The selected poetry and prose of rainer maria rilke. Gary miranda on translating rainer maria rilkes duino. I could ramble more about how much i adore rilke 18751926, these elegies, and this particular gary miranda translation, but i will simply leave you with the poem. That some day emerging at last from the terrifying visioni may burst into jubilant praise to assenting angelsthat of the. As translated by galway kinnell and hannah liebmann. Hes been working his way through rilkes poetry and now offers a superb version of the duino elegies, long considered the high point of rilkes career. Dec 04, 2012 rilke s 9th elegy unthinkingly, as im leaving for work this morning, i grab a book. Rilke was familiar with such people from his stay in paris, where he became rodins secretary. Rilkes 9th elegy unthinkingly, as im leaving for work this morning, i grab a book. Duino elegies project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Someday, emerging at last from the violent insight, let me sing out jubilation and praise to. The fountain of joy a linebyline commentary on rilkes duino elegies home. Jun 17, 2006 rainer maria rilke 18751926 is one of the greatest poets who ever wrote in the german language.
The duino elegies, written in the winter of 19111912 but not finished until 1922, were composed while rilke was living at duino castle, on the adriatic sea. In 1902 he became the friend, and for a time the secretary, of rodin, and it was during his twelveyear paris residence that rilke enjoyed his greatest poetic activity. Widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense germanlanguage poets, rainer maria rilke was unique in his efforts to expand the realm of poetry through new uses of syntax and imagery and in an aesthetic philosophy that rejected christian precepts and strove to reconcile beauty and suffering, life and death. Duino elegies bilingual edition by rainer maria rilke. Intensely readable, yet he has not simplified the ideas. He met lou salome, the talented and spirited daughter of a russian army officer, who influenced him deeply. Rilke s 9th elegy unthinkingly, as im leaving for work this morning, i grab a book. In duino elegies it seems as if rilke is explaining the meaning of his life indirectly to god through divine messengers the presence of whom we can scarcely sense.
Available for the first time in a single volume, ranier maria rilkes two most beloved sequences of poems rendered by his most faithful translator. Why, if its possible to spend this span of existence as laurel, a little darker than all other greens, with little waves on every leafedge like the smile of a breeze, why, then. Started in 1912, but not completed until after the first world war, the ten elegies are mournful and plaintive, like a traditional elegy. Rilke, rainer maria, 18751926 translations into english.
In the first elegy, the poet, amid great suffering, calls out to the angels for help. Duineser elegien are a collection of ten elegies written by the bohemianaustrian poet rainer maria rilke 18751926. From my own translation of rilkes duino elegies duiniser elegien, 1923. The german of rainer maria rilke s duino elegies would have sounded very different to one of his contemporaries than it does to a modern germans ear, just as we recognize, say, keatss language as being from an earlier period. Reading this rendition provided new revelations into rilkes symbolic landscapes of art, death, love, and time. The angel is a witness to this language, but notice that the angel is not lured down towards us, as in the birdcall of the first elegy, rather we create within ourselves superabundant life if we actively praise and transform into language the meaning and intensity of the physical, earthly world around us. Romische geschichte mommsen horbuch deutsch audio book german. In the universe, where he feels feelings, you are a beginner. There are many existing translations of rilkes masterpiece, of varying quality. Someday, emerging at last from the violent insight, let me sing out jubilation and praise to assenting angels. The fountain of joy a linebyline commentary on rilke s duino elegies home. A couple weeks ago i read a poem that seized me by the throat. Rainer maria rilke was one of germanys most important poets.
His most famous works are sonnets to orpheus, the duino elegies, letters to a young poet, the notebooks of malte laurids brigge, and the book of hours. But because simply to be here is so much and because what is here seems to need us, this vanishing world that concerns us strangely us, the most vanishing of all. The first elegy by rainer maria rilke lucy williams 582018 3. Available for the first time in a single volume, ranier maria rilke s two most beloved sequences of poems rendered by his most faithful translator. Read duino elegies bilingual edition by rainer maria rilke available from rakuten kobo. Aug 10, 2015 rainer maria rilke duineser elegien 9. This commentary, the duino elegies, and others of rilke s poems are all available to browse or download. Not because happiness exists, that apparent advantage. Rainer maria rilke, duino elegies and the sonnets to orpheus, translated by a.
Rainer maria rilke, duino elegies, translated by david young new york. German poetry 20th century translations into english. Rilke considered them his greatest achievement, and, as macintyre suggests, they are among the great and unforgettable poetry of the world. Why, if this interval of being can be spent serenely in the form of a laurel, slightly darker than all other green, with tiny waves on the edges of every leaf like the smile of a breeze. Why, if its possible to spend this span of existence as laurel, a little darker than all. Apr 19, 2015 slow down for a few minutes this sunday to read the penultimate of rainer maria rilke s astonishing duino elegies, ten intense meditations on beauty and suffering, love and death. Rainer maria rilke duino elegies the ninth elegy art. Oct 16, 2011 rainer maria rilke duino elegies the ninth elegy. Who if i cried out would hear me among the angelshierarchies and even if one of them suddenlypressed me against his heart i would perish.
The eighth elegy from the duino elegies by rainer maria. The first elegy rilke wrote his duino elegies between 1912 and 1922, starting at duino castle near trieste and finishing at chateau du muzot in switzerland. If youre a little more curious about the duino elegies and their translation, and rilke in general, william h. But to have lived this once, even if only this once.
In the interim, rilke was drafted into the german army, and though he never saw combat the experience shook him to the core. A reading, with a very brief introduction, of rainer maria rilkes first elegy. A bilingual edition 9780865476073 by rilke, rainer maria and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Only our eyes are as if reversed and surround it quite as traps around its freedoms path. The force of their being would annihilate him and their beauty is.
Duino elegies bilingual edition rainer maria rilke. The eighth elegy from the duino elegies by rainer maria rilke for national poetry month, here is the eighth elegy from rainer maria rilkes epic the dunio elegies previously here. Reconsidering this appeal, he concludes that the power and beauty of angels are so beyond human comprehension that encountering one would result in his annihilation. Hello select your address best sellers todays deals new releases todays deals new releases. Duino elegies the third elegy gill washington beloved, desire, love, poems, rainer maria rilke, spirituality june 21, 2014 confident, departed beings, gently, multitudes 0 comment. Gass advised was the objective of the most earnest poets. I invoke you, almost deadly birdst of the soul, knowing what you are. Rilkes duino elegies form one of the most perfect collections of lyric poetry you can ever hope to get your hands on. Its the beginning of the tenth elegy, from rainer maria rilke s duino elegies, in a beautiful translation by stephen mitchell.
Do you try to make rilke sound slightly archaic to reproduce the experience that a modern german might have of the. In his translations, snow adheres faithfully to the intent of rilke s german while constructing nuanced. Duino elegies by rainer maria rilke 1993, paperback for. Unfortunately for the david young translation, however, there is much less rilke than there ought to be. North point press has published his translations of rilkes new poems 1907, new poems 1908. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Edward snow is a professor of english at rice university. This elegy is founded on rilkes knowledge of picassos painting les saltimbanques he lived, from june to october 1915, in the house where the original hung, in munich. Oh, where are the days of tobias, when one of the shiningmost stood on the simple threshold, a little disguised for the journey, no longer appalling. Only our eyes are as though reversed, and set like traps around themselves, keeping us inside. Gary miranda on translating rainer maria rilkes duino elegies.
Many critics consider duino elegies to be rilke s most important work. Rilke began the third elegy at duino and completed it in paris the following year. With all its eyes the creaturely world sees openness. I have been engrossed in english versions of the duino elegies for years, and snows is by far the most radiant and, as far as i can tell, the most faithful. But our eyes, turned back upon themselves, encircle and seek to snare the world, setting traps for freedom. Therefore show him what is ordinary, what has been shaped from generation to generation, shaped by hand and eye. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Its not incidental that the duino elegies were begun in 1912, before world war i, and completed after it, in 1922. This commentary, the duino elegies, and others of rilkes poems are all available to browse or download. The 10 elegies succeed in finding the world in a word, as william h. The ninth elegy rainer maria rilke why, if this interval of being can be spent serenelyin the form of a laurel, slightly darker than allother green, with tiny waves on the edgesof every leaf like. You can find a used copy of this expertly translated collection. His most famous works are sonnets to orpheus, the duino elegies, letters to a young poet, the notebooks of malte laurids brigge, and the book of hou.
Its the beginning of the tenth elegy, from rainer maria rilkes duino elegies, in a beautiful translation by stephen mitchell. That there is something out there we know only from the animals countenance. His poems of ecstatic identification with the world exert perennial fascination. I prefer mitchells translation to gass, aside from the 10th elegy, but the exploration of rilke s life and reflections on his poetic language, process, conflicts. What i forgot, until just a few seconds ago, was that he was born on this day 1875. Edward snow is one of the most respected translators of rilke.
This final elegy ends and hence the duino elegies end with two short stanzas, separated from the preceding stanzas by an asterisk. This elegy is founded on rilke s knowledge of picassos painting les saltimbanques he lived, from june to october 1915, in the house where the original hung, in munich. Macintyre, translator the ninth elegy duino elegies. Rainer maria rilke 18751926 is one of the greatest poets who ever wrote in the german language. A bilingual edition ebook written by rainer maria rilke. Oct 05, 2007 the ninth elegy rainer maria rilke why, if this interval of being can be spent serenelyin the form of a laurel, slightly darker than allother green, with tiny waves on the edgesof every leaf like.
The ninth duino elegy rainer maria rilke why, if this interval of being can be spent serenely in the form of a laurel, slightly darker than all other green, with. Rilke was familiar with such people from his stay in. Reflections on the problems of translation, prefaces his own translation with almost twohundred pages of glittering commentary on the elegies, blowbyblow reportage from the gladiator pit of duino translators, a recitation of rare of biographical detail about rilke, and sharp insights into the art of translation and. The stanzas broach themes that have constituted a recurring focus in the elegies. The poet calls out to the angels but knows he cannot close. Original by ranier maria rilke translated by lore confino. Rainer maria rilke, duino elegies, translated by elaine e. In 1919 he went to switzerland where he spent the last years of his life. For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terrorwhich we are barely able to endure, and it amazes us so,because it sere.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read duino elegies. It was there that he wrote his last two works, duino elegies 1923 and the sonnets to orpheus 1923. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Rilke names them but takes his description no further here. Frederic koeppel, the commercial appeal memphis this translation of the elegies is the finest that i have ever read. Duino elegies and the sonnets to orpheus stephen mitchell. Rilke, duino elegies comparing translations martin travers. The german poet rainer maria rilke 18751926 rilke often gave readings for his friends. Reading this rendition provided new revelations into rilke s symbolic landscapes of art, death, love, and time.
The other part, the book of images and uncollected poems. The ninth duino elegy rainer maria rilke why, if this interval of being can be spent serenely in the form of a laurel, slightly darker than all other green, with tiny waves on the edges of every leaf like the smile of a breeze. Rilkes duino elegies i have read only the first elegy of ten from rainer maria rilkes duino elegies, but already im glad i picked up this book. He is the recipient of an academy of arts and letters award for the body of his rilke translations, as well as the academy. Lyrically intense germanlanguage poet rainer maria rilke 1875 1926 was a guest at the castle duino, near trieste, between october 1911 and may 1912. Rilkes the ninth elegy why, if its possible to spend this span of existence as laurel, a little darker than all other greens, with little waves on every leafedge like the smile of a breeze, why, then, must we be human and, shunning destiny.
This 10poem cycle of duino elegies were begun there but not finished until a decade later. Rilke is unquestionably the twentieth centurys most significant and compelling poet of romantic transformation and spiritual quest. Sep 14, 20 a couple weeks ago i read a poem that seized me by the throat. Mitchells translation of the duino elegies rilke s masterpiece is the best that has been made. Duino elegies bilingual edition ebook by rainer maria. The duino elegies by rainer maria rilke every angel is terrible. Rilke elegy 9 and elegy 10 rilke, duino elegies comparing. David young is a respected writer, commentator, journalist, environmentalist, and historian.
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