{"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-ostern","title":{"source":"Vor-Ostern","translated":"Before Easter"},"section":"New Poems: The Other Part","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/vor-ostern","lines":34},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/schwarze-katze","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/rilke/der-balkon","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-ostern-s1-l1","source":"Morgen wird in diesen tiefgekerbten","translation":"Tomorrow, through these deeply furrowed","stanza":1,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s1-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Morgen","title":"Tomorrow, fronted","body":"Morgen here, though capitalized, is an adverb meaning 'tomorrow', not the noun for 'morning'. Fronting it pushes the finite verb wird into second position. The verb and its subject, das Gold, sit far apart, several lines away."},{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"tiefgekerbt","title":"A compound past participle","body":"tiefgekerbt is a compound past participle used as an adjective: tief, 'deep', plus gekerbt, from kerben, 'to notch, carve'. It means 'deeply notched, furrowed', describing the narrow streets."}],"words":[{"surface":"Morgen","lemma":"morgen","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"Tomorrow"},{"surface":"wird","lemma":"werden","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"auxiliary verb (governs rollen)","gloss":"will"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"diesen","lemma":"dieser","morphology":"determiner, dative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Gassen","gloss":"these"},{"surface":"tiefgekerbten","lemma":"tiefgekerbt","morphology":"adjective, dative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Gassen","gloss":"deeply-furrowed"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"vor-ostern-s1-l2","source":"Gassen, die sich durch getürmtes Wohnen","translation":"alleys that, through towering dwellings,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s1-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"getürmtes Wohnen","title":"Housing piled tower-high","body":"getürmt, 'towered, piled up high', from Turm, 'tower', modifies Wohnen, the verb 'to dwell' turned into a neuter noun, 'dwelling'. The phrase means housing piled up tower-high over the lanes."}],"words":[{"surface":"Gassen","lemma":"Gasse","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on in","gloss":"alleys"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, feminine, plural, relative","role":"subject of drängen","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, plural, reflexive","role":"depends on drängen","gloss":"themselves"},{"surface":"durch","lemma":"durch","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on drängen","gloss":"through"},{"surface":"getürmtes","lemma":"getürmt","morphology":"adjective, accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Wohnen","gloss":"towering"},{"surface":"Wohnen","lemma":"wohnen","morphology":"noun (nominalized infinitive), accusative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on durch","gloss":"dwelling"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"vor-ostern-s1-l3","source":"unten dunkel nach dem Hafen drängen,","translation":"press darkly downward toward the harbor;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s1-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"drängen","title":"The verb of the relative clause","body":"drängen, 'to press, crowd, push', is the plural verb of the relative clause begun two lines earlier with die sich. The subject is Gassen, 'alleys', which press downhill nach dem Hafen, 'toward the harbor', with nach taking the dative."}],"words":[{"surface":"unten","lemma":"unten","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on drängen","gloss":"downward"},{"surface":"dunkel","lemma":"dunkel","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on drängen","gloss":"darkly"},{"surface":"nach","lemma":"nach","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on drängen","gloss":"toward"},{"surface":"dem","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Hafen","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Hafen","lemma":"Hafen","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on nach","gloss":"harbor"},{"surface":"drängen","lemma":"drängen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the relative clause","gloss":"press"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"vor-ostern-s1-l4","source":"hell das Gold der Prozessionen rollen;","translation":"the bright gold of the processions will roll;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s1-l4.m4a","notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"hell","lemma":"hell","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on rollen","gloss":"brightly"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Gold","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Gold","lemma":"Gold","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of rollen","gloss":"gold"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, genitive, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Prozessionen","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"Prozessionen","lemma":"Prozession","morphology":"noun, genitive, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Gold","gloss":"processions"},{"surface":"rollen","lemma":"rollen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on wird","gloss":"roll"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"vor-ostern-s1-l5","source":"statt der Fetzen werden die ererbten","translation":"in place of rags, the inherited","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s1-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"statt der Fetzen","title":"statt plus genitive","body":"The preposition statt, 'instead of', governs the genitive: statt der Fetzen means 'instead of the rags'. werden ... hängen is a future construction; the participle ererbten, 'inherited', from erben, 'to inherit', waits for its noun in the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"statt","lemma":"statt","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on werden","gloss":"instead of"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, genitive, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Fetzen","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Fetzen","lemma":"Fetzen","morphology":"noun, genitive, masculine, plural","role":"depends on statt","gloss":"rags"},{"surface":"werden","lemma":"werden","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"auxiliary of hängen (below)","gloss":"will"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on ererbten","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"ererbten","lemma":"ererbt","morphology":"adjective, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Bettbezüge","gloss":"inherited"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"vor-ostern-s1-l6","source":"Bettbezüge, welche wehen wollen,","translation":"bed-linens, which long to billow,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s1-l6.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"wehen wollen","title":"Wanting to billow","body":"wehen means 'to blow, flutter, wave', as of cloth in the wind; wollen here lends intention, so welche wehen wollen means 'which want to flutter'. welche is a more formal relative pronoun, interchangeable with die."}],"words":[{"surface":"Bettbezüge","lemma":"Bettbezug","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"subject of hängen","gloss":"bed-linens"},{"surface":"welche","lemma":"welcher","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, masculine, plural, relative","role":"subject of wollen","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"wehen","lemma":"wehen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on wollen","gloss":"billow"},{"surface":"wollen","lemma":"wollen","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the relative clause","gloss":"long to"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"vor-ostern-s1-l7","source":"von den immer höheren Balkonen","translation":"from the balconies, each higher than the last","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s1-l7.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"immer höheren","title":"immer plus comparative","body":"immer before a comparative means 'ever more, increasingly': immer höher means 'higher and higher'. den immer höheren Balkonen is dative plural after von, 'from the ever-higher balconies'."}],"words":[{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on hängen","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Balkonen","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"immer","lemma":"immer","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on höheren","gloss":"ever"},{"surface":"höheren","lemma":"hoch","morphology":"adjective, dative, masculine, plural, comparative","role":"depends on Balkonen","gloss":"higher"},{"surface":"Balkonen","lemma":"Balkon","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on von","gloss":"balconies"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"vor-ostern-s1-l8","source":"(wie in Fließendem gespiegelt) hängen.","translation":"(as if mirrored in flowing water) will hang.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s1-l8.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"in Fließendem","title":"Adjective used as a noun","body":"fließend, 'flowing', is used here as a neuter noun, das Fließende, 'that which flows', declined in the dative after in: in Fließendem means 'in something flowing'. hängen is the main verb the sentence has been holding for since several lines earlier."}],"words":[{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on gespiegelt","gloss":"as if"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on gespiegelt","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"Fließendem","lemma":"fließend","morphology":"noun (nominalized adjective), dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"flowing water","note":"Nominalized adjective: 'in Fließendem' = 'in something flowing', i.e. flowing water, left implicit."},{"surface":"gespiegelt","lemma":"spiegeln","morphology":"verb, past participle","role":"depends on hängen","gloss":"mirrored"},{"surface":"hängen","lemma":"hängen","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"depends on werden","gloss":"hang"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"vor-ostern-s2-l1","source":"Aber heute hämmert an den Klopfern","translation":"But today, on the door-knockers, hammers","stanza":2,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s2-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Klopfer","title":"The door-knocker","body":"der Klopfer means 'door-knocker', from klopfen, 'to knock'. hämmern an plus dative means 'to hammer at'. The verb hämmert stands before its subject, ein voll Bepackter, which arrives in the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"Aber","lemma":"aber","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on hämmert","gloss":"But"},{"surface":"heute","lemma":"heute","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on hämmert","gloss":"today"},{"surface":"hämmert","lemma":"hämmern","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"hammers"},{"surface":"an","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on hämmert","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Klopfern","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Klopfern","lemma":"Klopfer","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on an","gloss":"door-knockers"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"vor-ostern-s2-l2","source":"jeden Augenblick ein voll Bepackter,","translation":"at every moment someone fully laden,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s2-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"ein voll Bepackter","title":"Participle as noun","body":"bepackt, 'laden, loaded up', past participle of bepacken, is used here as a masculine noun: 'a laden one'. voll means 'fully'. jeden Augenblick is an accusative of time, 'at every moment'."}],"words":[{"surface":"jeden","lemma":"jeder","morphology":"determiner, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Augenblick","gloss":"every"},{"surface":"Augenblick","lemma":"Augenblick","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on hämmert","gloss":"moment"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Bepackter","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"voll","lemma":"voll","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Bepackter","gloss":"fully"},{"surface":"Bepackter","lemma":"bepackt","morphology":"noun (nominalized adjective), nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of hämmert","gloss":"laden man"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"vor-ostern-s2-l3","source":"und sie schleppen immer neue Käufe;","translation":"and they drag ever-new purchases along;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s2-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"schleppen","title":"To drag, lug, haul","body":"schleppen means 'to drag, lug, haul' something heavy. immer neue Käufe means 'ever-new purchases'; der Kauf, plural Käufe, is 'a purchase', from kaufen, 'to buy'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on schleppen","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"sie","lemma":"sie","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"subject of schleppen","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"schleppen","lemma":"schleppen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"drag"},{"surface":"immer","lemma":"immer","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on neue","gloss":"ever"},{"surface":"neue","lemma":"neu","morphology":"adjective, accusative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Käufe","gloss":"new"},{"surface":"Käufe","lemma":"Kauf","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on schleppen","gloss":"purchases"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"vor-ostern-s2-l4","source":"dennoch stehen strotzend noch die Stände.","translation":"and yet the stalls still stand there, bursting full.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s2-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"strotzend","title":"Overflowing, crammed full","body":"strotzen (vor) means 'to be bursting, brimming with'. The present participle strotzend means 'overflowing, crammed full'. die Stände, singular der Stand, are market stalls; dennoch means 'and yet, nevertheless'."}],"words":[{"surface":"dennoch","lemma":"dennoch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on stehen","gloss":"yet"},{"surface":"stehen","lemma":"stehen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stand"},{"surface":"strotzend","lemma":"strotzend","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on stehen","gloss":"bursting full"},{"surface":"noch","lemma":"noch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on stehen","gloss":"still"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Stände","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Stände","lemma":"Stand","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"subject of stehen","gloss":"stalls"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"vor-ostern-s2-l5","source":"An der Ecke zeigt ein aufgehackter","translation":"On the corner, a hacked-open","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s2-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"aufgehackt","title":"Hacked open, split open","body":"aufgehackt is the past participle of the separable verb aufhacken, auf- plus hacken, 'to hack or chop open'. As an adjective it means 'hacked open, split open', modifying Ochse, 'ox', in the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"An","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on zeigt","gloss":"On"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Ecke","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Ecke","lemma":"Ecke","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on An","gloss":"corner"},{"surface":"zeigt","lemma":"zeigen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"displays"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on aufgehackter","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"aufgehackter","lemma":"aufgehackt","morphology":"adjective, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Ochse","gloss":"hacked-open"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"vor-ostern-s2-l6","source":"Ochse seine frischen Innenwände,","translation":"ox displays its fresh inner walls,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s2-l6.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Innenwände","title":"An architectural term, transferred","body":"die Innenwand, plural Innenwände, means 'inner wall(s)', normally an architectural term. zeigt, 'shows, displays', from the previous line, takes Innenwände as its object, agreeing in the accusative feminine plural."}],"words":[{"surface":"Ochse","lemma":"Ochse","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of zeigt","gloss":"ox"},{"surface":"seine","lemma":"sein","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Innenwände","gloss":"its"},{"surface":"frischen","lemma":"frisch","morphology":"adjective, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Innenwände","gloss":"fresh"},{"surface":"Innenwände","lemma":"Innenwand","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on zeigt","gloss":"inner walls"}]},{"number":15,"label":"15","id":"vor-ostern-s2-l7","source":"und in Fähnchen enden alle Läufe.","translation":"and all the legs end in little flags.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s2-l7.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Fähnchen","title":"The diminutive suffix","body":"das Fähnchen is the diminutive of die Fahne, 'flag': 'little flag'. der Lauf, plural Läufe, is the hunter's and butcher's word for an animal's leg. The -chen suffix always makes a noun neuter."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on enden","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on enden","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"Fähnchen","lemma":"Fähnchen","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on in","gloss":"little flags"},{"surface":"enden","lemma":"enden","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"end"},{"surface":"alle","lemma":"aller","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Läufe","gloss":"all"},{"surface":"Läufe","lemma":"Lauf","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"subject of enden","gloss":"legs","note":"'Lauf' is a hunting term for an animal's leg here, not 'a run/course'."}]},{"number":16,"label":"16","id":"vor-ostern-s2-l8","source":"Und ein Vorrat wie von tausend Opfern","translation":"And a hoard as if from a thousand sacrifices","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s2-l8.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ein Vorrat wie von tausend Opfern","title":"Vorrat and Opfer","body":"der Vorrat means 'store, stock, hoard'. das Opfer means both 'sacrifice' and 'victim'; von tausend Opfern means 'from a thousand sacrifices'. The clause runs on across the stanza break, its verbs arriving only in the next stanza."}],"words":[{"surface":"Und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on drängt","gloss":"And"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Vorrat","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"Vorrat","lemma":"Vorrat","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of drängt","gloss":"hoard"},{"surface":"wie","lemma":"wie","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on von","gloss":"as if"},{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Vorrat","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"tausend","lemma":"tausend","morphology":"numeral","role":"depends on Opfern","gloss":"a thousand"},{"surface":"Opfern","lemma":"Opfer","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on von","gloss":"sacrifices"}]},{"number":17,"label":"17","id":"vor-ostern-s3-l1","source":"drängt auf Bänken, hängt sich rings um Pflöcke,","translation":"crowds onto benches, slings itself round pegs,","stanza":3,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s3-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"rings um Pflöcke","title":"rings um plus accusative","body":"rings um means 'all around, round about' and takes the accusative: rings um Pflöcke means 'all around the pegs'. der Pflock, plural Pflöcke, means 'peg, stake'. drängt and hängt sich complete the sentence begun in the previous stanza."}],"words":[{"surface":"drängt","lemma":"drängen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"crowds"},{"surface":"auf","lemma":"auf","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on drängt","gloss":"onto"},{"surface":"Bänken","lemma":"Bank","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on auf","gloss":"benches"},{"surface":"hängt","lemma":"hängen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on drängt","gloss":"hangs"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on hängt","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"rings","lemma":"rings","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on hängt","gloss":"round"},{"surface":"um","lemma":"um","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on hängt","gloss":"around"},{"surface":"Pflöcke","lemma":"Pflock","morphology":"noun, accusative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on um","gloss":"pegs"}]},{"number":18,"label":"18","id":"vor-ostern-s3-l2","source":"zwängt sich, wölbt sich, wälzt sich aus dem Dämmer","translation":"squeezes, bulges, heaves itself out of the gloom","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s3-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"zwängt sich, wölbt sich, wälzt sich","title":"Three reflexive verbs in a row","body":"Each verb here takes sich: sich zwängen, 'to squeeze, force one's way'; sich wölben, 'to arch, bulge'; sich wälzen, 'to roll, heave'. aus dem Dämmer, aus plus dative, means 'out of the twilight, gloom'."}],"words":[{"surface":"zwängt","lemma":"zwängen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on drängt","gloss":"squeezes"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on zwängt","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"wölbt","lemma":"wölben","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on zwängt","gloss":"bulges"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on wölbt","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"wälzt","lemma":"wälzen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on wölbt","gloss":"heaves"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on wälzt","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on wälzt","gloss":"out of"},{"surface":"dem","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Dämmer","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Dämmer","lemma":"Dämmer","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on aus","gloss":"gloom"}]},{"number":19,"label":"19","id":"vor-ostern-s3-l3","source":"aller Türen, und vor dem Gegähne","translation":"of all the doors, and before the gaping","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s3-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Gegähne","title":"The Ge-...-e collective","body":"Gegähne is a coinage on gähnen, 'to yawn, to gape'. The pattern Ge-...-e forms a neuter noun for a continuous, repeated action, here the ongoing 'gaping' of the split-open melons named in the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"aller","lemma":"aller","morphology":"determiner, genitive, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Türen","gloss":"of all"},{"surface":"Türen","lemma":"Tür","morphology":"noun, genitive, feminine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"doors"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on Türen","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"vor","lemma":"vor","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on und","gloss":"before"},{"surface":"dem","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Gegähne","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Gegähne","lemma":"Gegähne","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on vor","gloss":"gaping"}]},{"number":20,"label":"20","id":"vor-ostern-s3-l4","source":"der Melonen strecken sich die Brote.","translation":"of the melons the loaves stretch themselves out.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s3-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"strecken sich die Brote","title":"Inversion before the subject","body":"The fronted phrase vor dem Gegähne der Melonen, 'before the gaping of the melons', puts the verb strecken sich before its subject, die Brote, 'the loaves'. sich strecken means 'to stretch out, extend oneself'. das Brot, plural Brote, means 'loaf, loaves'."}],"words":[{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, genitive, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Melonen","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"Melonen","lemma":"Melone","morphology":"noun, genitive, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Gegähne","gloss":"melons","note":"'vor dem Gegähne der Melonen' = 'before the gaping of the melons' (the melons split open like yawning mouths at the market stall); the genitive 'der Melonen' attaches to 'Gegähne' in the previous line, not to 'Brote' two words later. The translation keeps melons and loaves as two separate items ('of the melons the loaves stretch themselves out'), so 'melon-shaped loaves' is an invented reading not supported by the text."},{"surface":"strecken","lemma":"strecken","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stretch out"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, plural, reflexive","role":"depends on strecken","gloss":"themselves"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Brote","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Brote","lemma":"Brot","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on strecken","gloss":"loaves"}]},{"number":21,"label":"21","id":"vor-ostern-s3-l5","source":"Voller Gier und Handlung ist das Tote;","translation":"Full of greed and bustle is the dead;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s3-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"das Tote","title":"Adjective used as a noun","body":"tot, 'dead', is made here into a neuter noun: das Tote, 'that which is dead'. The line inverts for emphasis, putting the predicate first: 'Full of Gier und Handlung, greed and bustle, is the dead'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Voller","lemma":"voller","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on ist","gloss":"full of"},{"surface":"Gier","lemma":"Gier","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Voller","gloss":"greed"},{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on Gier","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"Handlung","lemma":"Handlung","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on und","gloss":"bustle"},{"surface":"ist","lemma":"sein","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Tote","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Tote","lemma":"Tote","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of ist","gloss":"dead"}]},{"number":22,"label":"22","id":"vor-ostern-s3-l6","source":"doch viel stiller sind die jungen Hähne","translation":"yet far quieter are the young cockerels","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s3-l6.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"viel stiller","title":"viel plus comparative","body":"viel before a comparative intensifies it: viel stiller means 'much quieter'. doch means 'yet, but'. der Hahn, plural Hähne, means 'rooster, cockerel', the subject of sind."}],"words":[{"surface":"doch","lemma":"doch","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on sind","gloss":"yet"},{"surface":"viel","lemma":"viel","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on stiller","gloss":"far"},{"surface":"stiller","lemma":"still","morphology":"adjective, comparative","role":"depends on sind","gloss":"quieter"},{"surface":"sind","lemma":"sein","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"are"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Hähne","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"jungen","lemma":"jung","morphology":"adjective, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Hähne","gloss":"young"},{"surface":"Hähne","lemma":"Hahn","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"subject of sind","gloss":"cockerels"}]},{"number":23,"label":"23","id":"vor-ostern-s3-l7","source":"und die abgehängten Ziegenböcke","translation":"and the hung-up billy-goats","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s3-l7.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"abgehängte Ziegenböcke","title":"abgehängt and Ziegenbock","body":"abgehängt is the participle of the separable verb abhängen, 'to take down, to hang off', and of meat, 'to hang to age'. der Ziegenbock means 'billy-goat', from Ziege, 'goat', and Bock, 'male'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Ziegenböcke","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"abgehängten","lemma":"abgehängt","morphology":"adjective, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Ziegenböcke","gloss":"hung-up"},{"surface":"Ziegenböcke","lemma":"Ziegenbock","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on und","gloss":"billy-goats"}]},{"number":24,"label":"24","id":"vor-ostern-s3-l8","source":"und am allerleisesten die Lämmer,","translation":"and quietest of all the lambs,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s3-l8.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"am allerleisesten","title":"The absolute superlative","body":"am leisesten is the superlative of leise, 'quiet, soft', meaning 'most quiet'. The prefix aller- pushes it to the absolute extreme: am allerleisesten means 'quietest of all', describing die Lämmer, 'the lambs'."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"am","lemma":"an","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on sind","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"allerleisesten","lemma":"leise","morphology":"adjective, superlative","role":"depends on am","gloss":"quietest of all","note":"am allerleisesten = superlative construction, 'quietest of all' (aller- intensifies leisest)."},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Lämmer","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Lämmer","lemma":"Lamm","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, plural","role":"subject of sind","gloss":"lambs"}]},{"number":25,"label":"25","id":"vor-ostern-s4-l1","source":"die die Knaben um die Schultern nehmen","translation":"which the boys take up around their shoulders","stanza":4,"audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s4-l1.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"die die Knaben","title":"Relative pronoun plus subject","body":"The first die is the relative pronoun, accusative, referring back to die Lämmer, 'the lambs'; the second die is the article of the subject die Knaben, 'the boys'. The relative clause sends its verb, nehmen, to the end. der Knabe means 'boy, lad'."}],"words":[{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, plural","role":"depends on nehmen","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Knaben","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Knaben","lemma":"Knabe","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, plural","role":"subject of nehmen","gloss":"boys"},{"surface":"um","lemma":"um","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on nehmen","gloss":"around"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on Schultern","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Schultern","lemma":"Schulter","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on um","gloss":"shoulders"},{"surface":"nehmen","lemma":"nehmen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the relative clause","gloss":"take"}]},{"number":26,"label":"26","id":"vor-ostern-s4-l2","source":"und die willig von den Schritten nicken;","translation":"and which nod willingly with each step;","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s4-l2.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"willig","title":"Willing, compliant","body":"willig means 'willing, compliant, docile'. von den Schritten nicken means the lambs' heads 'nod from the steps', jolted into a nod by the boys' stride."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"subject of nicken","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"willig","lemma":"willig","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on nicken","gloss":"willingly"},{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on nicken","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on Schritten","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Schritten","lemma":"Schritt","morphology":"noun, dative, masculine, plural","role":"depends on von","gloss":"steps"},{"surface":"nicken","lemma":"nicken","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the relative clause","gloss":"nod"}]},{"number":27,"label":"27","id":"vor-ostern-s4-l3","source":"während in der Mauer der verglasten","translation":"while, set in the wall, the brooch of the glass-cased","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s4-l3.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"während","title":"A conjunction that delays the verb","body":"während, 'while, whereas', is a subordinating conjunction: it sends the finite verb, schimmert, to the very end of its clause, four lines later. verglast, 'glazed, glass-cased', from Glas, agrees with spanischen Madonna, named in the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"während","lemma":"während","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on schimmert","gloss":"while"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Mauer","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Mauer","lemma":"Mauer","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"wall"},{"surface":"der","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, genitive, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Madonna","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"verglasten","lemma":"verglast","morphology":"adjective, genitive, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Madonna","gloss":"glass-cased"}]},{"number":28,"label":"28","id":"vor-ostern-s4-l4","source":"spanischen Madonna die Agraffe","translation":"Spanish Madonna, and the silver","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s4-l4.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Agraffe","title":"A jeweled clasp","body":"die Agraffe, from French agrafe, means an ornamental clasp or brooch, the jeweled fastening of a cloak. It is one subject of schimmert several lines later. der spanischen Madonna is genitive, 'the Spanish Madonna's clasp'."}],"words":[{"surface":"spanischen","lemma":"spanisch","morphology":"adjective, genitive, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Madonna","gloss":"Spanish"},{"surface":"Madonna","lemma":"Madonna","morphology":"proper noun, genitive, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Agraffe","gloss":"Madonna"},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on Agraffe","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Agraffe","lemma":"Agraffe","morphology":"noun, nominative, feminine, singular","role":"subject of schimmert","gloss":"brooch"}]},{"number":29,"label":"29","id":"vor-ostern-s4-l5","source":"und das Silber in den Diademen","translation":"in the diadems","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s4-l5.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Diademen","title":"Diadem","body":"das Diadem, plural Diademe, means 'diadem, jeweled crown'. das Silber in den Diademen means 'the silver in the diadems', the second subject of schimmert. in den Diademen is dative plural after in."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"das","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Silber","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Silber","lemma":"Silber","morphology":"noun, nominative, neuter, singular","role":"subject of schimmert","gloss":"silver"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on Silber","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"den","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on Diademen","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Diademen","lemma":"Diadem","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, plural","role":"depends on in","gloss":"diadems"}]},{"number":30,"label":"30","id":"vor-ostern-s4-l6","source":"von dem Lichter-Vorgefühl beglänzter","translation":"gleams the brighter with the foretaste of candlelight","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s4-l6.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Lichter-Vorgefühl","title":"A foretaste of candlelight","body":"das Vorgefühl means 'presentiment, foretaste'; Lichter is the plural of Licht, 'light, candle', giving 'a foretaste of the candles'. beglänzter is a comparative built on beglänzt, 'lit up, made to shine', from Glanz, 'sheen'."}],"words":[{"surface":"von","lemma":"von","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on beglänzter","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"dem","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Lichter-Vorgefühl","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Lichter-Vorgefühl","lemma":"Lichter-Vorgefühl","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on von","gloss":"foretaste of candlelight"},{"surface":"beglänzter","lemma":"beglänzt","morphology":"adjective, comparative","role":"depends on schimmert","gloss":"more brightly gleaming"}]},{"number":31,"label":"31","id":"vor-ostern-s4-l7","source":"schimmert. Aber drüber in dem Fenster","translation":"shimmers. But above, in the window,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s4-l7.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"schimmert","title":"The long-delayed verb","body":"schimmern means 'to shimmer, glimmer'. This single verb closes the während-clause begun four lines earlier, gathering its subjects across that span. drüber equals darüber, 'above it'; a new sentence starts mid-line with Aber, 'but'."}],"words":[{"surface":"schimmert","lemma":"schimmern","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"shimmers"},{"surface":"Aber","lemma":"aber","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on zeigt","gloss":"but"},{"surface":"drüber","lemma":"drüber","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on in","gloss":"up above"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"dem","lemma":"der","morphology":"determiner, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on Fenster","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Fenster","lemma":"Fenster","morphology":"noun, dative, neuter, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"window"}]},{"number":32,"label":"32","id":"vor-ostern-s4-l8","source":"zeigt sich blickverschwenderisch ein Affe","translation":"an ape shows itself off, squandering every glance,","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s4-l8.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"blickverschwenderisch","title":"A Rilke coinage","body":"blickverschwenderisch joins Blick, 'glance, look', with verschwenderisch, 'lavish, prodigal', from verschwenden, 'to squander'. It means 'prodigal with glances'. zeigt sich, from sich zeigen, means 'to show oneself, to appear'."}],"words":[{"surface":"zeigt","lemma":"zeigen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"shows"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on zeigt","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"blickverschwenderisch","lemma":"blickverschwenderisch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on zeigt","gloss":"squandering glances"},{"surface":"ein","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Affe","gloss":"an"},{"surface":"Affe","lemma":"Affe","morphology":"noun, nominative, masculine, singular","role":"subject of zeigt","gloss":"ape"}]},{"number":33,"label":"33","id":"vor-ostern-s4-l9","source":"und führt rasch in einer angemaßten","translation":"and swiftly, in a presumptuous","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s4-l9.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"angemaßt","title":"Presumptuous, put-on","body":"angemaßt is the participle of sich etwas anmaßen, 'to arrogate, presume, lay false claim to something'. As an adjective it means 'presumptuous, put-on'. führt ... aus is the separable verb ausführen, 'to perform, carry out', split across two lines."}],"words":[{"surface":"und","lemma":"und","morphology":"conjunction","role":"depends on führt","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"führt","lemma":"ausführen","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"performs","note":"Separable verb ausführen ('to perform, carry out'): führt (here) ... aus (end of next line)."},{"surface":"rasch","lemma":"rasch","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on führt","gloss":"swiftly"},{"surface":"in","lemma":"in","morphology":"preposition","role":"depends on führt","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"einer","lemma":"ein","morphology":"determiner, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on angemaßten","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"angemaßten","lemma":"angemaßt","morphology":"adjective, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"presumptuous"}]},{"number":34,"label":"34","id":"vor-ostern-s4-l10","source":"Haltung Gesten aus, die sich nicht schicken.","translation":"posture performs gestures that are unbecoming.","audio":"https://audio.1732studios.com/rilke/vor-ostern-s4-l10.m4a","notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"die sich nicht schicken","title":"To be fitting","body":"sich schicken means 'to be seemly, proper, becoming': das schickt sich nicht means 'that is not done'. die sich nicht schicken means 'that are unbecoming'. Here the separable aus of ausführen finally lands, closing the clause begun two lines earlier."}],"words":[{"surface":"Haltung","lemma":"Haltung","morphology":"noun, dative, feminine, singular","role":"depends on in","gloss":"posture"},{"surface":"Gesten","lemma":"Geste","morphology":"noun, accusative, feminine, plural","role":"depends on führt","gloss":"gestures"},{"surface":"aus","lemma":"aus","morphology":"separable verb prefix","role":"depends on führt","gloss":"out","note":"Completes ausführen ('to perform, carry out') begun with führt at the start of the previous line."},{"surface":"die","lemma":"der","morphology":"pronoun, nominative, plural","role":"depends on schicken","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"sich","lemma":"sich","morphology":"pronoun, accusative, plural, reflexive","role":"depends on schicken","gloss":"themselves"},{"surface":"nicht","lemma":"nicht","morphology":"particle","role":"depends on schicken","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"schicken","lemma":"schicken","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"main verb of the relative clause","gloss":"are fitting","note":"sich schicken is idiomatic for 'to be proper/becoming'; with nicht, 'unbecoming'."}]}]}