A collection of haunting, mystical poems of the night by the great Rainer Maria Rilke - most of which have never before been translated into English
One night I held between my hands your face. The moon fell upon it.
In 1916, Rainer Maria Rilke presented the writer Rudolf Kassner with a notebook, containing twenty-two poems, meticulously copied out in his own hand, which bore the title "Poems to Night." This cycle of poems which came about in an almost clandestine manner, are now thought to represent one of the key stages of this master poet's development.
Never before translated into English, this collection brings together all Rilke's significant night poems in one volume.
List of Poems 9 Acknowledgements 13 Introduction 15 Poems to Night 29 Poems to Night: Drafts 59 Further Poems and Sketches around the Theme of Night 69 Biographical Notes 87
O now we have, with what whimpering caressed ourselves, shoulders and eyelids. And night has withdrawn into the rooms like a wounded beast, in pain through us.
Were you elected from all for me, was the sister not sufficient? Lovely as a valley to me was your essence, and now too, from the prow of the heavens
it bows down an unfailing apparition and he takes possession. Where to go? Alas, with the gesture of mourning you incline towards me, un-consoled.
A collection of haunting, mystical poems of the night by the great Rainer Maria Rilke - most of which have never before been translated into English
One night I held between my hands your face. The moon fell upon it.
In 1916, Rainer Maria Rilke presented the writer Rudolf Kassner with a notebook, containing twenty-two poems, meticulously copied out in his own hand, which bore the title "Poems to Night." This cycle of poems which came about in an almost clandestine manner, are now thought to represent one of the key stages of this master poet's development.
Never before translated into English, this collection brings together all Rilke's significant night poems in one volume.
Table of Contents
List of Poems 9 Acknowledgements 13 Introduction 15 Poems to Night 29 Poems to Night: Drafts 59 Further Poems and Sketches around the Theme of Night 69 Biographical Notes 87
Excerpt
O now we have, with what whimpering caressed ourselves, shoulders and eyelids. And night has withdrawn into the rooms like a wounded beast, in pain through us.
Were you elected from all for me, was the sister not sufficient? Lovely as a valley to me was your essence, and now too, from the prow of the heavens
it bows down an unfailing apparition and he takes possession. Where to go? Alas, with the gesture of mourning you incline towards me, un-consoled.
