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Um zu begreifen, wie sie damals war, mußt du dich erst an eine Stelle rufen, wo Säulen in dir wirken; wo du Stufen nachfühlen kannst; wo Bogen voll Gefahr den Abgrund eines Raumes überbrücken, der in dir blieb, weil er aus solchen Stücken getürmt war, daß du sie nicht mehr aus dir ausheben kannst: du rissest dich denn ein. Bist du so weit, ist alles in dir Stein, Wand, Aufgang, Durchblick, Wölbung - so probier den großen Vorhang, den du vor dir hast, ein wenig wegzuzerrn mit beiden Händen: da glänzt es von ganz hohen Gegenständen und übertrifft dir Atem und Getast. Hinauf, hinab, Palast steht auf Palast, Geländer strömen breiter aus Geländern und tauchen oben auf an solchen Rändern, daß dich, wie du sie siehst, der Schwindel faßt. Dabei macht ein Gewölk aus Räucherständern die Nähe trüb; aber das Fernste zielt in dich hinein mit seinen graden Strahlen -, und wenn jetzt Schein aus klaren Flammenschalen auf langsam nahenden Gewändern spielt: wie hältst du's aus? Sie aber kam und hob den Blick, um diese alles anzuschauen. (Ein Kind, ein kleines Mädchen zwischen Frauen.) Dann stieg sie ruhig, voller Selbstvertrauen, dem Aufwand zu, der sich verwöhnt verschob: So sehr war alles, was die Menschen bauen, schon überwogen von dem Lob in ihrem Herzen. Von der Lust sich hinzugeben an die innern Zeichen: Die Eltern meinten, sie hinaufzureichen, der Drohende mit der Juwelenbrust empfing sie scheinbar: Doch sie ging durch alle, klein wie sie war, aus jeder Hand hinaus und in ihr Los, das, höher als die Halle, schon fertig war, und schwerer als das Haus.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Die Darstellung Mariae im Tempel", appears in Das Marien-Leben, no. 2, first published 1912 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Maria Bach (1896 - 1978), "Die Darstellung Mariä im Tempel", 1950-65 [ baritone and piano ], from Das Marienleben, no. 7, Wiener Stadt- und Landesbibliothek [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963), "Die Darstellung Mariä im Tempel", op. 27 no. 2 (1922-3), rev. 1948, from Das Marienleben, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Knut W. Barde) , "The Presentation of Mary in the Temple", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Stéphane Goldet) (Pierre de Rosamel) , "La présentation de Marie", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "La presentazione di Maria al Tempio", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 39
Word count: 265
In order to understand how she was back then, You first have to call yourself to a place Where columns are within you; where you can sense The steps; where arches full of danger Bridge the abyss of a space that remained within you, because it was built up from such pieces that you can no longer remove from yourself: unless you tore yourself down. Once you have reached that place, and everything is stone within you, Wall, staircase, vista, vault, - then try To pry open the large curtain before you just a little, with both hands: Then very exalted objects gleam And overcome your breath and touch. Up and down, palace stands upon palace, Banisters stream more broadly out of banisters And appear high up on such ledges That you are overcome by vertigo when you see them. A cloud from incense burners shrouds your space; But that which is most distant aims directly at you with its straight rays -, And now that the glow from clear flaming chalices Plays upon the slowly approaching robes: How can you stand it? But she came and lifted Her eyes, to view all this. (a child, a little girl among women.) Then she climbed up calmly, full of self-confidence, Towards the moving pampered pomp: Showing already that everything that people are building Was outweighed by the praise in her heart. By the joy of Devoting herself to the inner signs. The parents thought they were lifting her up, The threatening figure with the bejeweled breast Seemingly received her: But she went through all of them, As little as she was, and left every hand, walking Towards her fate already formed, which was higher than the Hall and heavier than the house.
Authorship:
- Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Knut W. Barde, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in German (Deutsch) by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Die Darstellung Mariae im Tempel", appears in Das Marien-Leben, no. 2, first published 1912
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 39
Word count: 292