# Orpheus. Eurydike. Hermes · Orpheus. Eurydice. Hermes

Neue Gedichte · Rainer Maria Rilke · New Poems

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

**1** Das war der Seelen wunderliches Bergwerk.  
That was the souls' strange mine.
> A compound naming a mine: das Bergwerk names an underground mine, from Berg, 'mountain', and Werk, 'works'. It is nominative neuter singular, the predicate noun after war: 'that was ... the mine'.
> A genitive placed before its noun: der Seelen, 'of the souls', is genitive plural and stands in front of the noun it modifies, Bergwerk, 'mine', rather than after it: 'the souls' mine'. This order is more formal than des Bergwerks der Seelen.

**2** Wie stille Silbererze gingen sie  
Like silent veins of silver ore they went
> A compound naming ore: A compound of Silber, 'silver', and Erz, 'ore'. It is nominative plural, the predicate after gingen, 'went': wie stille Silbererze, 'like silent silver ores'.

**3** als Adern durch sein Dunkel. Zwischen Wurzeln  
as veins through its darkness. Between roots
> A body-part word for a seam: die Ader means 'vein', either in a body or, as here, a seam running through rock or earth. Adern is nominative plural after als, 'as': 'as veins through its darkness'.

**4** entsprang das Blut, das fortgeht zu den Menschen,  
the blood sprang up that goes off to mankind,
> entspringen, 'to spring forth': entspringen means 'to spring up, originate', often said of a river's source. entsprang is its past tense, third-person singular: das Blut entsprang, 'the blood sprang up'.

**5** und schwer wie Porphyr sah es aus im Dunkel.  
and heavy as porphyry it looked in the dark.
> aussehen, 'to look, appear': aussehen is a separable verb meaning 'to look, appear'. In this clause the prefix aus is split off and placed at the end: sah ... aus, past tense third-person singular, 'it looked'.

**6** Sonst war nichts Rotes.  
Otherwise there was nothing red.
> nichts plus a capitalized adjective: After nichts, 'nothing', an adjective is capitalized and takes a noun ending: Rotes, 'red thing'. nichts Rotes means 'nothing red', treating the adjective the way a noun would be treated.


**7** Felsen war da  
There were rocks

**8** und wesenlose Wälder. Brücken über Leeres  
and bodiless forests. Bridges over the void
> wesenlos, 'without substance': wesenlos combines Wesen, 'being, essence', with the negating suffix -los, 'without', giving 'lacking being, bodiless'. It is nominative plural here, agreeing with Wälder, 'forests'.
> An adjective made into a noun: leer means 'empty'. Capitalized and given a noun ending, Leeres means 'an empty thing, emptiness, the void'. Here it is accusative singular, the object of über, 'over'.

**9** und jener große, graue, blinde Teich,  
and that great, grey, blind pool
> An emphatic demonstrative: jener is a demonstrative meaning 'that, those', more emphatic than der. Here it is nominative masculine singular, agreeing with Teich, 'pool', the noun it introduces.

**10** der über seinem fernen Grunde hing  
that hung above its distant bed
> über plus dative meaning 'above': When über describes a fixed position rather than motion toward something, it takes the dative: seinem fernen Grunde, 'its distant bed'. This matches the static sense of hing, 'hung'.

**11** wie Regenhimmel über einer Landschaft.  
like rain-sky over a landscape.

**12** Und zwischen Wiesen, sanft und voller Langmut,  
And between meadows, soft and full of patience,
> A compound naming patience: die Langmut combines lang, 'long', with Mut, 'spirit, courage', to mean 'long-suffering patience'. It is genitive singular here after voller, 'full of'.

**13** erschien des einen Weges blasser Streifen  
appeared the one path's pale strip
> A genitive of the path: des einen Weges, 'of the one path', is genitive masculine singular, depending on Streifen, 'strip': 'the one path's pale strip'. The genitive precedes the noun it belongs to.

**14** wie eine lange Bleiche hingelegt.  
laid down like a long bleaching-cloth.
> A noun naming a bleaching-strip: die Bleiche names a strip of ground, often cloth, laid out to bleach in the sun. It is accusative singular here, the object of wie, 'like', comparing the path to such a laid-out strip.


**15** Und dieses einen Weges kamen sie.  
And along this one path they came.
> Genitive naming the route taken: dieses einen Weges, 'of this one path', is genitive masculine singular, used adverbially to say the route by which they came, without a preposition. It answers 'along which way'.


**16** Voran der schlanke Mann im blauen Mantel,  
In front the slender man in the blue cloak,
> An adverb of position: voran is an adverb meaning 'in front, ahead, leading the way'. It opens the sentence and is followed directly by der schlanke Mann, 'the slender man', the one going first.

**17** der stumm und ungeduldig vor sich aussah.  
who looked mutely and impatiently ahead.
> vor sich aussehen, 'to look ahead': vor sich means 'ahead of oneself', and aussehen here means 'to look, appear' in a direction rather than 'to look like'. vor sich aussah, past tense, describes looking straight ahead.

**18** Ohne zu kauen fraß sein Schritt den Weg  
Without chewing, his stride devoured the path
> ohne zu plus infinitive: ohne zu, 'without ... -ing', is followed by a bare infinitive rather than a participle: ohne zu kauen, 'without chewing'. German always uses zu plus the infinitive after ohne, never a gerund.

**19** in großen Bissen; seine Hände hingen  
in great bites; his hands hung

**20** schwer und verschlossen aus dem Fall der Falten  
heavy and closed from the fall of the folds
> A participle used as adverb: verschlossen is the past participle of verschließen, 'to lock, close up', used here as an adverb alongside schwer, 'heavy'. Both describe how the fall of the folds looked, 'heavy and closed'.

**21** und wußten nicht mehr von der leichten Leier,  
and no longer knew of the light lyre,
> wissen von, 'to know of': wissen, 'to know', takes von, 'of', plus dative when its object is a thing rather than a fact: von der leichten Leier, 'of the light lyre'. nicht mehr negates it, 'no longer knew of'.

**22** die in die Linke eingewachsen war  
that had grown into the left hand
> einwachsen, 'to grow into': einwachsen means 'to grow into, become embedded in'. Its past participle eingewachsen combines with war, forming the past perfect: 'had grown into'. die Linke, 'the left hand', is what it grew into.

**23** wie Rosenranken in den Ast des Ölbaums.  
like rose-tendrils into the olive tree's branch.
> Ölbaum, 'olive tree': der Ölbaum combines Öl, 'oil', with Baum, 'tree'. Here it is genitive singular, des Ölbaums, 'of the olive tree', depending on Ast, 'branch'.

**24** Und seine Sinne waren wie entzweit:  
And his senses were as if split in two:
> An adverb from a phrase: entzweit comes from entzwei, 'in two, asunder', made into a participle-like adverb. wie entzweit means 'split in two', describing the state of seine Sinne, 'his senses'.


**25** indes der Blick ihm wie ein Hund vorauslief,  
while his gaze ran on ahead like a dog,
> An older word for while: indes is a subordinating conjunction meaning 'while', introducing a clause of simultaneous action, here der Blick ihm ... vorauslief, 'his gaze ran on ahead'. It functions like während but is older and more literary.

**26** umkehrte, kam und immer wieder weit  
turned back, came, and again and again stood far off

**27** und wartend an der nächsten Wendung stand,–  
and waiting at the next bend,—
> A participle used adverbially: wartend is the present participle of warten, 'to wait', used adverbially to describe an accompanying action: 'waiting, he stood'. It stands beside und, joining it to the main verb stand, 'stood'.

**28** blieb sein Gehör wie ein Geruch zurück.  
his hearing stayed behind like a smell.
> zurückbleiben, 'to stay behind': zurückbleiben is a separable verb meaning 'to remain behind, lag'. Its past tense splits the prefix to the end: blieb ... zurück, third-person singular, 'stayed behind'.

**29** Manchmal erschien es ihm, als reichte es  
Sometimes it seemed to him as though it reached
> als plus subjunctive, 'as though': als introducing a comparison of something unreal or only apparent is followed by the subjunctive: reichte, from reichen, 'to reach', rather than the indicative reichte in a factual sense. It means 'as though it reached'.

**30** bis an das Gehen jener beiden andern,  
as far as the walking of those two others,
> Gehen, an infinitive used as a noun: das Gehen turns the infinitive gehen, 'to walk', into a neuter noun, 'the walking'. Here it is accusative singular, the object of bis an, 'up to': 'up to the walking of those two others'.

**31** die folgen sollten diesen ganzen Aufstieg.  
who were to follow this whole ascent.
> sollen, 'to be supposed to': sollten is the past tense of the modal verb sollen, third-person plural, meaning 'were to, were supposed to'. It pairs with the infinitive folgen, 'to follow', which stays at the end of the clause.

**32** Dann wieder wars nur seines Steigens Nachklang  
Then again it was only the echo of his own climbing
> A compound naming an echo: der Nachklang combines nach, 'after', with Klang, 'sound', to mean 'the sound left over, an echo'. It is nominative singular here, the subject of wars, 'it was'.

**33** und seines Mantels Wind, was hinter ihm war.  
and the wind of his cloak, what was behind him.

**34** Er aber sagte sich, sie kämen doch;  
But he told himself they were coming after all;
> kämen, subjunctive of kommen: kämen is the past subjunctive of kommen, 'to come', third-person plural, used to report a thought rather than a fact. sagte sich, sie kämen means 'told himself they were coming', without asserting it as true.

**35** sagte es laut und hörte sich verhallen.  
said it aloud and heard himself fade away.
> A verb for a fading sound: verhallen means 'to fade away, die out', said of a sound. It appears here as an infinitive after hörte sich, 'heard himself': hörte sich verhallen, 'heard himself fade away'.

**36** Sie kämen doch, nur wärens zwei,  
They were coming after all, only it was two of them,
> A fused subjunctive and pronoun: wärens fuses wären, subjunctive plural of sein, 'to be', with es, 'it': 'it were'. nur wärens zwei means 'only it was two of them', keeping the subjunctive of the reported thought before it.

**37** die furchtbar leise gingen. Dürfte er  
who walked dreadfully softly. If he were allowed
> dürfte, subjunctive of dürfen: dürfte is the past subjunctive of dürfen, 'to be allowed to', third-person singular. Dürfte er ... sich wenden means 'if he were allowed to turn', marking the wish as hypothetical rather than real.

**38** sich einmal wenden (wäre das Zurückschaun  
to turn around just once (were the looking-back
> Zurückschaun, an infinitive as noun: Zurückschaun nominalizes zurückschauen, 'to look back', into a neuter noun, 'the looking back'. Here it is nominative singular, the subject of wäre, 'would be'.

**39** nicht die Zersetzung dieses ganzen Werkes,  
not the undoing of this whole work,
> A noun built on a verb: die Zersetzung comes from zersetzen, 'to decompose, break down', with the noun suffix -ung. Here it names the undoing of dieses ganzen Werkes, 'this whole work', that a backward glance would cause.

**40** das erst vollbracht wird), müßte er sie sehen,  
that is only now being accomplished), he would have to see them,
> müßte, subjunctive of müssen: müßte is the past subjunctive of müssen, 'must, have to', third-person singular. It expresses a necessity that would follow from an unreal condition: 'he would have to see them'.

**41** die beiden Leisen, die ihm schweigend nachgehn:  
the two quiet ones, who follow him in silence:
> nachgehen, 'to follow, go after': nachgehen is a separable verb meaning 'to follow, go after', taking a dative object: ihm, 'him'. Here it appears unsplit, nachgehn, because it stands at the end of a relative clause: die ... nachgehn, 'who follow him'.


**42** den Gott des Ganges und der weiten Botschaft,  
the god of the journey and of the far message,
> A noun naming a message: die Botschaft means 'message, embassy'. Here it is genitive singular, der weiten Botschaft, 'of the far message', describing the god as one who carries word across distances.

**43** die Reischaube über hellen Augen,  
the travelling-hood above bright eyes,
> Reisehaube, 'travelling hood': A compound of Reise, 'travel, journey', and Haube, 'hood, cap'. The parses spell it Reischaube, likely a scribal contraction of Reisehaube; it is accusative singular here, the object of an earlier verb.

**44** den schlanken Stab hertragend vor dem Leibe  
carrying the slender staff before his body

**45** und flügelschlagend an den Fußgelenken;  
and beating wings at his ankles;
> A compound participle: flügelschlagend joins Flügel, 'wing', with the participle of schlagen, 'to beat', into one word, 'wing-beating'. It functions as an adjective, describing something happening an den Fußgelenken, 'at the ankles'.

**46** und seiner linken Hand gegeben: sie.  
and given to his left hand: she.
> A dative object of geben: geben, 'to give', takes a dative recipient: seiner linken Hand, 'to his left hand'. gegeben is its past participle, and sie, 'she', follows as the accusative object given.

**47** Die So-geliebte, daß aus einer Leier  
The so-beloved, that out of one lyre
> So-geliebte, a coined title: So-geliebte joins so, 'so', with the participle geliebte, 'beloved', hyphenated into a single noun, 'the so-beloved one'. It is nominative feminine singular, naming Eurydice by this description rather than her name.

**48** mehr Klage kam als je aus Klagefrauen;  
more lament came than ever from mourning-women;
> Klage and Klagefrauen: die Klage means 'lament, complaint'. Klagefrauen compounds it with Frauen, 'women', to name professional mourning-women hired to lament the dead; it is dative plural here after aus, 'from'.

**49** daß eine Welt aus Klage ward, in der  
that a world arose out of lament, in which
> An old past-tense form: ward is an archaic past-tense form of werden, 'to become, arise', equivalent to the modern wurde. eine Welt ... ward means 'a world arose', third-person singular.

**50** alles noch einmal da war: Wald und Tal  
everything was there once more: wood and valley

**51** und Weg und Ortschaft, Feld und Fluß und Tier;  
and path and village, field and river and beast;
> A list joined without commas: The line strings nouns together with und, 'and', repeated between each pair rather than using commas: Weg und Ortschaft, Feld und Fluß und Tier. This repeated und, not a missing conjunction, is what asyndeton usually names, so here it is more precisely polysyndeton, several ands in a row.

**52** und daß um diese Klage-Welt ganz so  
and that around this lament-world, just as

**53** wie um die andre Erde eine Sonne  
as around the other earth, a sun
> wie introducing a comparison: wie here means 'as', opening a comparison that likely continues with a matching so or ganz so wie, 'just as', elsewhere in the sentence. um die andre Erde, 'around the other earth', describes what the sun moves around.

**54** und ein gestirnter stiller Himmel ging,  
and a starred, silent sky went round,
> gestirnt, 'starred, starry': gestirnt is an adjective built from Gestirn, 'star, constellation', meaning 'starred, set with stars'. It is nominative masculine singular, agreeing with Himmel, 'sky'.

**55** ein Klage-Himmel mit entstellten Sternen–:  
a lament-sky with disfigured stars—:
> entstellt, 'disfigured': entstellt is the past participle of entstellen, 'to disfigure, distort', used as an adjective. It is dative plural, entstellten, agreeing with Sternen, 'stars'.

**56** diese So-geliebte.  
this so-beloved one.
> A repeated coined noun: diese So-geliebte, 'this so-beloved one', is nominative feminine singular and repeats the coined noun So-geliebte introduced earlier for Eurydice. Only the demonstrative changes, from die to diese.


**57** Sie aber ging an jenes Gottes Hand,  
But she went at that god's hand,
> aber placed after the pronoun: aber, 'but', can stand after the word it contrasts rather than at the start of the clause: Sie aber, 'She, however' or 'But she'. This placement is common in German for a mild, delayed contrast.

**58** den Schritt beschränkt von langen Leichenbändern,  
her step hemmed in by long grave-bands,
> A compound naming burial wrappings: A compound of Leiche, 'corpse', and Band, 'band, ribbon', naming the wrappings bound around a body for burial. It is dative plural here, the object of von, 'by': 'hemmed in by long grave-bands'.

**59** unsicher, sanft und ohne Ungeduld.  
uncertain, gentle, and without impatience.
> ohne plus accusative: ohne, 'without', takes the accusative: Ungeduld, 'impatience', is accusative feminine singular. ohne Ungeduld means 'without impatience'.

**60** Sie war in sich wie eine hoher Hoffnung  
She was within herself as in a high hope
> A phrase meaning inwardly: in sich means 'within oneself, inwardly'. Here sich is dative, agreeing with the feminine subject sie, 'she': Sie war in sich, 'she was within herself'.

**61** und dachte nicht des Mannes, der voranging,  
and did not think of the man who walked ahead,
> denken governs a genitive here: denken normally takes an, 'of, about', but here it takes a genitive object instead: des Mannes, 'of the man'. This genitive construction with denken is an older, more formal alternative to denken an.

**62** und nicht des Weges, der ins Leben aufstieg.  
nor of the path that climbed up into life.
> aufsteigen, 'to climb, ascend': aufsteigen is a separable verb meaning 'to climb up, rise'. aufstieg is its past tense, third-person singular, here unsplit because it ends a relative clause: der ... aufstieg, 'that climbed up'.

**63** Sie war in sich. Und ihr Gestorbensein  
She was within herself. And her being-dead
> A nominalized phrase: Gestorbensein nominalizes gestorben sein, 'to have died, be dead', into a single neuter noun, 'her being-dead'. It is nominative singular, the subject of the sentence continuing into the next line.

**64** erfüllte sie wie Fülle.  
filled her like fullness.
> erfüllen and Fülle share a root: erfüllte, past tense of erfüllen, 'to fill, fulfill', and Fülle, 'fullness, abundance', both come from voll, 'full'. erfüllte sie wie Fülle means 'filled her like fullness'.

**65** Wie eine Frucht von Süßigkeit und Dunkel,  
Like a fruit of sweetness and dark,

**66** so war sie voll von ihrem großen Tode,  
so was she full of her great death,
> von plus dative naming the cause: voll von takes the dative to name what someone is full of: ihrem großen Tode, 'her great death', dative masculine singular. voll von ihrem großen Tode means 'full of her great death'.

**67** der also neu war, daß sie nichts begriff.  
which was so new that she grasped nothing.
> An older use of also: also here is an older use meaning 'so, thus', not the English 'also'. It pairs with daß, 'that', to form a result clause: also neu war, daß sie nichts begriff, 'was so new that she grasped nothing'.


**68** Sie war in einem neuen Mädchentum  
She was in a new maidenhood
> A noun built with -tum: Mädchen, 'girl', combines with the suffix -tum, which names a state or condition, to form Mädchentum, 'the state of being a girl'. It is dative singular here after in, 'in'.

**69** und unberührbar; ihr Geschlecht war zu  
and untouchable; her sex was closed
> zu meaning 'closed': As in an earlier line, zu here is a predicate adjective meaning 'shut, closed', not the preposition 'to'. ihr Geschlecht war zu means 'her sex was closed'.

**70** wie eine junge Blume gegen Abend,  
like a young flower toward evening,
> gegen marking an approaching time: gegen, 'toward, against', can mark an approaching time as well as direction: gegen Abend, 'toward evening'. Abend is accusative after it.

**71** und ihre Hände waren der Vermählung  
and her hands were so weaned

**72** so sehr entwöhnt, daß selbst des leichten Gottes  
from wedlock that even the light god's
> entwöhnt, 'weaned, unaccustomed': entwöhnen means 'to wean, break a habit', and its participle entwöhnt describes someone no longer accustomed to something. so sehr entwöhnt, 'so thoroughly weaned', leads into daß, 'that', naming what she had grown unused to.

**73** unendlich leise leitende Berührung  
infinitely soft guiding touch
> leitende, a present participle as adjective: leitende is the present participle of leiten, 'to lead, guide', used as an adjective before Berührung, 'touch'. leitende Berührung means 'guiding touch'.

**74** sie kränkte wie zu sehr Vertraulichkeit.  
wounded her like too much familiarity.
> kränken, 'to wound, hurt': kränken means 'to hurt someone's feelings, offend', related to krank, 'sick'. kränkte is its past tense, third-person singular, taking sie, 'her', as its accusative object.


**75** Sie war schon nicht mehr diese blonde Frau,  
She was already no longer that blonde woman
> Two adverbs stressing a change: schon, 'already', paired with nicht mehr, 'no longer', stresses that a change has already happened. Sie war schon nicht mehr diese blonde Frau means 'she was already no longer this blonde woman'.

**76** die in des Dichters Liedern manchmal anklang,  
who sometimes sounded in the poet's songs,
> anklingen, 'to sound, resonate': anklingen is a separable verb meaning 'to sound faintly, be echoed'. anklang is its past tense, third-person singular, here unsplit because it ends a relative clause: die ... anklang, 'who sounded'.

**77** nicht mehr des breiten Bettes Duft und Eiland  
no longer the scent and island of the wide bed
> A literary word for island: das Eiland is a poetic word for 'island', more literary than Insel. Here it stands beside Duft, 'scent', both nominative singular, naming things no longer belonging to the wide bed.

**78** und jenes Mannes Eigentum nicht mehr.  
and that man's property no longer.
> A noun built from eigen: das Eigentum means 'property, possession', from eigen, 'own'. jenes Mannes Eigentum, 'that man's property', uses a genitive placed before the noun it modifies.

**79** Sie war schon aufgelöst wie langes Haar  
She was already loosened like long hair
> A participle meaning undone: aufgelöst is the past participle of auflösen, 'to loosen, dissolve, undo'. Sie war schon aufgelöst means 'she was already loosened', compared here to wie langes Haar, 'like long hair'.

**80** und hingegeben wie gefallner Regen  
and given away like fallen rain
> A participle of surrender: hingeben means 'to give up, surrender, devote'. hingegeben is its past participle, paired here with wie gefallner Regen, 'like fallen rain'.

**81** und ausgeteilt wie hundertfacher Vorrat.  
and parcelled out like a hundredfold store.
> hundertfacher, 'a hundredfold': hundertfach combines hundert, 'hundred', with -fach, 'times, fold', to mean 'a hundred times over'. hundertfacher Vorrat, 'hundredfold store', is nominative masculine singular.


**82** Sie war schon Wurzel.  
She was already root.
> A predicate noun without an article: die Wurzel means 'root'. Sie war schon Wurzel, 'she was already root', uses it without an article as a predicate noun, stating what she had become.

**83** Und als plötzlich jäh  
And when, suddenly, abruptly,
> A conjunction for a single past event: als is a subordinating conjunction meaning 'when', used for a single event in the past. Und als plötzlich jäh introduces the clause describing a sudden interruption.

**84** der Gott sie anhielt und mit Schmerz im Ausruf  
the god stopped her and with pain in his cry
> anhalten, 'to stop someone': anhalten is a separable verb meaning 'to stop, halt'. anhielt is its past tense, third-person singular, here taking sie, 'her', as a direct object: der Gott sie anhielt, 'the god stopped her'.

**85** die Worte sprach: Er hat sich umgewendet  
spoke the words: He has turned around
> sich umwenden, 'to turn around': umwenden paired with the reflexive sich means 'to turn oneself around'. hat sich umgewendet is the present perfect: 'has turned around'.

**86** begriff sie nichts und sagte leise: Wer?  
she grasped nothing and said softly: Who?
> begreifen, 'to grasp, understand': begreifen means 'to grasp mentally, understand'. begriff is its past tense, third-person singular, negated by nichts, 'nothing': begriff sie nichts, 'she understood nothing'.


**87** Fern aber, dunkel vor dem klaren Ausgang,  
But far off, dark against the bright exit,
> A compound naming an exit: der Ausgang means 'exit, way out', from aus, 'out', and gehen, 'to go'. Here it is dative singular after vor, 'before, against': vor dem klaren Ausgang, 'against the bright exit'.

**88** stand irgend jemand, dessen Angesicht  
stood someone or other, whose face
> dessen, the genitive 'whose': dessen is the genitive singular relative pronoun for masculine or neuter antecedents, meaning 'whose'. It refers back to jemand, 'someone', and introduces Angesicht, 'face', as the thing possessed.

**89** nicht zu erkennen war. Er stand und sah,  
could not be made out. He stood and saw
> zu plus infinitive with sein: erkennen means 'to recognize, make out'. zu erkennen with sein forms a passive-like construction: nicht zu erkennen war, 'was not to be made out, could not be recognized'.

**90** wie auf dem Streifen eines Wiesenpfades  
how, on the strip of a meadow-path,
> wie introducing an indirect question: Here wie means 'how', introducing an indirect question after sah, 'saw': sah, wie ..., 'saw how ...'. It reports what he observed rather than comparing two things.

**91** mit trauervollem Blick der Gott der Botschaft  
with sorrowful gaze the god of the message
> trauervoll, 'sorrowful': trauervoll combines Trauer, 'grief, mourning', with -voll, 'full of', to mean 'full of grief, sorrowful'. It is dative masculine singular here, agreeing with Blick, 'gaze'.

**92** sich schweigend wandte, der Gestalt zu folgen,  
turned in silence, to follow the figure
> sich wenden, 'to turn': wenden paired with the reflexive sich means 'to turn oneself'. wandte is its past tense, third-person singular: sich ... wandte, 'turned', followed by zu folgen, 'to follow'.

**93** die schon zurückging dieses selben Weges,  
who was already going back along this same path,
> A genitive naming the route: dieses selben Weges, 'of this same path', is genitive masculine singular, used adverbially without a preposition to say by which route she was going back. zurückging is the past tense of zurückgehen, 'to go back'.

**94** den Schritt beschränkt von langen Leichenbändern,  
her step hemmed in by long grave-bands,
> A repeated line: den Schritt beschränkt von langen Leichenbändern, 'her step hemmed in by long grave-bands', repeats a phrase used earlier in the poem word for word. beschränkt is the past participle of beschränken, 'to limit, confine'.

**95** unsicher, sanft und ohne Ungeduld.  
uncertain, gentle, and without impatience.
> A repeated line: unsicher, sanft und ohne Ungeduld, 'uncertain, gentle, and without impatience', repeats a phrase used earlier in the poem word for word. All three adjectives and the prepositional phrase describe the manner of her walk.

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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.