New Poems (1907–1908) represented a departure for Rilke from the traditional German lyric poetry of which he was then considered a master. Apparent in the poems is the influence of Rodin--for whom Rilke had worked—as well as other visual artists, including Hokusai, Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Picasso. Rilke forced language to extremes of subtlety and refinement that only now, in Stephen Cohn's translations, is being captured properly in English.
Introduction by John Bayley
Neue Gedichte 1
Early Apollo Früher Apollo
A Girl's Lament Mädchen-Klage
Love Song Liebes-Lied
Eranna to Sappho Eranna an Sappho
Sappho to Alcaeus Sappho an Alkaïos
Epitaph for a Young Girl Grabmal eines jungen Mädchens
Offering Opfer
Oriental Aubade Östliches Tagleid
Abishag Abisag
David Sings before Saul David singt vor Saul
Joshua's Ordinance Josuas Landtag
The Departure of the Prodigal Son Der Auszug des verlorenen Sohnes
The Garden of Olives Der Ölbaum-Garten
Pietà Pietà
The Woman Sing to the Poet Gesang der Frauen an den Dichter
The Poet's Death Der Tod des Dichters
Buddha Buddha (Als ob er horchte)
L'Ange du Méridien L'Ange du Méridien
The Cathedral Die Kathedrale
The Cathedral Porch Das Portal
The Rose Window Die Fensterrose
The Capital Das Kapitäl
God in the Middle Ages Gott im Mittlealter
Morgue Morgue
The Captive Der Gefangene
The Panther Der Panther
The Gazelle Die Gazelle
The Unicorn Das Einhorn
Saint Sebastian Sankt Sebastian
The Donor Der Stifter
The Angel Der Engel
Roman Sarcophagi Römische Sarkophage
The Swan Der Schwan
Childhood Kindheit
The Poet Der Dichter
The Lacemaker Die Spitze
A Woman's Fate Ein Frauen-Schicksal
The Convalescent Die Genesende
Growing Up Die Erwachsene
Tanagra Tanagra
Going Blind Die Drblindende
In a Foreign Park In einem fremden Park
Parting Abschied
Experience of Death Todes-Erfahrung
Blue Hydrangea Blaue Hortensie
Before Summer Rain Vor dem Sommerregen
In the Drawing-Room Im Saal
The Last Evening Letzter Abend
Portrait of My Father as a Young Man Jugend-Bildnis meines Vaters
Self-Portrait, 1906 Selbstbildnis aus dem Jahre 1906
The King Der König
Reawakening Auferstehung
The Standard-Bearer Der Fahnenträger
The Last of the Counts of Brederode Avoids Capture by the Turks Der letzte Graf von Brederode entzieht sich türkischer Gefangenschaft
The Courtesan Die Kurtisane
The Orangery Steps Die Treppe der Orangerie
The Marble-Wagon Der Marmor-Karren
Buddha Buddha (Schon von ferne)
Roman Fountain Römische Fontäne
The Merry-Go-Round Das Karussell
Spanish Dancer Spanische Tänzerin
The Tower Der Turm
The Town Square Der Platz
Quai du Rosaire Quai du Rosaire
Béguinage Béguinage
The Procession of the Virgin Mary Die Marien-Prozession
Is Saul Also among the Prophets Saul unter den Propheten
Samuel Appears before Saul Samuels Erscheinung vor Saul
A Prophet Ein Prophet
Jeremiah Jeremia
A Sibyl Eine Sybille
The Fall of Absolom Absoloms Abfall
Esther Esther
The Leper King Der aussätzige König
The Legend of the Three Living and the Three Dead Men Legende von den drei Lebendigen und den drei Toten
The King of Münster Der König von Münster
Danse Macabre Toten-Tanz
The Last Judgment Das Jüngste Gericht
The Temptation Die Versuchung
The Alchemist Der Alchimist
The Reliquary Das Reliquienschrein
Gold Das Gold
The Stylite Der Stylit
The Egyptian Mary Die ägyptische Maria
Crucifixion Kreuzigung
Resurrection Der Auferstandene
Magnificat Magnificat
Adam Adam
Eve Eva
The Asylum Garden Irre im Garten
Madness Die Irren
From the Life of a Saint Aus dem Leben eines Heiligen
The Beggars Die Bettler
Family of Strangers Fremde Familie
Washing the Corpse Leichen-Wäsche
One of the Old Women Eine von den Alten
The Blind Man Der Blinde
A Faded Lady Eine Welke
At Supper Abendmahl
After the Fire Die Brandstätte
The Group Die Gruppe
Snake-Charmer Schlangen-Beschwörung
Black Cat Schwarze Katze
Easter Market Vor-Ostern
The Balcony Der Balkon
Emigrant Ship Auswanderer-Schiff
Townscape Landschaft
Roman Campagna Römische Campagna
Song of the Sea Lied vom Meer
Night Drive Nächtliche Fahrt
The Parrot House Papageien-Park
The Royal Parks Die Parke
Portrait Bildnis
Venetian Morning Venezianischer Morgen
Late Autumn in Venice Spätherbst in Venedig
San Marco San Marco
The Doge Ein Doge
The Lute Die Laute
The Adventurer Der Abenteurer
Falconry Falken-Beize
Corrida Corrida
Don Juan's Childhood Don Juans Kindheit
Don Juan's Choice Don Juans Auswahl
Saint George Sankt Georg
Lady on a Balcony Dame auf einem Balkon
Encounter in the Avenue of Chestnuts Begegnung in der Kastanien-Allee
The Sisters Die Schwestern
Piano Practice Übung am Klavier
The Woman in Love Die Liebende
The Heart of the Rose Das-Rosen-Innere
Portrait of a Lady of the Eighteen-Eighties Damen-Bildnis aus den Achtziger-Jahren
Lady at her Mirror Dame vor dem Spiegel
The Old Woman Die Greisin
The Bed Das Bett
The Stranger Der Fremde
The Arrival Die Anfahrt
The Sundial Die Sonnenuhr
Opium Poppy Schlaf-Mohn
The Flamingos Die Flamingos
Persian Heliotrope Persisches Heliotrop
Lullaby Schlaflied
The Pavillion Der Pavillion
The Abduction Die Entführung
Pink Hydrangea Rosa Hortensie
The Coat-of-Arms Das Wappen
The Bachelor Der Junggeselle
The Solitary Der Einsame
The Reader Der Leser
The Apple Orchard Der Apfelgarten
The Summons Die Berufung
The Mountain Der Berg
The Ball Der Ball
The Child Das Kind
The Dog Der Hund
The Scarab Der Käferstein
Buddha in Glory Buddha in der Glorie
Notes Index of English Titles Index of German Titles
RAINER MARIA RILKE (1875–1926) was a Bohemian–Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language. His haunting images focus on the difficulty of communion with the ineffable in an age of disbelief, solitude, and profound anxiety: themes that tend to position him as a transitional figure between the traditional and the modernist poets.
STEPHEN COHN is a distinguished artist and teacher.
"Certainly Rilke has never 'moved' so naturally into another language as he seems to do [here]. The thing has a deceptive ease about it, as with all really remarkable achievements in the translation of poetry. Instead of feeling, as Robert Frost famously said, that poetry is what gets lost when a poem is translated, we feel that not only has Rilke emerged in English with his personality unaltered, but that something new has been added to English poetry itself." —John Bayley, from the introduction
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