{"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":"schwarze-katze","title":{"source":"Schwarze Katze","translated":"Black Cat"},"section":"New Poems: The Other Part","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/schwarze-katze","lines":18},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/schlangenbeschwoerung","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/vor-ostern","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":"schwarze-katze-s1-l1","source":"Ein Gespenst ist noch wie eine Stelle,","translation":"A ghost is still like a place","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Gespenst","title":"A spectre, not a soul","body":"das Gespenst means 'ghost, spectre, apparition', a shape that appears rather than a departed person (der Geist can mean both 'spirit' and 'mind'). noch here means 'still, even yet', modifying ist."}],"words":[{"surface":"Ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Gespenst","gloss":"A"},{"surface":"Gespenst","lemma":"Gespenst","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of ist","gloss":"ghost"},{"surface":"ist","lemma":"sein","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"noch","lemma":"noch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"still"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"eine","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Stelle","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Stelle","lemma":"Stelle","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"place"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"schwarze-katze-s1-l2","source":"dran dein Blick mit einem Klange stößt;","translation":"against which your gaze strikes with a ringing sound;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"dran … stößt","title":"dran plus stoßen an","body":"dran is a colloquial shortening of daran, a da-compound standing in for an plus the antecedent Stelle. The verb stoßen an, 'to bump, strike against', governs it: dein Blick stößt dran means 'your gaze strikes against it'."}],"words":[{"surface":"dran","lemma":"daran","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on stößt","gloss":"against which","note":"Contraction of 'daran', used as a relative adverb ('against which')."},{"surface":"dein","lemma":"dein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Blick","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"Blick","lemma":"Blick","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of stößt","gloss":"gaze"},{"surface":"mit","lemma":"mit","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on stößt","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"einem","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Klange","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Klange","lemma":"Klang","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on mit","gloss":"sound"},{"surface":"stößt","lemma":"stoßen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"strikes"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"schwarze-katze-s1-l3","source":"aber da an diesem schwarzen Felle","translation":"but here, upon this black fur,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"an diesem schwarzen Felle","title":"an plus dative; the -e on Felle","body":"an here marks a fixed location and takes the dative: diesem schwarzen Felle, 'on this black fur'. das Fell means an animal's 'coat, pelt, fur'. The extra -e on Felle is the old dative-singular ending, archaic but kept here for the rhyme with Stelle."}],"words":[{"surface":"aber","lemma":"aber","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"but"},{"surface":"da","lemma":"da","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"here"},{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"upon"},{"surface":"diesem","lemma":"dieser","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Felle","gloss":"this"},{"surface":"schwarzen","lemma":"schwarz","morphology":"adjective, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Felle","gloss":"black"},{"surface":"Felle","lemma":"Fell","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on an","gloss":"fur"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"schwarze-katze-s1-l4","source":"wird dein stärkstes Schauen aufgelöst:","translation":"your strongest seeing is dissolved:","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"wird … aufgelöst","title":"Passive with werden","body":"wird ... aufgelöst is a present-tense passive: werden plus the past participle of auflösen, 'to dissolve, break up, undo'. das Schauen is the verb schauen, 'to gaze', made into a noun, 'seeing'."}],"words":[{"surface":"wird","lemma":"werden","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"dein","lemma":"dein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Schauen","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"stärkstes","lemma":"stark","morphology":"adjective, nominative, neuter, singular, superlative","role":"depends on Schauen","gloss":"strongest"},{"surface":"Schauen","lemma":"schauen","morphology":"noun (nominalized infinitive), nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of the sentence","gloss":"seeing"},{"surface":"aufgelöst","lemma":"auflösen","morphology":"verb, past participle","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"dissolved"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"schwarze-katze-s2-l1","source":"wie ein Tobender, wenn er in vollster","translation":"as a raging man, when in his fullest","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"ein Tobender","title":"A participle used as a noun","body":"tobend is the present participle of toben, 'to rage, rave, storm'; declined like an adjective and capitalized, it becomes a noun, ein Tobender, 'a raging one'. The simile runs across the whole stanza."}],"words":[{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Tobender","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Tobender","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Tobender","lemma":"Tobende","morphology":"noun (nominalized adjective), nominative, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"raging man"},{"surface":"wenn","lemma":"wenn","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on stampft","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"er","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of stampft","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on stampft","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"vollster","lemma":"voll","morphology":"adjective, dative, feminine, singular, superlative","role":"depends on in","gloss":"fullest"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"schwarze-katze-s2-l2","source":"Raserei ins Schwarze stampft,","translation":"frenzy stamps into the black,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"ins Schwarze","title":"Adjective as neuter noun","body":"ins Schwarze equals in das Schwarze, the adjective schwarz turned into a neuter noun, 'the black', after the accusative of motion in. stampft, from stampfen, 'to stamp, pound', with in plus the accusative, expresses charging headlong into it."}],"words":[{"surface":"Raserei","lemma":"Raserei","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"frenzy"},{"surface":"ins","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on stampft","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"Schwarze","lemma":"Schwarze","morphology":"noun (nominalized adjective), accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on ins","gloss":"the black"},{"surface":"stampft","lemma":"stampfen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the clause","gloss":"stamps"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"schwarze-katze-s2-l3","source":"jählings am benehmenden Gepolster","translation":"abruptly, at the muffling padding","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"jählings","title":"An elevated word for abruptly","body":"jählings is an elevated adverb meaning 'abruptly, all at once, headlong', related to jäh, 'sudden, steep'. das Gepolster means 'padding, upholstery'; benehmend, 'taking away, deadening', describes how it absorbs the blow. am equals an dem, dative after an."}],"words":[{"surface":"jählings","lemma":"jählings","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on aufhört","gloss":"abruptly"},{"surface":"am","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on aufhört","gloss":"at"},{"surface":"benehmenden","lemma":"benehmend","morphology":"adjective, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Gepolster","gloss":"muffling"},{"surface":"Gepolster","lemma":"Gepolster","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on am","gloss":"padding"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"schwarze-katze-s2-l4","source":"einer Zelle aufhört und verdampft.","translation":"of a cell stops short and evaporates.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"aufhört und verdampft","title":"aufhören and verdampfen","body":"aufhören means 'to stop, cease, leave off'; verdampfen means 'to vaporize, evaporate'. einer Zelle is a genitive, 'of a cell', depending on Gepolster in the line above. Both verbs are third-person singular present, coordinated with und."}],"words":[{"surface":"einer","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, genitive, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Zelle","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Zelle","lemma":"Zelle","morphology":"noun, genitive, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Gepolster","gloss":"cell"},{"surface":"aufhört","lemma":"aufhören","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stops short"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on aufhört","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"verdampft","lemma":"verdampfen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"evaporates"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"schwarze-katze-s3-l1","source":"Alle Blicke, die sie jemals trafen,","translation":"All the glances that ever struck her,","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"die sie jemals trafen","title":"Relative clause; sie is the cat","body":"die ... trafen is a relative clause modifying alle Blicke, 'all the glances'. die is the plural relative pronoun and subject; sie is the accusative object, referring to the cat. trafen is the simple past of treffen, 'to hit, meet, strike'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Alle","lemma":"aller","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Blicke","gloss":"All"},{"surface":"Blicke","lemma":"Blick","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"glances"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, plural, relative","role":"subject of trafen","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"object of trafen","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"jemals","lemma":"jemals","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on trafen","gloss":"ever"},{"surface":"trafen","lemma":"treffen","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the relative clause","gloss":"struck"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"schwarze-katze-s3-l2","source":"scheint sie also an sich zu verhehlen,","translation":"she seems, then, to conceal upon herself,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"verhehlen","title":"To conceal, literary","body":"verhehlen is a literary verb for 'to conceal, hide, keep secret'. scheint ... zu verhehlen combines scheinen, 'to seem', with zu plus infinitive. an sich means 'on, about herself'; also here means the older 'thus, so', not English 'also'."}],"words":[{"surface":"scheint","lemma":"scheinen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"seems"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"subject of scheint","gloss":"she"},{"surface":"also","lemma":"also","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on scheint","gloss":"then"},{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on verhehlen","gloss":"upon"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on an","gloss":"herself"},{"surface":"zu","lemma":"zu","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on verhehlen","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"verhehlen","lemma":"verhehlen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on scheint","gloss":"conceal"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"schwarze-katze-s3-l3","source":"um darüber drohend und verdrossen","translation":"in order, over them, threatening and sullen,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"um … zu","title":"um ... zu across three lines","body":"um opens a purpose clause, 'in order to ...', whose infinitives arrive two lines later. German lets the um ... zu frame stretch across a whole sentence. darüber means 'over it, about it'; drohend, 'threatening', and verdrossen, 'sullen', describe the mood."}],"words":[{"surface":"um","lemma":"um","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on zuzuschauern","gloss":"in order"},{"surface":"darüber","lemma":"darüber","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on drohend","gloss":"over them"},{"surface":"drohend","lemma":"drohend","morphology":"adverb","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"threatening"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on drohend","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"verdrossen","lemma":"verdrossen","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on und","gloss":"sullen"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"schwarze-katze-s3-l4","source":"zuzuschauern und damit zu schlafen.","translation":"to shudder at them and, with that, to sleep.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s3-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"zuzuschauern","title":"To shudder","body":"schauern means 'to shiver, shudder'; zuzuschauern is the zu-infinitive of zuschauern, carrying the um ... zu from earlier. It pairs with zu schlafen, 'to sleep', both infinitives completing the purpose clause."}],"words":[{"surface":"zuzuschauern","lemma":"zuschauern","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on um","gloss":"shudder","note":"Separable verb 'zuschauern' ('to shudder at') with the infinitive 'zu' inserted before the stem, written as one word (compare 'aufzuhören')."},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on zuzuschauern","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"damit","lemma":"damit","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on schlafen","gloss":"with that"},{"surface":"zu","lemma":"zu","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on schlafen","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"schlafen","lemma":"schlafen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on und","gloss":"sleep"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"schwarze-katze-s3-l5","source":"Doch auf einmal kehrt sie, wie geweckt,","translation":"But all at once she turns, as if woken,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s3-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"wie geweckt","title":"wie plus past participle","body":"wie geweckt compresses 'as though she had been woken' into two words. geweckt is the participle of wecken, 'to wake someone'. auf einmal is the fixed phrase 'all at once, suddenly'; kehren here means 'to turn'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Doch","lemma":"doch","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on kehrt","gloss":"But"},{"surface":"auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on kehrt","gloss":"at"},{"surface":"einmal","lemma":"einmal","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on auf","gloss":"once"},{"surface":"kehrt","lemma":"kehren","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"turns"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"subject of kehrt","gloss":"she"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on geweckt","gloss":"as if"},{"surface":"geweckt","lemma":"wecken","morphology":"verb, past participle","role":"depends on kehrt","gloss":"woken"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"schwarze-katze-s3-l6","source":"ihr Gesicht und mitten in das deine:","translation":"her face full into yours:","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s3-l6.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"mitten in das deine","title":"mitten in plus accusative; das deine","body":"mitten in, 'right into the middle of', takes the accusative for motion, as in mitten in das deine. das deine is the possessive pronoun standing for dein Gesicht, 'yours', meaning your face."}],"words":[{"surface":"ihr","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Gesicht","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"Gesicht","lemma":"Gesicht","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on kehrt","gloss":"face"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on kehrt","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"mitten","lemma":"mitten","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on in","gloss":"full"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on und","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on deine","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"deine","lemma":"deiner","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"yours"}]},{"number":15,"label":"15","id":"schwarze-katze-s3-l7","source":"und da triffst du deinen Blick im geelen","translation":"and there you meet your own gaze in the yellow","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s3-l7.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"geelen","title":"A dialect word for yellow","body":"geel is a Low-German or regional form of gelb, 'yellow', chosen here to rhyme with verhehlen. du triffst deinen Blick uses treffen again, meaning 'you meet, encounter your own gaze'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on triffst","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"da","lemma":"da","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on triffst","gloss":"there"},{"surface":"triffst","lemma":"treffen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"meet"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"du","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"subject of triffst","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"deinen","lemma":"dein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Blick","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"Blick","lemma":"Blick","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on triffst","gloss":"gaze"},{"surface":"im","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Amber","gloss":"in the"},{"surface":"geelen","lemma":"gelb","morphology":"adjective, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Amber","gloss":"yellow","note":"Archaic/dialectal spelling of 'gelb' (yellow)."}]},{"number":16,"label":"16","id":"schwarze-katze-s3-l8","source":"Amber ihrer runden Augensteine","translation":"amber of her round eye-stones","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s3-l8.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Augensteine","title":"A Rilke coinage","body":"Augensteine, 'eye-stones', is a compound Rilke uses for the cat's eyes. ihrer ... Augensteine is genitive, 'of her eye-stones', depending on Amber, 'amber', in the same clause."}],"words":[{"surface":"Amber","lemma":"Amber","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on im","gloss":"amber"},{"surface":"ihrer","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"determiner, genitive, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Augensteine","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"runden","lemma":"rund","morphology":"adjective, genitive, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Augensteine","gloss":"round"},{"surface":"Augensteine","lemma":"Augenstein","morphology":"noun, genitive, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Amber","gloss":"eye-stones"}]},{"number":17,"label":"17","id":"schwarze-katze-s3-l9","source":"unerwartet wieder: eingeschlossen","translation":"unexpectedly again: enclosed","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s3-l9.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"eingeschlossen","title":"einschließen becomes eingeschlossen","body":"eingeschlossen is the past participle of einschließen, 'to lock in, enclose, encase'. It stands in apposition to deinen Blick, 'your gaze', from the line before, describing it as enclosed."}],"words":[{"surface":"unerwartet","lemma":"unerwartet","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on triffst","gloss":"unexpectedly"},{"surface":"wieder","lemma":"wieder","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on unerwartet","gloss":"again"},{"surface":"eingeschlossen","lemma":"einschließen","morphology":"verb, past participle","role":"depends on Blick","gloss":"enclosed"}]},{"number":18,"label":"18","id":"schwarze-katze-s3-l10","source":"wie ein ausgestorbenes Insekt.","translation":"like an insect long extinct.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/schwarze-katze-s3-l10.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ausgestorben","title":"Died out, extinct","body":"ausgestorben means 'died out, extinct', the participle of aussterben, 'to die out'. It modifies ein Insekt, 'an insect', in the nominative neuter singular, agreeing with the noun that follows."}],"words":[{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on eingeschlossen","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Insekt","gloss":"an"},{"surface":"ausgestorbenes","lemma":"ausgestorben","morphology":"adjective, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Insekt","gloss":"extinct"},{"surface":"Insekt","lemma":"Insekt","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on wie","gloss":"insect"}]}]}