{"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":"opfer","title":{"source":"Opfer","translated":"Offering"},"section":"New Poems","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/opfer","lines":13},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/grabmal-eines-jungen-maedchens","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/oestliches-taglied","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":"opfer-s1-l1","source":"O wie blüht mein Leib aus jeder Ader","translation":"O how my body blooms from every vein","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Leib","title":"Living flesh, not the anatomical body","body":"Der Leib is the body as living flesh, distinct from the neutral, anatomical der Körper. The speaker chooses this warmer word for a body that blooms. Aus jeder Ader, 'from every vein', is dative governed by aus."}],"words":[{"surface":"O","lemma":"o","morphology":"interjection","role":"stands alone (interjection)","gloss":"O"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on blüht","gloss":"how"},{"surface":"blüht","lemma":"blühen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"blooms"},{"surface":"mein","lemma":"mein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Leib","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"Leib","lemma":"Leib","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on blüht","gloss":"body"},{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on blüht","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"jeder","lemma":"jeder","morphology":"determiner, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Ader","gloss":"every"},{"surface":"Ader","lemma":"Ader","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"vein"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"opfer-s1-l2","source":"duftender, seitdem ich dich erkenn;","translation":"more fragrant, since I have come to know you;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"erkenn","title":"A verb of knowing","body":"Erkennen means 'to recognize, to perceive, to come to know'. Erkenn drops the final -e of erkenne, a poetic contraction of the first-person singular. Seitdem ich dich erkenn means 'since I have come to know you'."}],"words":[{"surface":"duftender","lemma":"duftend","morphology":"adjective, comparative","role":"depends on blüht (previous segment)","gloss":"more fragrant"},{"surface":"seitdem","lemma":"seitdem","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on erkenn","gloss":"since"},{"surface":"ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on erkenn","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"dich","lemma":"dich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular","role":"depends on erkenn","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"erkenn","lemma":"erkennen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the seitdem-clause","gloss":"have come to know"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"opfer-s1-l3","source":"sieh, ich gehe schlanker und gerader,","translation":"look, I walk slimmer now and straighter,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"schlanker und gerader","title":"Comparatives without a than clause","body":"Schlanker and gerader are comparatives of schlank, 'slim', and gerade, 'straight', formed with the ending -er. Standing without an als clause, they mean 'more so than before'. Sieh is the imperative of sehen, 'to look'."}],"words":[{"surface":"sieh","lemma":"sehen","morphology":"verb, imperative, second-person, singular","role":"stands alone (imperative interjection)","gloss":"look"},{"surface":"ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on gehe","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"gehe","lemma":"gehen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"depends on sieh","gloss":"walk"},{"surface":"schlanker","lemma":"schlank","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on gehe","gloss":"slimmer"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on schlanker","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"gerader","lemma":"gerade","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on und","gloss":"straighter"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"opfer-s1-l4","source":"und du wartest nur–: wer bist du denn?","translation":"and you only wait — : who are you, then?","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"denn","title":"A particle of wonder","body":"In this question denn is not the conjunction 'for, because' but a flavoring particle that adds surprise or wonder to a question, close to 'then' in 'who are you, then'. wartest is the second-person present of warten, 'to wait'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on wartest","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"du","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on wartest","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"wartest","lemma":"warten","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"wait"},{"surface":"nur–","lemma":"nur","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on wartest","gloss":"only"},{"surface":"wer","lemma":"wer","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on bist","gloss":"who"},{"surface":"bist","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"are"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"du","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on bist","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"denn","lemma":"denn","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on bist","gloss":"then"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"opfer-s2-l1","source":"Sieh: ich fühle, wie ich mich entferne,","translation":"Look: I feel how I am drawing away,","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"mich entferne","title":"A reflexive verb for drawing away","body":"Sich entfernen is a reflexive verb meaning 'to move off, to withdraw, to grow distant'. Mich is the reflexive object of ich. The verb stands at the end of the wie clause, as German subordinate clauses require."}],"words":[{"surface":"Sieh","lemma":"sehen","morphology":"verb, imperative, second-person, singular","role":"stands alone (imperative interjection)","gloss":"Look"},{"surface":"ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on fühle","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"fühle","lemma":"fühlen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"feel"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on entferne","gloss":"how"},{"surface":"ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on entferne","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"mich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on entferne","gloss":"myself"},{"surface":"entferne","lemma":"entfernen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"depends on fühle","gloss":"am drawing away"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"opfer-s2-l2","source":"wie ich Altes, Blatt um Blatt, verlier.","translation":"how I shed the old, leaf upon leaf.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Blatt um Blatt","title":"A repeated noun pattern","body":"X um X means 'X after X, one X at a time'; here Blatt um Blatt means 'leaf after leaf'. Das Blatt can mean both leaf and page. Altes is the adjective alt used as a neuter noun, 'the old'. Verlier is a poetic clipping of verliere, 'I lose'."}],"words":[{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on verlier","gloss":"how"},{"surface":"ich","lemma":"ich","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on verlier","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"Altes","lemma":"Altes","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on verlier","gloss":"the old"},{"surface":"Blatt","lemma":"Blatt","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on verlier, adverbial idiom describing manner","gloss":"leaf"},{"surface":"um","lemma":"um","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Blatt (first)","gloss":"upon"},{"surface":"Blatt","lemma":"Blatt","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on um","gloss":"leaf"},{"surface":"verlier","lemma":"verlieren","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"shed","note":"Poetic elision of 'verliere' (I lose/shed), the final -e dropped to fit the meter."}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"opfer-s2-l3","source":"Nur dein Lächeln steht wie lauter Sterne","translation":"Only your smile stands like sheer stars","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"lauter","title":"An indeclinable word for sheer","body":"Lauter is indeclinable and means 'sheer, nothing but, all'. Lauter Sterne means 'nothing but stars'. It should not be confused with laut, 'loud', or the comparative lauter, 'louder'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Nur","lemma":"nur","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Lächeln","gloss":"Only"},{"surface":"dein","lemma":"dein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Lächeln","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"Lächeln","lemma":"Lächeln","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on steht","gloss":"smile"},{"surface":"steht","lemma":"stehen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stands"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on steht","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"lauter","lemma":"lauter","morphology":"determiner","role":"depends on Sterne","gloss":"sheer"},{"surface":"Sterne","lemma":"Stern","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"stars"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"opfer-s2-l4","source":"über dir und bald auch über mir.","translation":"above you, and soon above me too.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"über","lemma":"über","morphology":"preposition","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"above"},{"surface":"dir","lemma":"dir","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on über","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"bald","lemma":"bald","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on über (second)","gloss":"soon"},{"surface":"auch","lemma":"auch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on über (second)","gloss":"too"},{"surface":"über","lemma":"über","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on und","gloss":"above"},{"surface":"mir","lemma":"mir","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on über (second)","gloss":"me"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"opfer-s3-l1","source":"Alles was durch meine Kinderjahre","translation":"All that through my childhood years","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"durch meine Kinderjahre","title":"Durch governs the accusative","body":"Durch, 'through', always takes the accusative case, here meine Kinderjahre, 'my childhood years'. The clause alles, was, 'all that', opens a long sentence whose main verb does not arrive until several lines later."}],"words":[{"surface":"Alles","lemma":"alle","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"head of the phrase, direct object of nennen (opfer-s3-l3)","gloss":"All"},{"surface":"was","lemma":"was","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of glänzt (opfer-s3-l2), refers to Alles","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"durch","lemma":"durch","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on glänzt (opfer-s3-l2)","gloss":"through"},{"surface":"meine","lemma":"mein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Kinderjahre","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"Kinderjahre","lemma":"Kinderjahr","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on durch","gloss":"childhood years"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"opfer-s3-l2","source":"namenlos noch und wie Wasser glänzt,","translation":"still nameless and gleams like water,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"namenlos","title":"The suffix los marks absence","body":"Namenlos combines Name, 'name', with the suffix -los, 'lacking', giving 'nameless, unnamed'. This suffix forms other adjectives of lack, such as hilflos, 'helpless'. Wie Wasser glänzt means 'gleams like water'."}],"words":[{"surface":"namenlos","lemma":"namenlos","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on glänzt","gloss":"nameless"},{"surface":"noch","lemma":"noch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on glänzt","gloss":"still"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on glänzt","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on glänzt","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"Wasser","lemma":"Wasser","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"water"},{"surface":"glänzt","lemma":"glänzen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"gleams"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"opfer-s3-l3","source":"will ich nach dir nennen am Altäre,","translation":"I will name after you at the altar,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"nach dir nennen","title":"Naming someone after someone","body":"Jemanden nach jemandem nennen means 'to name someone after someone'; nach with the dative dir marks the namesake. Will ich nennen is the long-delayed main clause of a sentence begun earlier. Am Altäre is an older dative form of der Altar, 'the altar'."}],"words":[{"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":"nach","lemma":"nach","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on nennen","gloss":"after"},{"surface":"dir","lemma":"dir","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular","role":"depends on nach","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"nennen","lemma":"nennen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on will","gloss":"name"},{"surface":"am","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on nennen","gloss":"at the"},{"surface":"Altäre","lemma":"Altar","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on am","gloss":"altar","note":"Archaic poetic dative singular ending -e on 'Altar' (rhymes with 'Haare' below), not the plural 'altars'."}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"opfer-s3-l4","source":"der entzündet ist von deinem Haare","translation":"the altar kindled by your hair","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s3-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"entzündet","title":"To kindle or set alight","body":"Entzünden means 'to kindle, to set alight, to inflame'. Der entzündet ist is a relative clause whose der points back to Altäre, 'altar'. Von deinem Haare, 'by your hair', is an archaic dative of das Haar naming the agent."}],"words":[{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of entzündet, refers to Altäre","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"entzündet","lemma":"entzünden","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"kindled"},{"surface":"ist","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on entzündet","gloss":"by"},{"surface":"deinem","lemma":"dein","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Haare","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"Haare","lemma":"Haar","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on von","gloss":"hair","note":"Archaic poetic dative singular ending -e on 'Haar' (singular, not plural 'hairs')."}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"opfer-s3-l5","source":"und mit deinen Brüsten leicht bekränzt.","translation":"and lightly wreathed with your breasts.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/opfer-s3-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"bekränzt","title":"To wreathe with something","body":"Bekränzen means 'to wreathe, to garland', from der Kranz, 'wreath'. Mit, with the dative deinen Brüsten, names what the wreath is made of. Bekränzt is the past participle, coordinated here with entzündet."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on bekränzt","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"mit","lemma":"mit","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on bekränzt","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"deinen","lemma":"dein","morphology":"determiner, dative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Brüsten","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"Brüsten","lemma":"Brust","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on mit","gloss":"breasts"},{"surface":"leicht","lemma":"leicht","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on bekränzt","gloss":"lightly"},{"surface":"bekränzt","lemma":"bekränzen","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on ist (opfer-s3-l4), coordinated with entzündet","gloss":"wreathed"}]}]}