of the previous stanza, so the relative clause spans the stanza break."}],"words":[{"surface":"nach","lemma":"nach","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on verlangte","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"dir","lemma":"dir","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on nach","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"verlangte","lemma":"verlangen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject: das, previous line)","gloss":"longed"},{"surface":"Oder","lemma":"oder","morphology":"conjunction","role":"heads the elliptical clause","gloss":"or"},{"surface":"nicht","lemma":"nicht","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on nach","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"nach","lemma":"nach","morphology":"preposition","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"dir","lemma":"dir","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on nach","gloss":"you"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"fremde-familie-s3-l2","source":"Denn eine Stimme, wie vom vorigen Jahr,","translation":"For a voice, as if from the year before,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Denn","lemma":"denn","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on sang (fremde-familie-s3-l3)","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"eine","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Stimme","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Stimme","lemma":"Stimme","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"subject of sang (fremde-familie-s3-l3)","gloss":"voice"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on vom","gloss":"as if"},{"surface":"vom","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Stimme","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"vorigen","lemma":"vorig","morphology":"adjective, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Jahr","gloss":"previous"},{"surface":"Jahr","lemma":"Jahr","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on vom","gloss":"year"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"fremde-familie-s3-l3","source":"sang dich zwar an und blieb doch ein Geweine;","translation":"did sing to you, yet stayed a fit of weeping;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"zwar … doch","title":"zwar doch concedes then reverses","body":"The pair zwar ... doch concedes then reverses meaning: 'it is true that ..., but yet ...'. sang dich zwar an uses the separable verb ansingen, 'to sing to someone', its prefix an parked at the line's end. das Geweine is a collective noun meaning 'continual crying'."}],"words":[{"surface":"sang","lemma":"ansingen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject: Stimme, previous line)","gloss":"sang to"},{"surface":"dich","lemma":"dich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular","role":"depends on sang","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"zwar","lemma":"zwar","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on sang","gloss":"indeed"},{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"particle, separable verb prefix","role":"separable prefix of sang (ansingen)","gloss":"to","note":"an is the separable prefix of ansingen (\"to sing to, serenade\"); its meaning belongs to sang, not to an alone."},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on blieb","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"blieb","lemma":"bleiben","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"coordinated with sang","gloss":"stayed"},{"surface":"doch","lemma":"doch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on blieb","gloss":"yet"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Geweine","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Geweine","lemma":"Geweine","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"predicate complement of blieb","gloss":"fit of weeping"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"fremde-familie-s3-l4","source":"und eine Hand, die wie geliehen war,","translation":"and a hand, that was as if on loan,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s3-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"wie geliehen","title":"Past participle for borrowed","body":"geliehen is the past participle of leihen, 'to lend, to borrow'. wie geliehen means 'as though on loan', as though the hand does not belong to the one offering it. die is the feminine relative pronoun agreeing with eine Hand."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on kam (fremde-familie-s3-l5)","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"eine","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Hand","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Hand","lemma":"Hand","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"subject of kam (fremde-familie-s3-l5)","gloss":"hand"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on geliehen","gloss":"as if"},{"surface":"geliehen","lemma":"leihen","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on war","gloss":"on loan"},{"surface":"war","lemma":"sein","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the relative clause modifying Hand","gloss":"was"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"fremde-familie-s3-l5","source":"kam zwar hervor und nahm doch nicht die deine.","translation":"did reach out, yet did not take your own.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s3-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"die deine","title":"Possessive used as a standalone pronoun","body":"die deine, 'yours', is the possessive dein used alone as a pronoun, here standing for 'your hand'. hervorkommen, 'to come forth', is separable: kam ... hervor. zwar ... doch again concedes then reverses: the hand came out yet did not take yours."}],"words":[{"surface":"kam","lemma":"hervorkommen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject: Hand, previous line)","gloss":"reached"},{"surface":"zwar","lemma":"zwar","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on kam","gloss":"indeed"},{"surface":"hervor","lemma":"hervor","morphology":"particle, separable verb prefix","role":"separable prefix of kam (hervorkommen)","gloss":"out","note":"hervor is the separable prefix of hervorkommen (\"to come forth, emerge\"); read together with kam."},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on nahm","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"nahm","lemma":"nehmen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"coordinated with kam","gloss":"took"},{"surface":"doch","lemma":"doch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on nahm","gloss":"yet"},{"surface":"nicht","lemma":"nicht","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on nahm","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on deine","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"deine","lemma":"deiner","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"object of nahm","gloss":"yours","note":"die deine is an elliptical possessive meaning \"your own [hand]\" — Hand is understood, not restated."}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"fremde-familie-s3-l6","source":"Wer kommt denn noch? Wen meinen diese vier?","translation":"Who is still coming, then? Whom do these four mean?","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/fremde-familie-s3-l6.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Wer … Wen","title":"Case marked on the question word","body":"German marks case on the interrogative: wer is nominative, 'who', the subject; wen is accusative, 'whom', the object. Wer kommt means 'who is coming'; Wen meinen diese vier means 'whom do these four mean'. denn is a softening particle coloring the question."}],"words":[{"surface":"Wer","lemma":"wer","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on kommt","gloss":"who"},{"surface":"kommt","lemma":"kommen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"is coming"},{"surface":"denn","lemma":"denn","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on kommt","gloss":"then"},{"surface":"noch","lemma":"noch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on kommt","gloss":"still"},{"surface":"Wen","lemma":"wer","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on meinen","gloss":"whom"},{"surface":"meinen","lemma":"meinen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"do mean"},{"surface":"diese","lemma":"dieser","morphology":"determiner, nominative, plural","role":"depends on vier","gloss":"these"},{"surface":"vier","lemma":"vier","morphology":"numeral","role":"subject of meinen","gloss":"four"}]}]}