# Rosa Hortensie · Pink Hydrangea

Neue Gedichte · Rainer Maria Rilke · New Poems: The Other Part

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

**1** Wer nahm das Rosa an? Wer wußte auch,  
Who took on the pink? And who could even know
> Separable verb splits apart: annehmen means 'to take on, to accept'. As a separable verb, its prefix an splits off in a main clause and moves to the end, so nahm ... an frames the whole question: nahm das Rosa an, 'took on the pink'.
> A softening question particle: auch here does not mean 'also'. As a particle with wer it softens the question into something closer to 'who could indeed have known', adding a note of genuine wonder rather than a demand for information.

**2** daß es sich sammelte in diesen Dolden?  
that it was gathering itself into these umbels?
> Naming the flower cluster: Dolde means 'umbel', the flat or rounded cluster in which many small flowers branch from one point, the shape of a hydrangea head. The line uses the dative plural Dolden after in diesen, 'into these umbels'.

**3** Wie Dinge unter Gold, die sich entgolden,  
Like things beneath gilt that ungild themselves,
> A Rilke coinage: entgolden is not a standard German word. Rilke built it from the prefix ent-, which removes or reverses, and Gold, 'gold', giving 'to lose one's gold'. It is present tense, third-person plural, agreeing with Dinge.

**4** entröten sie sich sanft, wie im Gebrauch.  
they gently shed their red, as if from use.
> Another coined reflexive verb: entröten is built the same way as entgolden: ent- plus rot, 'red', giving 'to lose one's red'. sie ... sich makes it reflexive, third-person plural: 'they shed their red from themselves'.


**5** Daß sie für solches Rosa nichts verlangen,  
That for such pink they ask for nothing back —
> Subordinator sends verb last: Daß, 'that', is a subordinating conjunction, so it sends the main verb verlangen to the end of its clause: sie für solches Rosa nichts verlangen, 'that they ask nothing for such pink'. The old spelling daß is now written dass.

**6** bleibt es für sie und lächelt aus der Luft?  
does it stay theirs, and smile out of the air?

**7** Sind Engel da, es zärtlich zu empfangen,  
Are there angels there to receive it tenderly,
> An infinitive meaning to receive: empfangen means 'to receive, to welcome'. Here it is an infinitive after zu in the phrase es zärtlich zu empfangen, 'to receive it tenderly', completing the question opened by Sind Engel da.

**8** wenn es vergeht, großmütig wie ein Duft?  
when it passes, magnanimous as a scent?
> Present tense, to pass away: vergehen means 'to pass away, to fade, to perish'. Here it is present tense, third-person singular, agreeing with es: es vergeht, 'it passes', in the clause wenn es vergeht, 'when it passes'.


**9** Oder vielleicht auch geben sie es preis,  
Or perhaps they simply give it up,
> Prefix stranded at the end: preisgeben means 'to give up, to surrender'. As a separable verb it splits in a main clause: geben sie es preis puts preis at the end, 'they give it up'.

**10** damit es nie erführe vom Verblühn.  
so that it might never learn of withering.
> Subjunctive after damit: damit, 'so that', introduces a purpose clause, which takes erführe, the Konjunktiv II (subjunctive) of erfahren, 'to learn of'. It marks a hoped-for outcome: 'so that it might never learn of withering'.

**11** Doch unter diesem Rosa hat ein Grün  
Yet under this pink a green has been

**12** gehorcht, das jetzt verwelkt und alles weiß.  
listening, that now withers and knows it all.
> Perfect tense split by line break: hat, at the end of the previous line, and gehorcht here together form the present perfect hat ... gehorcht, 'has listened', from gehorchen, 'to obey, to listen'. The auxiliary and participle are separated by the line break.
> Knows, not white: weiß here is the verb 'knows', from wissen, not the adjective 'white'. das jetzt verwelkt und alles weiß means 'which now withers and knows everything'.

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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.