Translations from the Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke (Revised)

These translations by M.D. Herter Norton offer Rilke's work to the English-speaking world in an accurate, sensitive, modern version. The poems appear in German and English on facing pages.

Rainer Maria Rilke (December 4, 1875-December 29, 1926) was an Austrian poet and writer. Known for his lyrically potent work, he combined subjective mysticism with precise observation of the objective world. At the time of his death, Rilke's work was incredibly admired by certain circles of European artists, but mostly unknown to the public. Since then, his popularity has grown steadily, and he has come to be universally regarded as a master of verse.