Rilke: New Poems

Rainer Maria Rilke, Joseph Cadora, trans.

Widely anthologized, regularly referenced, Rilke is perhaps the most iconic of German poets, and his poems have had a profound influence on poets and readers alike over the past one hundred years. New Poems marks the most intensely creative period of the poet’s life, and no previous English translation of New Poems has been as faithful to Rilke’s integral rhyme and meter as this translation by Joseph Cadora. Each poem in these two volumes has been crafted following Rilke’s original rhyme schemes, bringing into English the powerful music of these exquisite poems, full of art and artifacts, angels and pleasure parks, statues and jaguars, and the depths of human experience. Each poem is annotated with a rigorously studied note, drawing from Rilke’s letters and other contemporaneous works. Joseph Cadora’s rich translation of the entirety of New Poems is presented bilingually with a foreword by Robert Hass and a translator’s introduction. This 173-poem volume is an indispensable addition to the legacy of a revered poet.

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ISBN: 9781556594250

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781556594243

Format: Hardcover

Spanish Dancer

As a match in the fingers first glows white

then bursts into tongues of flame that flare,

in the ring of spectators it seems to ignite,

with blistering heat, abrupt and bright;

her spinning dance seeks to spread like fire.

 

And suddenly it is wholly aflame.

 

With a look she kindles her hair just the same,

and at once flings, with an artist’s daring,

her whole dress into passionate flaring

while her bare arms flash like startled snakes,

clapping and stretching in the pose she takes.

 

And then, as if fire were too tight to abide,

she gathers it to her and casts it aside,

imperiously, with an arrogant turn;

as it lies on the ground, continues to burn,

flames still raging, conceding no space.

Yet triumphant and sure, as the sweet

salutation of a smile lifts her face,

she stamps it out with firm little feet.

About the Author

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) is one of the world’s most beloved poets. Working at the cusp of the century, Rilke bridged the gap between traditional and modernist poetics. Born in Prague, Rilke traveled widely across Europe and Egypt, and lived for many years in Paris.

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About the Translator

Joseph Cadora is a guitarist, writer, and translator. He lives in Berkeley, California.

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Reviews

“Essential for all poetry collections… Originally published in 1907 and 1908 in two volumes, the 200 poems contained in this bilingual single volume represent a period of intense creativity in the poet’s career. Translator Joseph Cadora renders a beautiful new edition complete with commentary on each poem at the end, based on Rilke’s letters, numerous biographies, and related works as well as an introduction outlining his approach to the translation.” —Library Journal, starred review

“[The] renderings of the canonical poems, such as ‘The Panther,’ ‘Orpheus, Eurydice, Hermes,’ and ‘Archaic Torso of Apollo’ (to name a few), are worthwhile additions to the enormous body of Rilke’s work already translated by others. Cadora’s willingness to translate nearly two hundred poems is admirable, since many themes recur and develop.” —Booklist