{"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":"sankt-sebastian","title":{"source":"Sankt Sebastian","translated":"Saint Sebastian"},"section":"New Poems","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/sankt-sebastian","lines":13},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/das-einhorn","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/der-stifter","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":"sankt-sebastian-s1-l1","source":"Wie ein Liegender so steht er; ganz","translation":"Like one lying down he stands; wholly","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"ein Liegender","title":"A participle used as a noun","body":"liegend, 'lying', is the present participle of liegen, 'to lie down'. Capitalized and given an article, it becomes a noun: ein Liegender, 'one who lies down'. Wie ein Liegender compares his standing posture to that of a man stretched out flat."}],"words":[{"surface":"Wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on steht","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Liegender","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Liegender","lemma":"Liegender","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Wie","gloss":"one lying down","note":"German capitalizes and inflects participles as nouns like this: 'Liegender' = 'a lying one.'"},{"surface":"so","lemma":"so","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on steht","gloss":"thus"},{"surface":"steht","lemma":"stehen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stands"},{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of steht","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"ganz","lemma":"ganz","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on hingehalten (next line)","gloss":"wholly"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"sankt-sebastian-s1-l2","source":"hingehalten von dem großen Willen.","translation":"held out to the great will.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"hingehalten","title":"Past participle of a separable verb","body":"hingehalten is the past participle of the separable verb hinhalten, 'to hold something out toward'. Applied to the saint, hingehalten von dem großen Willen means 'held out by the great will', with von naming the will as the one doing the holding."}],"words":[{"surface":"hingehalten","lemma":"hinhalten","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on steht (previous line)","gloss":"held out"},{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on hingehalten","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"dem","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Willen","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"großen","lemma":"groß","morphology":"adjective, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Willen","gloss":"great"},{"surface":"Willen","lemma":"Wille","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on von","gloss":"will"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"sankt-sebastian-s1-l3","source":"Weit entrückt wie Mütter, wenn sie stillen,","translation":"Far removed, like mothers when they nurse,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"entrückt","title":"Carried out of oneself","body":"entrückt is the past participle of entrücken, 'to carry away, transport'; it describes a rapt, absent state lifted out of the ordinary world. weit entrückt means 'far removed, far carried away'. stillen here means 'to nurse, suckle'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Weit","lemma":"weit","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on entrückt","gloss":"far"},{"surface":"entrückt","lemma":"entrücken","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"coordinated with hingehalten, depends on steht","gloss":"removed"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Mütter","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"Mütter","lemma":"Mutter","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on entrückt","gloss":"mothers"},{"surface":"wenn","lemma":"wenn","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on stillen","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"subject of stillen","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"stillen","lemma":"stillen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"depends on entrückt","gloss":"nurse"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"sankt-sebastian-s1-l4","source":"und in sich gebunden wie ein Kranz.","translation":"and bound into himself like a wreath.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"in sich gebunden","title":"A reflexive phrase with gebunden","body":"gebunden is the past participle of binden, 'to bind, tie'. The reflexive phrase in sich gebunden means 'bound into, within himself'. wie ein Kranz, 'like a wreath', completes the comparison: a wreath is woven shut with no loose end."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on steht","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on gebunden","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, dative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on in","gloss":"himself"},{"surface":"gebunden","lemma":"binden","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"coordinated with entrückt, depends on und","gloss":"bound"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Kranz","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Kranz","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Kranz","lemma":"Kranz","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"wreath"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"sankt-sebastian-s2-l1","source":"Und die Pfeile kommen: jetzt und jetzt","translation":"And the arrows come: now and now","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"jetzt und jetzt","title":"Repeated adverb for rhythm","body":"der Pfeil, plural die Pfeile, means 'arrow(s)'. jetzt und jetzt, 'now and now', doubles the adverb jetzt, not a standard idiom, to mark one arrow striking after another."}],"words":[{"surface":"Und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on kommen","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Pfeile","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Pfeile","lemma":"Pfeil","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"subject of kommen","gloss":"arrows"},{"surface":"kommen","lemma":"kommen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"come"},{"surface":"jetzt","lemma":"jetzt","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on kommen","gloss":"now"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on jetzt","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"jetzt","lemma":"jetzt","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on und","gloss":"now"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"sankt-sebastian-s2-l2","source":"und als sprängen sie aus seinen Lenden,","translation":"and as though they sprang from his own loins,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"als sprängen sie","title":"als plus subjunctive for an unreal comparison","body":"sprängen is the past subjunctive, Konjunktiv II, of springen, 'to spring, leap'. After als, 'as though', introducing an unreal comparison, German uses the subjunctive and places the verb right after als: als sprängen sie, 'as though they sprang'. die Lenden means 'the loins'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on kommen (previous line)","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"als","lemma":"als","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on sprängen","gloss":"as though"},{"surface":"sprängen","lemma":"springen","morphology":"verb, past, subjunctive, third-person, plural","role":"depends on als","gloss":"sprang","note":"'als' + subjunctive (als sprängen sie) = 'as though they sprang' -- an irrealis comparison, no 'als ob' needed."},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"subject of sprängen","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on sprängen","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"seinen","lemma":"sein","morphology":"determiner, dative, plural","role":"depends on Lenden","gloss":"his"},{"surface":"Lenden","lemma":"Lende","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"loins"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"sankt-sebastian-s2-l3","source":"eisern bebend mit den freien Enden.","translation":"iron, quivering with their free ends.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"eisern bebend","title":"Two words describing the arrows","body":"eisern means 'iron, of iron', used here adverbially. bebend is the present participle of beben, 'to tremble, quiver'. mit den freien Enden means 'with their free ends', the loose feathered ends of the shafts still shivering."}],"words":[{"surface":"eisern","lemma":"eisern","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on sie (previous line)","gloss":"iron"},{"surface":"bebend","lemma":"beben","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on sie (previous line)","gloss":"quivering"},{"surface":"mit","lemma":"mit","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on bebend","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, plural","role":"depends on Enden","gloss":"their"},{"surface":"freien","lemma":"frei","morphology":"adjective, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Enden","gloss":"free"},{"surface":"Enden","lemma":"Ende","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on mit","gloss":"ends"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"sankt-sebastian-s2-l4","source":"Doch er lächelt dunkel, unverletzt.","translation":"Yet he smiles darkly, unharmed.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"unverletzt","title":"un- negates verletzt","body":"unverletzt means 'uninjured, unhurt', combining the prefix un- with verletzt, the participle of verletzen, 'to wound'. doch means 'yet, and yet', contrasting the arrows with the saint's untouched state."}],"words":[{"surface":"Doch","lemma":"doch","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on lächelt","gloss":"yet"},{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of lächelt","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"lächelt","lemma":"lächeln","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"smiles"},{"surface":"dunkel","lemma":"dunkel","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on lächelt","gloss":"darkly"},{"surface":"unverletzt","lemma":"unverletzt","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on lächelt","gloss":"unharmed"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"sankt-sebastian-s3-l1","source":"Einmal nur wird eine Trauer groß,","translation":"Only once does a sorrow grow great,","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"wird … groß","title":"werden with an adjective means becoming","body":"werden with a predicate adjective expresses becoming: groß werden means 'to grow, become great'. wird eine Trauer groß means 'a sorrow becomes great'. einmal nur, 'only once', is fronted for emphasis, sending wird ahead of its subject eine Trauer."}],"words":[{"surface":"Einmal","lemma":"einmal","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on nur","gloss":"once"},{"surface":"nur","lemma":"nur","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"only"},{"surface":"wird","lemma":"werden","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"grows"},{"surface":"eine","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Trauer","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Trauer","lemma":"Trauer","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"subject of wird","gloss":"sorrow"},{"surface":"groß","lemma":"groß","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"great"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"sankt-sebastian-s3-l2","source":"und die Augen liegen schmerzlich bloß,","translation":"and the eyes lie painfully bare,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"bloß","title":"Bare and exposed","body":"bloß as an adjective means 'bare, naked, uncovered'. bloß liegen means 'to lie exposed, to be laid bare'. schmerzlich means 'painfully', describing how the eyes lie open."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on liegen","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Augen","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Augen","lemma":"Auge","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, plural","role":"subject of liegen","gloss":"eyes"},{"surface":"liegen","lemma":"liegen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"lie"},{"surface":"schmerzlich","lemma":"schmerzlich","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on liegen","gloss":"painfully"},{"surface":"bloß","lemma":"bloß","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on liegen","gloss":"bare"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"sankt-sebastian-s3-l3","source":"bis sie etwas leugnen, wie Geringes,","translation":"until they deny something, as a trifle,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"leugnen","title":"To deny, disavow","body":"leugnen means 'to deny, to disavow', to refuse that something is true. wie Geringes means 'as something slight', from das Geringe, 'the small, trivial thing'. The eyes deny the pain by treating it as nothing."}],"words":[{"surface":"bis","lemma":"bis","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on leugnen","gloss":"until"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"subject of leugnen","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"etwas","lemma":"etwas","morphology":"pronoun, neuter","role":"depends on leugnen","gloss":"something"},{"surface":"leugnen","lemma":"leugnen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"deny"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Geringes","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"Geringes","lemma":"Geringes","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on leugnen","gloss":"a trifle"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"sankt-sebastian-s3-l4","source":"und als ließen sie verächtlich los","translation":"and as though they let go in contempt","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s3-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"als ließen sie … los","title":"als plus subjunctive with a separable verb","body":"als again pairs with a past subjunctive: ließen is Konjunktiv II of lassen. The verb is the separable loslassen, 'to let go, release', split so that los lands at the line's end: ließen … los. verächtlich means 'contemptuously'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on ließen","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"als","lemma":"als","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on ließen","gloss":"as though"},{"surface":"ließen","lemma":"loslassen","morphology":"verb, past, subjunctive, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"let"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"subject of ließen","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"verächtlich","lemma":"verächtlich","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on ließen","gloss":"in contempt"},{"surface":"los","lemma":"los","morphology":"particle","role":"separable prefix of ließen","gloss":"go"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"sankt-sebastian-s3-l5","source":"die Vernichter eines schönen Dinges.","translation":"the destroyers of a beautiful thing.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/sankt-sebastian-s3-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"die Vernichter eines schönen Dinges","title":"An agent noun governing the genitive","body":"der Vernichter, plural die Vernichter, means 'the destroyer', the agent noun from vernichten, 'to annihilate'. It governs a genitive object: die Vernichter eines schönen Dinges, 'the destroyers of a beautiful thing'. Ding takes the genitive ending -es, becoming Dinges."}],"words":[{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Vernichter","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Vernichter","lemma":"Vernichter","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"destroyers"},{"surface":"eines","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, genitive, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Dinges","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"schönen","lemma":"schön","morphology":"adjective, genitive, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Dinges","gloss":"beautiful"},{"surface":"Dinges","lemma":"Ding","morphology":"noun, genitive, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Vernichter","gloss":"thing"}]}]}