RAINER MARIA RILKE
DIE ACHTE ELEGIE

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Rudolph Kaßner zugeeignet

MIT allen Augen sieht die Kreatur
With all its eyes the creature sees
das Offene. [1] Nur unsre Augen sind
into the great open spaces. Only our eyes are
wie umgekehrt und ganz um sie gestellt
as turned around and placed like traps around it,
als Fallen, rings um ihren freien Ausgang.
surrounding its free exit.
Was draußen ist, wir wissens [2] aus des Tiers
What is out there, we know only from the animal's
Antlitz [3] allein; denn schon das frühe Kind
visage; for we already turn the young child
wenden wir um und zwingens, daß es rückwärts
around and insist that he look backwards
Gestaltung sehe, [4] nicht das Offne, [5] das
at figuration, not at the openness,
im Tiergesicht so tief ist. Frei von Tod. [6]
which is so deep in the animal's face. Free from death.
Ihn [7] sehen wir allein; das freie Tier
We see nothing but death; the free animal
hat seinen Untergang stets hinter sich
always has its decline behind itself
und vor sich Gott, und wenn es geht, so gehts
and before itself God, and when it goes, it goes
in Ewigkeit, so wie die Brunnen gehen.
into eternity, just as the fountains go.
Wir haben nie, nicht einen einzigen Tag, [8]
We never have, not for a single day,
den reinen Raum vor uns, in den [9] die Blumen
pure space before us, into which the flowers
unendlich aufgehn. Immer ist es Welt
unendingly open up. Always it is the world
und niemals Nirgends ohne Nicht: [10]
and never nowhereness without no-ness:
das Reine, Unüberwachte, das man atmet und
that which is pure, the unwatched-over, which one breathes and
unendlich w e i ß und nicht begehrt. [11] Als Kind
endlessly knows and does not covet. As a child
verliert sich eins im stilln an dies [12] und wird
one loses oneself in the stillness to this and becomes
gerüttelt. Oder jener [13] stirbt und i s t s [14].
rattled. Or that one dies and i s it.
Denn nah am Tod sieht man den Tod nicht mehr
For near to death, one no longer sees death
und starrt hinaus, vielleicht mit großem Tierblick.
and stares outward, perhaps with a great animal gaze.
Liebende, wäre [15] nicht der andre, [16] der
Lovers, were not the other there, who
die Sicht verstellt, sind nah daran [17] und staunen . . .
distorts the visibility, are near to it and are astonished. . .
Wie aus Versehn ist ihnen aufgetan [18]
As by mistake it has been disclosed to them
hinter dem andern . . . Aber über ihn [19]
behind the other . . . But no one gets
kommt keiner fort, und wieder wird [20] ihm Welt.
beyond it, and again it becomes world to him.
Der Schöpfung immer zugewendet, [21] sehn
Always turned toward creation, we see
wir nur auf ihr die Spiegelung des Frei'n, [22]
only upon it the reflection of that which is free,
von uns verdunkelt. [23] Oder daß ein Tier,
darkened by us. Or that an animal,
ein stummes, [24] aufschaut, [25] ruhig durch uns durch. [26]
a dumb one, looks up, calmly through and through us.
Dieses heißt Schicksal: gegenüber sein
That is what fate means: to be opposite one another
und nichts als das und immer gegenüber. [27]
and nothing more than that and always opposite.

Wäre [28] Bewußtheit unsrer Art in dem
If consciousness of our kind were in
sicheren Tier, das uns entgegenzieht
the self-assured animal, which draws towards us
in anderer Richtung --, [29] riß [30] es uns herum [31]
in another direction--, it would rip us around to
mit seinem Wandel. Doch sein Sein ist ihm
its way of wandering. Yet for it, its being is
unendlich, ungefaßt und ohne Blick
unending, ungrasped and without regard to
auf seinen Zustand, rein, so wie sein Ausblick.
its condition, pure as its outward gaze.
Und wo wir Zukunft sehn, dort sieht es alles
And where we see future, there it sees everything
und sich in Allem und geheilt [32] für immer.
and itself in everything and healed forever.
Und doch ist in dem wachsam warmen Tier
And yet there is in the vigilant warm animal
Gewicht und Sorge einer großen Schwermut.
the weight and worry of a great melancholy.
Denn ihm auch haftet immer an, was uns
For it also harbors constantly what
oft überwältigt, -- die Erinnerung, [33]
often overwhelms us--memory,
als sei schon einmal das, wonach man drängt,
as if already that, after which one is striving,
näher gewesen, [34] treuer und sein Anschluß
were nearer, more faithful and its accession
unendlich zärtlich. [35] Hier ist alles Abstand,
unendingly tender. Here everything is distance
und dort wars Atem. Nach der ersten Heimat
and there it was breath. After the first home
ist ihm die zweite zwitterig [36] und windig.
its second one is schismatic and windy.
O Seligkeit der k l e i n e n [37] Kreatur,
O bliss of the s m a l l creature,
die immer b l e i b t [38] im Schooße, [39] der sie austrug;
which always r e m a i n s in the womb, which bore it outward;
Oh Glück der Mücke, die noch i n n e n [40] hüpft,
Oh happiness of the mosquito, which hops yet i n w a r d l y,
selbst wenn sie Hochzeit hat: denn Schooß ist Alles.
even when it has its nuptials: for womb is everything.

Und sieh die halbe Sicherheit des Vogels,
And see the half assurance of the bird,
der beinah beides [41] weiß [42] aus seinem Ursprung,
which almost knows both homes from its origin,
als wär [43] er eine Seele der Etrusker,
as if it were an Etruscan soul,
aus einem Toten, den ein Raum empfing,
coming from a corpse, whom a space received,
doch mit der ruhenden Figur als Deckel. [44]
yet with the his reclining figure as a cover.
Und wie bestürzt ist eins, [45] das fliegen muß
And how overwhelmed is one, who must fly
und stammt aus einem Schooß. [46] Wie vor sich selbst
and comes from a womb. As if of itself
erschreckt, durchzuckts die Luft, wie wenn ein Sprung
frightened, it zigzags through the air, as when a crack
durch eine Tasse geht. [47] So reißt die Spur
goes through a cup. So rips the trace
der Fledermaus durchs Porzellan des Abends.
of the bat through the porcelain of the evening.
Und wir: Zuschauer, immer, überall,
And we, spectators, always, everywhere,
dem allen [48] zugewandt und nie hinaus!
turned toward everything and never outward!
Uns überfüllts. Wir ordnens. Es zerfällt.
It overfills us. We put it in order. It collapses.
Wir ordnens wieder und zerfallen selbst. [49]
We put it again in order and collapse ourselves.
Wer hat uns also umgedreht, daß wir,
Who then has turned us around, so that we,
was wir auch tun, in jener Haltung sind [50]
no matter what we do, are in that posture
von einem, welcher fortgeht? Wie er auf
of one, who is departing. How he upon the
dem letzten Hügel, der ihm ganz sein Tal
last hill, which once again fully shows him
noch einmal zeigt, sich wendet, anhält, weilt --, [51]
his valley, turns himself around, pauses, lingers--,
so leben wir und nehmen immer Abschied.
thus we live and constantly take leave.




[1] das Offene: A common Nominalisierung with Rilke. A definition in Websters Unabridged Dictionary of "open" captures the meaning: "the open, the unenclosed or unobstructed country, the outdoors. . . " Nomanilisierung: The creation of a noun from any part of speech. In German, all that is needed is to capitalize the word, be it verb, adverb, pronoun, past or present participle or conjunjction, and add the requisite case endings, if any. All such constructions are in the neuter gender.

[2] wissens: Hyperbaton caused by the synaloepha without an apostrophe. The normal word order would be Was draußen ist, wissen wir es aus des Tiers Antlitz allein. Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect. Synaloepha: Omission of a vowel to contract two words into one such as "don't," "it's."

[3] des Tiers Antlitz: "dem Antlitz des Tiers." Note the usage of "Antlitz" instead of "Gesicht." Difference between the normal word "face" and the poetic words "visage" or "countenance."

[4] sehe: Konjunktiv I form of "sehen" used as a "Wunsch- und Begehrungsatz" which according to Duden is: "Unter dem Wunsch- und Begehrungssatz sind solche Sätze zu verstehen, die ein Geschehen oder Sein nennen, das [noch] nicht verwirklicht ist, dessen Verwirklichung jedoch gewünscht, gewollt, gefordert, erstrebt wird. " We have a similar subjunctive in English in such uses as "I insist, that he do it." The present sentence could be translated with such a subjunctive "we turn him around and insist that he look backwards at figuration. . ." The word "Gestalt" is basically untranslatable, as seen by the psychological school of thought called "Gestalt theory." It means a structure which exhibits a wholeness in such a way, that all elements therof are inextricably linked. The closest words in English are "configuration" or "figuration."

[5] das Offne: Nominalisierung. That word again. Note the syncope. Syncope: The shortening of a word by omission of a sound, letter, or syllable from the middle of the word. Nomanilisierung: The creation of a noun from any part of speech. In German, all that is needed is to capitalize the word, be it verb, adverb, pronoun, past or present participle or conjunjction, and add the requisite case endings, if any. All such constructions are in the neuter gender.

[6] Frei von Tod: Scesis onamaton referring back to the animal. Scesis onamaton: Omission of the only verb of a sentence.

[7] Ihn: While the idea of being free of death refers back to the word animal in the previous phrase, the "ihn," as the masculine singular accusative form refers back to "der Tod." English, not having this case differential, necessitates the repetition of the word "death."

[8] nie, nicht einen einzigen Tag:Epanorthosis since "nie" is further precised. Epanorthosis: the rephrasing of an immediately preceding word or statement for the purpose of intensification, emphasis, or justification.

[9] in den: Note the accusative which indicates that the "flowers" literally "go up into "pure space."

[10] Nirgends ohne Nicht: Nominalisierung. A very difficult to understand phrase. "Nirgends" means "nowhere" or perhaps more precisely "nowhereness." There is an English slang phrase "nowheresville" as in "to be from nowheresville" which captures this idea. The negation "nicht" is here also used as a noun, since it is capitalized as "Nicht." Continuing with another neologism it could be translated as "no-ness." The addition of a third negative with the preposition "without" creates an somewhat enigmatic phrase "nowhereness without no-ness." The idea being that the concept of "nowhereness" (Nirgends) contains within its definition a negative connotation " a No-ness" (Nicht) which Rilke would like to eliminate. He would like a non-localized, pure space with no negativeness [a legitimate English word] whatsoever. Nomanilisierung: The creation of a noun from any part of speech. In German, all that is needed is to capitalize the word, be it verb, adverb, pronoun, past or present participle or conjunjction, and add the requisite case endings, if any. All such constructions are in the neuter gender.

[11] das man atmet und unendlich w e i ß und nicht begehrt: Polysyndeton. Normal word order would be "das man atmet, unendlich w e i ß und nicht begehrt. First example of Sperrdruck. Polysyndeton: The repetition of conjunctions, normally "and." Sperrdruck: Spaced type formerly used for Italics and found in the Elegien. In modern editions replaced with italics.

[12] im stilln an dies: Since "stilln" is not capitalized, it must be an adjective and refer back to a previously-mentioned noun. The only previous neuter nouns are "das Reine, Unüberwachte" a few phrases back. Problematic is that precisely this concept is the antecedent of "an dies" The later editions avoid the conundrum by capitalizing "Stilln," thereby making the meaning [and the translation] easier as "one loses oneself in the stillness to this" In the "Turn und Taxis Handschrift" the "S" of "Stilln" is definitely capitalized. Note also the syncope in "stilln" or "Stilln."

[13] jener: Normally this word [which is rarely used in conversation] would mean "the former" used along with "dieser" which means "the latter." It can also be used with the meaning of "that over there": "'Jener' weist auf ein vom Sprechenden räumlich oder zeitlich entfernteres Wesen oder Ding hin, 'dieser' dagegen auf ein ihm näheres." Duden continues, however, with the relevant information: "Häufig wird 'jener' jedoch auch einfach hinweisend gebraucht, ohne daß Bezug auf etwas Entfernteres genommen werden soll." This latter indication that "jener" can simply be used without reference to something distant seems to be the only explanation.

[14] i s t s: Second use of Sperrdruck in this Elegie. Note the Synaloepha of "ist" and "es." Adding emphasis to the theme of the dual nature of life, death being an equal part. Synaloepha: Omission of a vowel to contract two words into one such as "don't," "it's." Sperrdruck: Spaced type formerly used for Italics and found in the Elegien. In modern editions replaced with italics.

[15] wäre: "wenn der andre nicht wäre . . ."

[16] der andre: Being non-capitalized it must refer back to "Liebende" which means "the lovers. As in the previous use of "jeder," Rilke is using the masculine form to refer to either the male or the female lover. In non-feminist English the word "his" used to represent both sexes. Note the syncope on "andre." Syncope: The shortening of a word by omission of a sound, letter, or syllable from the middle of the word.

[17] daran: In German a pronoun object of a preposition is replaced with the suffix "da-" or "dar-" , but only when the antecedent is a thing or a concept and not a person. Here it means to "be close to staring with the vision of an animal."

[18] aufgetan: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "Wie aus Versehn ist ihnen hinter dem andern aufgetan . . ." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[19] über: Used in the sense of "beyond." Sprach-Brockhaus: "mehr, besser als es: über alle Begriffe schön." The "ihn" continues the use of masculine for both partners which is concluded in the next main clause with "ihm."

[20] wird: The second definition of "werden" in Sprach-Brockhaus is "zu etwas, es, wandle mich dazu: . . . es wird Winter, der Winter tritt ein." The "es" has been left out, because the sentence begins with "wieder."

[21] Der Schöpfung immer zugewendet: Past participle phrase beginning sentence set off with a comma. The main clause must begin with the verb.

[22] Frei'n: a syncope in this instance using an apostrophe because there is a word "frein" which means "friendly or nice." Syncope: The shortening of a word by omission of a sound, letter, or syllable from the middle of the word.

[23] von uns verdunkelt: Epanorthosis since the "Frei'n" is further explained. Epanorthosis: The rephrasing of an immediately preceding word or statement for the purpose of intensification, emphasis, or justification.

[24] ein stummes: An anastrophe. Normal order would be "ein stummes Tier." Anastrophe: Inversion of the normal syntactic order of words.

[25] aufschaut: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "Oder daß ein stummes Tier ruhig durch uns durch aufschaut . . ." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[26] durch: Ellipsis for "hindurch." Ellipsis: The omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete syntactical construction but not necessary for understanding.

[27] gegenüber sein und nichts als das und immer gegenüber : The second meaning of "gegenüber" according to Sprach-Brockhaus is "angesichts" which means literally "face to face with." : "angesichts; den Tatsachen gegenüberstehen." Rilke uses it without an object to indicate that our condition is simply "to stand face to face." Also an Epanalepsis with the word "gegenüber" at the beginning and end of the sentence. Epanalepsis A repetition of a word or phrase with intervening words setting off the repetition, sometimes occuring with a phrase used both at the beginning and end of a sentence.

[28] Wäre: "Wenn Bewußtheit unsrer Art in dem sicheren Tier wäre."

[29] entgegenzieht in anderer Richtung: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "das uns in anderer Richtung entgegenzieht."

[30] riß: apocope of the Konjunktiv II form "risse." Since the sentence began with "Wäre Bewußtheit unsrer Art in dem sicheren Tier" which is the "if" clause of a conditional sentence, this clause is the resolution. Apocope: The loss of one or more sounds from the end of a word.

[31] herum: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "riß es uns mit seinem Wandel herum." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[32] geheilt: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "dort sieht es alles und sich in Allem und für immer geheilt." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[33] Denn ihm auch haftet immer an, was uns oft überwältigt,-- die Erinnerung: The verb "anhaften" used with the dative means "to cling to" or "to be attached to." I used the word "harbor" which sounds better than "cling." The structure of this sentence allows the subject to be placed last for emphasis, as in Elegie5. Hyperbaton. Normal would be "Denn die Erinnerung, die uns oft überwältigt, haftet auch ihm immer an." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[34] als sei schon einmal das, wonach man drängt näher gewesen: The Konjunktiv I form "sei" instead of the Konjunktiv II form "wäre" is used here according to Duden when the truth of the subjunctive statement is to be emphasized: "Bei irrealen Konditidonalsäßtzen, die mit 'als [ob], als wenn, wie wenn' gekoppelt sind, tritt mitunter statt der üblichen Konjunktivform der Vergangenheit (2. Konjunktiv oder Konjunktiv des Plusquamperfekts) der Konjunktiv der Gegenwart (1. Konjunktiv und Konjunktiv des Perfekts) auf, besonders dann, wenn die Wahrscheinlichkeit der Aussage betont werden soll . . ." Silvia spielt die Szene, als ob sie solch eine Lage selber schon erlebt habe (Riel)" Also short form of "als ob schon einmal das, wonach man drängt..."

[35] treuer und sein Abschluß unendlich zärtlich: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "als ob schon einmal das, wonach man drängt, näher, treuer und sein Anschluß unendlich zärtlich gewesen sei."

[36] zwitterig: An unusual word in German which means "hermaphroditical" and also serves as a negative symbol: Sprach-Brockhaus: "'gespaltenes Wesen', Sinnbild einer unglücklichen, unausgeglichenen Mischung." Rilke seems to see being separated from the womb as an adrogenous state of being, not in a sexual sense, but rather being neither here nor there in an existential sense. The word "schismatic" seems more expressive of the "gespaltenes Wesen" than the more limited word "hermaphroditical." Outside of the womb it is windy, since we have lost the comforting concealment thereof.

[37] k l e i n e n: Third Sperrdruck and first of three instances thereof in this sentence alone to especially accentuate the strangeness of a gnat which is born into the world so that the world is its womb. Sperrdruck: Spaced type formerly used for Italics and found in the Elegien. In modern editions replaced with italics.

[38] b l e i b t: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "O Seligkeit der k l e i n e n Kreatur, die immer im Schooße b l e i b t, der sie austrug." Second example of Sperrdruck. There are three examples of Sperrdruck in this sentence alone, which is the largest concentration so far in the Elegien, pointing out the significance of this image. Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect. Sperrdruck: Spaced type formerly used for Italics and found in the Elegien. In modern editions replaced with italics.

[39] Schooße Epenthesis. The present day spelling is Schoß. Rilke seems to have added an extra "o" for emphasis. Also note the pleanostic"e"Epenthesis: The insertion of a sound in the middle of a word, as in Middle English "thunder" from Old English "thunor." Pleonastic: A superfluous word, phrase or letter.

[40] i n n e n: Third Sperrdruck pointing out that the gnat is still womb-based when it procreates; for the gnat the womb is everything and everywhere. Also note the three short "ü" sounds in "Glück," "Mücke" and hüpft," which is a form of Assonance. Sperrdruck: Spaced type formerly used for Italics and found in the Elegien. In modern editions replaced with italics. Assonance: The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, especially in stressed syllables.

[41] beides Since the antecedent is "Heimaten" which is plural one would expect "beide." Important is that the two "Heimaten" are profoundly differentiated: the one is the womb and the other is the outer world. German can use the neutral form "beides" to emphasize the collective aspect of the two elements. According to Duden: "In bestimmten Fällen (aber nicht, wenn es sich um Personen handelt) kann man statt der alleinstehenden Mehrzahlsform 'beide' den neutralen Singular 'beides' verwenden. Er betont dann die kollektive Einheit nachdrücklich: 'Hut und Regenschirm, beides hatte er im Abteil liegenlassen.'" English, not having these distinctions, needs to repeat the word "home," especially since the bird metaphor comes at the beginning of the third long paragraph of this Elegie. Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison.

[42] weiß: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "der beinah beides aus seinem Ursprung weiß." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[43] als wär: "Als ob er eine Seele der Etrusker wär." Note the apocope on wär.

[44] er eine Seele der Etrusker, aus einem Toten, den ein Raum empfing, doch mit der ruhenden Figur als Deckel: One of the most difficult images of the Elegien. A comparison is being made between the bird hatching from its egg into the womb-like nest and the soul of the Etruscan leaving its sarcaphogas which has an image of the dead person on its cover. We are told that the bird is aware of both homes--that of the womb and that of the outside world--from its "Ursprung." As in the Fifth Elegie" with the springing of the acrobat the word could have the double meaning of "origin" and "primal spring or jump." This would corroborate the image as representing the first time the bird springs from its egg. The nest could be seen as a second half womb surrounding the bird after it had hatched from the egg, the egg having come from the bird's mother's body. Note the "halbe Sicherheit" The egg contained the bird before hatching served as a womb. The bird is thereby encased in its second half womb (the nest) before the second jump into the world. The soul of the Etruscan having risen from its dead body (corresponding to the mother bird's live body) is within the sarcophagas which corresponds to the egg. This sarcophagus has an image of the body which replicates the container from which the soul has escaped. The nest replicates the opened egg from which the bird has hatched. When the soul leaves its dead body, it also must pass through another similar container, i.e. the image of the dead body, to reach freedom and into a death of its own, just as the bird must free itself from the nest which replicates the egg to reach a life of its own with its spring from the nest.
Bird = Soul of Etruscan (Etruscan imagry saw soul as a bird).
Mother's body = dead body.
Egg = Sarcophagus.
Nest = Image of dead body on cover of Sarcophagus.

[45] eins: Antecedent for the following relative clause.

[46] stammt von einem Schooß Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "das fliegen muß und aus einem Schooß stammt." Also note the alliteration of "stammt" and "Schooß." Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect. Alliteration: The repetition of the sound of an initial consonant or consonant cluster in stressed syllables close enough to each other for the ear to be affected.

[47] Wie vor sich selbst erschreckt, durchzuckts die Luft, wie wenn ein Sprung durch eine Tasse geht.: Synaloepha for "durchzuckt es." Used to de-emphasize the subject and continue the prevailaing iambic meter. Simile using "wie" twice. Synaloepha: Omission of a vowel to contract two words into one such as "don't," "it's." Simile: A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase introduced by like or as." Iambic: In Latin poetry, an iamb was a metrical unit, a foot, consisting of a short syllable followed by a long.

[48] allen: The collective "alle" can be used as a quasi-pronoun and therefore is not capitalized in the dative case.

[49] Uns überfüllts. Wir ordnens. Es zerfällt. Wir ordnens wieder und zerfallen selbst.: Synaloepha on "überfüllts," "orndens" and "ordnens" again. To accentuate the rapidity of the wasted effort and inevitable decline. A very pessistimic segue to the final pessimistic image. This Elegie is a transition from the highly positive Seventh Elegie to the conciliatory messages of the last two Elegien.

[50] sind: Hyperbaton. Normal word order would be "in jener Haltung von einem sind, welcher fortgeht" Hyperbaton: A figure of speech, such as anastrophe or hysteron proteron, using deviation from normal or logical word order to produce an effect.

[51] wendet, anhält, weilt: Asyndeton. Normal would be "wendet, anhält und weilt." Asyndeton: The omission of conjunctions from constructions in which they would normally be used.



To Top of Elegie 8
Introduction

Elegie 1
Elegie 2
Elegie 3
Elegie 4
Elegie 5
Elegie 6
Elegie 7
Elegie 9
Elegie 10

Terms