{"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":"vor-dem-sommerregen","title":{"source":"Vor dem Sommerregen","translated":"Before the Summer Rain"},"section":"New Poems","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/blaue-hortensie","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/im-saal","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":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s1-l1","source":"Auf einmal ist aus allem Grün im Park","translation":"All at once, out of all the green in the park,","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Auf einmal","title":"Fixed phrase for suddenly","body":"auf einmal is a fixed adverbial phrase meaning 'all at once, suddenly'. aus allem Grün is dative after aus, 'out of', where all- takes the dative ending -em to agree with the neuter noun Grün, 'green, greenery'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"at","note":"\"auf\" means \"on/upon/at,\" never \"all\" (that would be \"alle\"/\"all-\"). \"Auf einmal\" together is the fixed idiom \"suddenly, all at once,\" but the word \"auf\" itself does not carry the sense \"all.\""},{"surface":"einmal","lemma":"einmal","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Auf","gloss":"at once"},{"surface":"ist","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"has"},{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Grün","gloss":"out of"},{"surface":"allem","lemma":"alle","morphology":"pronoun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"all"},{"surface":"Grün","lemma":"Grün","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"green"},{"surface":"im","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Grün","gloss":"in the"},{"surface":"Park","lemma":"Park","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on im","gloss":"park"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s1-l2","source":"man weiß nicht was, ein Etwas, fortgenommen;","translation":"one cannot say what, some something, has been taken away;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ein Etwas","title":"Something turned into a noun","body":"etwas, 'something', is capitalized and given the article ein to become a noun, ein Etwas, 'a something, an indefinable something'. man weiß nicht was means 'one does not know what'. fortgenommen is the past participle of fortnehmen, 'to take away'."}],"words":[{"surface":"man","lemma":"man","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on weiß","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"weiß","lemma":"wissen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"knows"},{"surface":"nicht","lemma":"nicht","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on weiß","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"was","lemma":"was","morphology":"pronoun, neuter","role":"depends on weiß","gloss":"what"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Etwas","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Etwas","lemma":"etwas","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on fortgenommen","gloss":"something"},{"surface":"fortgenommen","lemma":"fortnehmen","morphology":"verb, participle","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"taken away"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s1-l3","source":"man fühlt ihn näher an die Fenster kommen","translation":"one feels it drawing nearer to the windows","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"ihn","title":"Pronoun refers to der Regen","body":"ihn is the accusative form of er, 'he, it', standing in for der Regen, 'rain', a masculine noun not named until later in the poem. German pronouns match the grammatical gender of their noun, so masculine Regen is replaced by ihn. an die Fenster is accusative after an, marking motion toward the windows."},{"kind":"grammar","term":"fühlt … kommen","title":"Perception verb without zu","body":"fühlen, 'to feel', like sehen and hören, takes a bare infinitive with no zu: man fühlt ihn kommen means 'one feels it coming'. Both kommen in this line and sein in the next line depend on this same fühlt and fall at the end of their clauses."}],"words":[{"surface":"man","lemma":"man","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on fühlt","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"fühlt","lemma":"fühlen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"feels"},{"surface":"ihn","lemma":"er","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on fühlt","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"näher","lemma":"nah","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on kommen","gloss":"nearer"},{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on kommen","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Fenster","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Fenster","lemma":"Fenster","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on an","gloss":"windows"},{"surface":"kommen","lemma":"kommen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on fühlt","gloss":"coming"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s1-l4","source":"und schweigsam sein. Inständig nur und stark","translation":"and falling silent. Urgent only, and strong,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Inständig","title":"Adverb meaning urgent or insistent","body":"inständig means 'urgent, insistent, imploring', the adverb used for a fervent plea, as in inständig bitten, 'to beg earnestly'. Here it describes how the bird's cry ertönt, 'rings out', in the next line. schweigsam means 'silent, taciturn', completing sein from man fühlt ihn schweigsam sein, 'one feels it grow silent'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on kommen","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"schweigsam","lemma":"schweigsam","morphology":"adjective, predicate","role":"depends on sein","gloss":"silent"},{"surface":"sein","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, infinitive","role":"depends on und","gloss":"being"},{"surface":"Inständig","lemma":"inständig","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on ertönt","gloss":"urgently"},{"surface":"nur","lemma":"nur","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Inständig","gloss":"only"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on Inständig","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"stark","lemma":"stark","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on und","gloss":"strongly"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s2-l1","source":"ertönt aus dem Gehölz der Regenpfeifer,","translation":"the plover sounds out from the thicket,","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"ertönt","title":"Verb before its subject","body":"ertönt, 'rings out, sounds', opens the stanza, but its subject der Regenpfeifer comes only at the end of the line. The sentence began with Inständig nur und stark across the stanza break. German can place the finite verb before its subject for emphasis."},{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Regenpfeifer","title":"Compound name for the plover","body":"der Regenpfeifer, the plover, literally means 'rain piper', combining Regen, 'rain', and pfeifen, 'to whistle, pipe'. Its call was traditionally taken as a sign of coming rain. das Gehölz means 'copse, thicket, small wood'."}],"words":[{"surface":"ertönt","lemma":"ertönen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"sounds out"},{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on ertönt","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"dem","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Gehölz","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Gehölz","lemma":"Gehölz","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"thicket"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Regenpfeifer","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Regenpfeifer","lemma":"Regenpfeifer","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of ertönt","gloss":"plover"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s2-l2","source":"man denkt an einen Hieronymus:","translation":"one thinks of a Saint Jerome:","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"denkt an einen","title":"Verb plus preposition for thinking of","body":"denken governs the preposition an plus the accusative: an einen Hieronymus denken means 'to think of a Jerome'. The accusative einen marks the object of an here, not motion. The indefinite article gives 'a Jerome', not one fixed figure."}],"words":[{"surface":"man","lemma":"man","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on denkt","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"denkt","lemma":"denken","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"thinks"},{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on denkt","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"einen","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Hieronymus","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Hieronymus","lemma":"Hieronymus","morphology":"proper noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on an","gloss":"Saint Jerome","note":"A reference to Saint Jerome, often depicted in paintings withdrawn into a wild, remote setting — evoked here by the plover's cry from the thicket."}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s2-l3","source":"so sehr steigt irgend Einsamkeit und Eifer","translation":"so strongly do some loneliness and zeal arise","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"so sehr steigt","title":"Correlative meaning so much that","body":"so sehr steigt pairs with an implied result already carried by man denkt an einen Hieronymus: 'so much loneliness and zeal rises that one thinks of a Jerome'. Because so sehr fronts the clause, the verb steigt comes before its subject. irgend before a noun means 'some or other', left unspecified."}],"words":[{"surface":"so","lemma":"so","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on sehr","gloss":"so"},{"surface":"sehr","lemma":"sehr","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on steigt","gloss":"strongly"},{"surface":"steigt","lemma":"steigen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"arise"},{"surface":"irgend","lemma":"irgend","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Einsamkeit","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"Einsamkeit","lemma":"Einsamkeit","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on steigt","gloss":"loneliness"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on Einsamkeit","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"Eifer","lemma":"Eifer","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"zeal"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s2-l4","source":"aus dieser einen Stimme, die der Guß","translation":"from this single voice, which the downpour","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Guß","title":"Older spelling for downpour","body":"der Guß, spelled Guss in modern German, means 'a pouring', here a heavy burst of rain, from gießen, 'to pour'. The pre-1996 ß is kept as Rilke printed it. It is the subject of erhören wird, the verb completed in the next stanza."}],"words":[{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on steigt","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"dieser","lemma":"dieser","morphology":"determiner, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Stimme","gloss":"this"},{"surface":"einen","lemma":"ein","morphology":"adjective, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Stimme","gloss":"single"},{"surface":"Stimme","lemma":"Stimme","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"voice"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, feminine, singular","role":"object of erhören","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Guß","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Guß","lemma":"Guß","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of erhören","gloss":"downpour"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s3-l1","source":"erhören wird. Des Saales Wände sind","translation":"will answer. The hall's walls have","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"erhören wird","title":"Verb meaning to hear favorably","body":"erhören is not plain hören, 'to hear', but 'to hear favorably, to grant a prayer or plea'. With the future wird erhören, the coming downpour is what will answer the bird's voice. The relative clause die der Guß erhören wird refers back to dieser einen Stimme two lines above."},{"kind":"grammar","term":"Des Saales Wände","title":"Elevated word order for genitive","body":"des Saales is the genitive of der Saal, 'hall, large room', meaning 'of the hall'. German can place a genitive before its noun for an elevated tone: des Saales Wände means 'the hall's walls', where prose would say die Wände des Saales. The ending -es marks the masculine genitive."}],"words":[{"surface":"erhören","lemma":"erhören","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"answer"},{"surface":"wird","lemma":"werden","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"will"},{"surface":"Des","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, genitive, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Saales","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Saales","lemma":"Saal","morphology":"noun, genitive, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Wände","gloss":"hall's"},{"surface":"Wände","lemma":"Wand","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on sind","gloss":"walls"},{"surface":"sind","lemma":"sein","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"have"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s3-l2","source":"mit ihren Bildern von uns fortgetreten,","translation":"drawn back from us with their pictures,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"fortgetreten","title":"Separable verb takes sein","body":"fortgetreten is the past participle of the separable verb forttreten, 'to step away, draw back'. It completes sind from the line above as a present perfect: sind fortgetreten means 'have stepped back'. Motion verbs like this use sein, not haben, to form the perfect. mit ihren Bildern means 'with their pictures', dative after mit."}],"words":[{"surface":"mit","lemma":"mit","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on fortgetreten","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"ihren","lemma":"ihr","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Bildern","gloss":"their"},{"surface":"Bildern","lemma":"Bild","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on mit","gloss":"pictures"},{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on fortgetreten","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"uns","lemma":"uns","morphology":"pronoun, dative, plural","role":"depends on von","gloss":"us"},{"surface":"fortgetreten","lemma":"forttreten","morphology":"verb, past participle","role":"depends on sind","gloss":"drawn back"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s3-l3","source":"als dürften sie nicht hören, was wir sagen.","translation":"as if they were not allowed to hear what we say.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"als dürften sie","title":"Unreal comparison with dürften","body":"als, 'as though', sets up an unreal comparison and takes the subjunctive, dropping ob and placing the verb right after als. dürften is the past subjunctive of dürfen, 'to be allowed to': als dürften sie nicht hören means 'as though they were not permitted to hear'."}],"words":[{"surface":"als","lemma":"als","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on dürften","gloss":"as if"},{"surface":"dürften","lemma":"dürfen","morphology":"auxiliary verb, past, subjunctive, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"were allowed"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on dürften","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"nicht","lemma":"nicht","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on dürften","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"hören","lemma":"hören","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on dürften","gloss":"hear"},{"surface":"was","lemma":"was","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on sagen","gloss":"what"},{"surface":"wir","lemma":"wir","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on sagen","gloss":"we"},{"surface":"sagen","lemma":"sagen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, plural","role":"depends on hören","gloss":"say"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s4-l1","source":"Es spiegeln die verblichenen Tapeten","translation":"The faded tapestries reflect","stanza":4,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s4-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Es spiegeln","title":"Placeholder es before real subject","body":"Es spiegeln die Tapeten opens with a dummy es that fills the first position so the true plural subject die Tapeten, 'the tapestries', can follow the verb spiegeln, 'reflect'. The es is not translated and only holds the slot. verblichen means 'faded, discolored', the past participle of verbleichen."},{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Tapeten","title":"An older sense of Tapete","body":"Tapeten is the nominative plural of die Tapete. Today the word means 'wallpaper', but here it keeps an older sense, a cloth wall hanging or tapestry. The tapestries, verblichen, 'faded', are the subject of spiegeln, 'reflect'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Es","lemma":"es","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on spiegeln","gloss":"it","note":"Dummy subject 'es' — the real subject 'die Tapeten' follows the inverted verb; it has no independent meaning and isn't translated."},{"surface":"spiegeln","lemma":"spiegeln","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"reflect"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Tapeten","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"verblichenen","lemma":"verblichen","morphology":"adjective, nominative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Tapeten","gloss":"faded"},{"surface":"Tapeten","lemma":"Tapete","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on spiegeln","gloss":"tapestries"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s4-l2","source":"das ungewisse Licht von Nachmittagen,","translation":"the uncertain light of afternoons","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s4-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ungewisse","title":"Un- negates gewiss","body":"ungewisse is the accusative neuter singular of ungewiss, 'uncertain'. It negates gewiss, 'certain', with the prefix un-. It agrees with Licht, the noun it describes, and von Nachmittagen, 'of afternoons', is dative plural after von."}],"words":[{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Licht","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"ungewisse","lemma":"ungewiss","morphology":"adjective, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Licht","gloss":"uncertain"},{"surface":"Licht","lemma":"Licht","morphology":"noun, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"object of spiegeln","gloss":"light"},{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Licht","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"Nachmittagen","lemma":"Nachmittag","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on von","gloss":"afternoons"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"vor-dem-sommerregen-s4-l3","source":"in denen man sich fürchtete als Kind.","translation":"in which, as a child, one used to be afraid.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-dem-sommerregen-s4-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"in denen","title":"Relative pronoun in dative plural","body":"in denen means 'in which'. denen is the dative plural of the relative pronoun der, governed by in. It refers back to Nachmittagen, afternoons. In this relative clause the finite verb fürchtete stands at the end."},{"kind":"grammar","term":"sich fürchtete","title":"To be afraid","body":"sich fürchten is a reflexive verb meaning 'to be afraid, to feel fear'. The reflexive pronoun sich belongs to the verb and is not translated separately. fürchtete is the simple past, Präteritum, used here for a repeated past habit, 'one used to be afraid'."}],"words":[{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on fürchtete","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"denen","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on in","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"man","lemma":"man","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, singular","role":"depends on fürchtete","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on fürchtete","gloss":"oneself"},{"surface":"fürchtete","lemma":"fürchten","morphology":"verb, past, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"was afraid"},{"surface":"als","lemma":"als","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on fürchtete","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"Kind","lemma":"Kind","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on als","gloss":"child"}]}]}