{"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":"jeremias","title":{"source":"Jeremias","translated":"Jeremiah"},"section":"New Poems: The Other Part","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/jeremias","lines":18},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/ein-prophet","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/eine-sibylle","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":"jeremias-s1-l1","source":"Einmal war ich weich wie früher Weizen,","translation":"Once I was soft as early wheat,","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"früher Weizen","title":"Adjective früher, early","body":"früher, 'early', modifies Weizen, 'wheat', both nominative masculine singular. weich wie früher Weizen means 'soft as early wheat', comparing the speaker's former softness to young grain not yet hardened."}],"words":[{"surface":"Einmal","lemma":"einmal","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on war","gloss":"Once"},{"surface":"war","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"was"},{"surface":"ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"weich","lemma":"weich","morphology":"adjective, uninflected, predicate","role":"depends on war","gloss":"soft"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Weizen","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"früher","lemma":"früh","morphology":"adjective, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Weizen","gloss":"early"},{"surface":"Weizen","lemma":"Weizen","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"wheat"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"jeremias-s1-l2","source":"doch, du Rasender, du hast vermocht,","translation":"but you, you raging one, you had the power","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"du Rasender","title":"Adjective as noun, Rasender","body":"Rasender is the present participle rasend, 'raging', used as a noun by capitalizing it: 'raging one'. du Rasender directly addresses this figure. It declines like an adjective, here nominative masculine singular."}],"words":[{"surface":"doch","lemma":"doch","morphology":"adverb","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"but"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"du","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on Rasender","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"Rasender","lemma":"rasend","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on du (apposition)","gloss":"raging one"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"du","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on hast","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"hast","lemma":"haben","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"have"},{"surface":"vermocht","lemma":"vermögen","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on hast","gloss":"had the power to"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"jeremias-s1-l3","source":"mir das hingehaltne Herz zu reizen,","translation":"to inflame the heart I held out to you,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"das hingehaltne Herz","title":"Participle hingehaltne","body":"hingehaltne is a shortened form of hingehalten, the past participle of hinhalten, 'to hold out, to extend'. It modifies Herz, 'heart', both accusative neuter: das hingehaltne Herz, 'the heart held out'. The final e is dropped for the meter."}],"words":[{"surface":"mir","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on reizen","gloss":"my","note":"Dative of possession: \"mir das Herz\" = literally \"the heart to me,\" i.e. \"my heart.\""},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Herz","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"hingehaltne","lemma":"hingehalten","morphology":"adjective, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Herz","gloss":"held-out"},{"surface":"Herz","lemma":"Herz","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on reizen","gloss":"heart"},{"surface":"zu","lemma":"zu","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on reizen","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"reizen","lemma":"reizen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"inflame"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"jeremias-s1-l4","source":"daß es jetzt wie eines Löwen kocht.","translation":"so that now it boils like a lion's.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"eines Löwen","title":"Genitive eines Löwen","body":"eines Löwen is the genitive singular of ein Löwe, 'a lion', meaning 'a lion's'. wie eines Löwen kocht compares the heart's boiling to a lion's, with the noun after it, Herz, left unstated."}],"words":[{"surface":"daß","lemma":"daß","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on kocht","gloss":"so that"},{"surface":"es","lemma":"es","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on kocht","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"jetzt","lemma":"jetzt","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on kocht","gloss":"now"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Löwen","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"eines","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, genitive, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Löwen","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Löwen","lemma":"Löwe","morphology":"noun, genitive, masculine, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"lion's"},{"surface":"kocht","lemma":"kochen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"boils"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"jeremias-s2-l1","source":"Welchen Mund hast du mir zugemutet,","translation":"What a mouth you laid upon me,","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"zumuten","title":"Verb zumuten, to impose","body":"zumuten means 'to expect of someone, to impose on someone', often something hard or unwelcome. zugemutet is its past participle. Welchen Mund hast du mir zugemutet means 'what a mouth you imposed on me'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Welchen","lemma":"welcher","morphology":"determiner, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Mund","gloss":"What (a)"},{"surface":"Mund","lemma":"Mund","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on zugemutet","gloss":"mouth"},{"surface":"hast","lemma":"haben","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"have"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"du","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on hast","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"mir","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on zugemutet","gloss":"upon me"},{"surface":"zugemutet","lemma":"zumuten","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on hast","gloss":"laid upon"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"jeremias-s2-l2","source":"damals, da ich fast ein Knabe war:","translation":"back then, when I was almost a boy:","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"da ich fast ein Knabe war","title":"Subordinating conjunction da","body":"da here means 'when', introducing a subordinate time clause, not the more common 'there' or 'since'. da ich fast ein Knabe war means 'when I was nearly a boy'. fast means 'nearly'."}],"words":[{"surface":"damals","lemma":"damals","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on war","gloss":"back then"},{"surface":"da","lemma":"da","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on war","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"fast","lemma":"fast","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Knabe","gloss":"almost"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Knabe","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Knabe","lemma":"Knabe","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"boy"},{"surface":"war","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"was"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"jeremias-s2-l3","source":"eine Wunde wurde er: nun blutet","translation":"a wound it became: now there bleeds","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"eine Wunde wurde er","title":"Preterite wurde, became","body":"wurde is the preterite of werden, 'to become'. eine Wunde wurde er means 'he became a wound', with the predicate noun eine Wunde placed first for emphasis. er refers back to Mund, 'mouth', from the line before."}],"words":[{"surface":"eine","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Wunde","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Wunde","lemma":"Wunde","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"predicate complement of wurde","gloss":"a wound"},{"surface":"wurde","lemma":"werden","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"became"},{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on wurde","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"nun","lemma":"nun","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on blutet","gloss":"now"},{"surface":"blutet","lemma":"bluten","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject Unglücksjahr in next line)","gloss":"bleeds"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"jeremias-s2-l4","source":"aus ihm Unglücksjahr um Unglücksjahr.","translation":"from it year of disaster upon year of disaster.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Unglücksjahr um Unglücksjahr","title":"Repetition with um","body":"Unglücksjahr um Unglücksjahr, 'year of disaster upon year of disaster', repeats the noun with um, 'upon', to show years piling one after another. The first Unglücksjahr is nominative, the second accusative, both governed by the sentence around them."}],"words":[{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on blutet (previous line)","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"ihm","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"Unglücksjahr","lemma":"Unglücksjahr","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of blutet (previous line)","gloss":"year of disaster"},{"surface":"um","lemma":"um","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Unglücksjahr","gloss":"upon"},{"surface":"Unglücksjahr","lemma":"Unglücksjahr","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on um","gloss":"year of disaster"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"jeremias-s3-l1","source":"Täglich tönte ich von neuen Nöten,","translation":"Daily I rang out with new afflictions,","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"tönte ich von","title":"Preterite tönte, rang out","body":"tönte is the preterite of tönen, 'to sound, to ring out'. It takes von here to mean 'with': tönte ich von neuen Nöten means 'I rang out with new afflictions'. Nöten is the dative plural of Not, 'affliction, distress'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Täglich","lemma":"täglich","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on tönte","gloss":"Daily"},{"surface":"tönte","lemma":"tönen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"rang out"},{"surface":"ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on tönte","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on tönte","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"neuen","lemma":"neu","morphology":"adjective, dative, plural","role":"depends on Nöten","gloss":"new"},{"surface":"Nöten","lemma":"Not","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on von","gloss":"afflictions"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"jeremias-s3-l2","source":"die du, Unersättlicher, ersannst,","translation":"which you, insatiable one, devised,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ersannst","title":"Preterite ersannst, devised","body":"ersannst is the second person singular preterite of ersinnen, 'to devise, to contrive'. die du ... ersannst means 'which you devised', with die as the accusative relative pronoun referring to the afflictions named in the line before."}],"words":[{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, plural","role":"object of ersannst","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"du","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on ersannst","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"Unersättlicher","lemma":"unersättlich","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on du (apposition)","gloss":"insatiable one"},{"surface":"ersannst","lemma":"ersinnen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"devised"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"jeremias-s3-l3","source":"und sie konnten mir den Mund nicht töten;","translation":"and they could not kill the mouth in me;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"mir den Mund","title":"Dative of interest, mir","body":"mir here is a dative of interest, marking whose mouth is meant: sie konnten mir den Mund nicht töten, literally 'they could not kill the mouth to me', meaning 'my mouth'. Mund is the direct accusative object of töten."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on konnten","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on konnten","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"konnten","lemma":"können","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"could"},{"surface":"mir","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on töten","gloss":"in me"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Mund","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Mund","lemma":"Mund","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on töten","gloss":"mouth"},{"surface":"nicht","lemma":"nicht","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on konnten","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"töten","lemma":"töten","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on konnten","gloss":"kill"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"jeremias-s3-l4","source":"sieh du zu, wie du ihn stillen kannst,","translation":"you see for yourself how you can still it,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s3-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"sieh du zu","title":"Separable verb zusehen","body":"zusehen, 'to see to something, to watch', is separable. sieh is the imperative of sehen, and zu, its detached prefix, sits at the end: sieh du zu, wie ... means 'see for yourself how ...'. wie introduces the clause it depends on."}],"words":[{"surface":"sieh","lemma":"sehen","morphology":"verb, imperative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"see"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"du","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on sieh","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"zu","lemma":"zusehen","morphology":"particle (separable verb prefix)","role":"depends on sieh","gloss":"to it","note":"\"sieh...zu\" is the separable verb \"zusehen\" (to see to it, to watch)."},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on kannst","gloss":"how"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"du","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on kannst","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"ihn","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on stillen","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"stillen","lemma":"stillen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on kannst","gloss":"still"},{"surface":"kannst","lemma":"können","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the subordinate clause (wie...kannst)","gloss":"can"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"jeremias-s4-l1","source":"wenn, die wir zerstoßen und zerstören,","translation":"when those we batter and destroy,","stanza":4,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s4-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"die wir zerstoßen","title":"Relative die, first person","body":"die is an accusative relative pronoun referring to an unstated group, object of zerstoßen and zerstören, 'to batter' and 'to destroy'. wir, 'we', is the subject: die wir zerstoßen means 'those whom we batter'."}],"words":[{"surface":"wenn","lemma":"wenn","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on sind (next segment)","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, plural","role":"depends on zerstoßen","gloss":"those whom"},{"surface":"wir","lemma":"wir","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on zerstoßen","gloss":"we"},{"surface":"zerstoßen","lemma":"zerstoßen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, plural","role":"verb of the relative clause (die wir zerstoßen)","gloss":"batter"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on zerstoßen","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"zerstören","lemma":"zerstören","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, plural","role":"depends on und","gloss":"destroy"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"jeremias-s4-l2","source":"erst verloren sind und fernverlaufen","translation":"are first lost and strayed far off","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s4-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"fernverlaufen","title":"Participle fernverlaufen","body":"fernverlaufen is the past participle of a compound verb built from fern, 'far', and verlaufen, 'to stray, to go astray'. sind ... fernverlaufen, 'have strayed far off', pairs with verloren sind, 'are lost', both describing the same subject."}],"words":[{"surface":"erst","lemma":"erst","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on verloren","gloss":"first"},{"surface":"verloren","lemma":"verlieren","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on sind","gloss":"lost"},{"surface":"sind","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"are"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on sind","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"fernverlaufen","lemma":"fernverlaufen","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on und","gloss":"strayed far off"}]},{"number":15,"label":"15","id":"jeremias-s4-l3","source":"und vergangen sind in der Gefahr:","translation":"and have passed away in the peril:","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s4-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"vergangen sind","title":"Participle vergangen","body":"vergangen is the past participle of vergehen, 'to pass away, to perish'. sind vergangen means 'have passed away', a perfect tense formed with sein because vergehen describes a change of state, not an action done to something."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on sind","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"vergangen","lemma":"vergehen","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on sind","gloss":"passed away"},{"surface":"sind","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"have"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on sind","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Gefahr","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Gefahr","lemma":"Gefahr","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"peril"}]},{"number":16,"label":"16","id":"jeremias-s4-l4","source":"denn dann will ich in den Trümmerhaufen","translation":"for then, among the heaps of rubble,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s4-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Trümmerhaufen","title":"Compound noun Trümmerhaufen","body":"Trümmerhaufen combines Trümmer, 'rubble, debris', and Haufen, 'heap, pile', meaning 'heaps of rubble'. It is dative plural here after in: in den Trümmerhaufen, 'among the heaps of rubble'."}],"words":[{"surface":"denn","lemma":"denn","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on will","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"dann","lemma":"dann","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on will","gloss":"then"},{"surface":"will","lemma":"wollen","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"will"},{"surface":"ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on will","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on will","gloss":"among"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Trümmerhaufen","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Trümmerhaufen","lemma":"Trümmerhaufen","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on in","gloss":"heaps of rubble"}]},{"number":17,"label":"17","id":"jeremias-s4-l5","source":"endlich meine Stimme Wiederhören,","translation":"hear my own voice again at last,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s4-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Stimme Wiederhören","title":"Infinitive wiederhören","body":"Wiederhören, 'to hear again', is an infinitive used here as a noun-like object of will, 'want': meine Stimme Wiederhören means 'to hear my own voice again'. wieder, 'again', is fused into the verb rather than kept separate."}],"words":[{"surface":"endlich","lemma":"endlich","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Wiederhören","gloss":"at last"},{"surface":"meine","lemma":"mein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Stimme","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"Stimme","lemma":"Stimme","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Wiederhören","gloss":"voice"},{"surface":"Wiederhören","lemma":"wiederhören","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on will (jeremias-s4-l4)","gloss":"hear again"}]},{"number":18,"label":"18","id":"jeremias-s4-l6","source":"die von Anfang an ein Heulen war.","translation":"which from the very first was a howling.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/jeremias-s4-l6.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ein Heulen","title":"Nominalized infinitive Heulen","body":"Heulen is the infinitive of heulen, 'to howl', used as a neuter noun meaning 'a howling'. ein Heulen war means 'was a howling'. Any German infinitive can be capitalized and used this way as a noun."}],"words":[{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on war","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"Anfang","lemma":"Anfang","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on von","gloss":"beginning"},{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on von","gloss":"on","note":"\"von Anfang an\" is a fixed idiom meaning \"from the very start.\""},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Heulen","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Heulen","lemma":"Heulen","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on war","gloss":"howling"},{"surface":"war","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"was"}]}]}