The rhyme scheme is ABBA CDDC EFG GFE, the tercets the same as Sonett 1-I. The meter is primarily iambic pentameter with substitutions in verses 9 and 11. In verse 12 "Tod," "O" and "Motiv" form an assonance. The first quartet is one complete sentence. The last tercet has two questions, the second tercet has one. The poem begins with "Und fast ein Mädchen wars" and ends with "ein Mädchen fast. . ." which is an almost epanodos and also serves to encompass the whole poem being an Inclusio.
Und [1] fast ein Mädchen wars [2] und [3] ging hervor
And almost a girl was she and went forth
aus diesem einigen Glück von Sang und Leier
from this united happiness of song and lyre
und [4] glänzte klar durch ihre [5] Frühlingsschleier
and glittered through her spring veil
und [6] machte sich ein Bett in meinem Ohr.
and made herself a bed in my ear.
Und [7] schlief in mir [8]. Und [9] alles war ihr Schlaf. [10]
And slept in me. And her sleep was everything.
Die Bäume, die ich je bewundert, diese
The trees which I always admire, these
fühlbare Ferne, [11] die gefühlte [12] Wiese
feelable distances, the felt meadows
und jedes Staunen, [13] das mich selbst betraf.
and that astonishment, which concerned me myself.
Sie schlief [14] die Welt. Singender Gott, [15] wie hast
She slept the world, singing God, how did
du sie vollendet, daß sie nicht begehrte,
you perfect her, that she did not crave
erst wach zu sein? Sieh, [16] sie erstand und schlief. [17]
to first be awake. Behold, she rose up and slept.
Wo ist ihr Tod? O, wirst du dies Motiv
Where is her death? Oh, will you yet
erfinden noch, eh sich dein Lied verzehrte? -- [18]
create this motiv, before your song consumes itself.
Wo sinkt sie hin [19] aus mir? . . . [20] Ein Mädchen fast . . . [21]
Whither sinks she from me? A girl almost. . .
Und fast ein Mädchen wars und ging hervor
And nigh a maiden was and did appear
aus diesem einigen Glück von Sang und Leier
from this united bliss of song and lyre
und glänzte klar durch ihre Frühlingsschleier
and shimmered through her vernal veil'd attire
und machte sich ein Bett in meinem Ohr.
and made herself a bed within my ear.
Und schlief in mir. Und alles war ihr Schlaf.
And slept in me. And sleep to her was all.
Die Bäume, die ich je bewundert, diese
The trees, that I always admire, aglow,
fühlbare Ferne, die gefühlte Wiese
the feelable farness, the deeply felt meadow
und jedes Staunen, das mich selbst betraf.
and that astoundment, which held me in thrall.
Sie schlief die Welt. Singender Gott, wie hast
She slept the world. Singing God, why
du sie vollendet, daß sie nicht begehrte,
hast thou molded her, that she did not aspire
erst wach zu sein? Sieh, sie erstand und schlief.
to first awaken. Look, she arose and slept.
Wo ist ihr Tod? O, wirst du dies Motiv
Where is then her death? Oh, willst thou accept
erfinden noch, eh sich dein Lied verzehrte? --
this theme, before thy song doth expire?
Wo sinkt sie hin aus mir? . . . Ein Mädchen fast . . .
Whither sinks she from me?. . . A maiden nigh. . .
[1] und: The first of six phrases beginning with "und" thus creating an anaphora. The next four phrases use "ein Mädchen" as their subject. Anaphora: The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs.
[2] wars: Synaloepha of "war" and "es." Rilke normally does not use an apostrophe. Synaloepha: Omission of a vowel to contract two words into one such as "don't," "it's."
[3] und: Second use of "und" for the anaphora.. Anaphora: The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs.
[4] und: Third use of "und" for the anaphora.. Anaphora: The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs.
[5] ihre; Grammatically viewed, this pronoun should be "seine," since the antecedent is "das Mädchen." In the Lektüren, Alexander Nebrig makes this a focal point of his interpretation, postulating the "die Welt" in verse 9 as a possible antecedent. From my perspective, the determining word is "fast" in "fast ein Mädchen." Since she is the beloved of Orpheus and no longer an innocent maiden, with this feminine preposition "ihre" Rilke is acknowledging her womanhood. Another factor is that the Austrians are somewhat laxer regarding using the neuter for diminutives referring to the feminine than the Germans. In "Der Rosenkavalier," the text having been written by Rilke's contemporary, Hogo von Hofmannsthal, Octavian and Baron Ochs keep referring to "die Fräulein."
[6] und: Fourth use of "und" for the anaphora.. Anaphora: The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs.
[7] und: Fifth use of "und" for the anaphora.. This sentence begins the second quartet and uses the elliptical subject "Mädchen." Anaphora: The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs. Ellipsis: The omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete syntactical construction, but not necessary for understanding.
[8] schlief in mir: The second word of this second quartet is "schlief," which is paralleled in the first tercet, but with the difference that it is there used transitively. Also note the assonance of the "schlief" and "mir." Assonance: Resemblance of sound, especially of the vowel sounds in words.
[9] Und: Sixth and last use of "und" as an anaphora. In this case the word "alles" is the subject and not "Mädchen."
[10] alles war ihr Schlaf: The word "alles" is the antecedent for the appositives "Bäume," "Ferne," "Wiese" and "Staunen" in the next sentence. Also note the assonance, of the long "a" in "war" and "schlaf." Apposition An explanatory noun or phrase normally placed after the noun explicated. In German it must be in the same case and set off with commas. Assonance: Resemblance of sound, especially of the vowel sounds in words.
[11] fühlbare Ferne: Alliteration. Alliteration: The repetition of the sound of an initial consonant or consonant cluster in stressed syllables close enough to each other for the ear to be affected.
[12] gefühlte: Polyptoton since "gefühlte" is the past participle form of the stem "fühlen" from which the adjective "fühlbar" is derived. Polyptoton: The repetition of the same word or root in different grammatical functions or forms.
[13] Staunen: The last of the four words,"Bäume," "Ferne," "Wiese" and "Staunen," used in Apposition to "alles" from verse 5. Note that as appositives they have no verb or relative pronoun.
[14] schlief: As noted above the second time that "schlief" is the second word in a new segment, but this time being somewhat unusual, because it is used transitively, as if Euridice had put the whole world asleep, while she remained awake in her death.
[15] Singender Gott: Apostrophe directed at Orpheus. Also a trochaic substitution. "SING en der." after the spondee of "WELT" and "SING. . ." One could make a pause after the period, which would replace the missing unaccented syllable. Trochee: A metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by one short or unstressed syllable.
[16] Sieh: A semi-spondee similar to the one after "Welt" in verse 9. Also note the alliteration with the preceding "sein." Spondee: A foot of two stressed syllables. Alliteration: The repetition of the sound of an initial consonant or consonant cluster in stressed syllables close enough to each other for the ear to be affected.
[17] schlief: Third use of "schlief" in this Sonett.
[18] verzehrte: Apostrophe. In this sentence Orpheus has again been directly addressed. the word "verzehrte" is a reference to his being torn apart by the Maenads.
[19] hin: Hyperbaton. The normal word order would be "Wo sinkt sie aus mir hin?"
[20] . . . The first of two ellipses. In the first instance to slow the pace. Ellipsis: A mark or series of marks: (. . .) for example, used in writing or printing to indicate an omission, especially of letters or words.
[21] Ein Mädchen fast . . . : An epanodos, since the order of ". . . fast ein Mächen" at the beginning of the Sonett has been reversed. Also a scesis onomaton, since there is no verb. The ellipse at the end of the poem serves to agogically create a diminuendo. The phrase "fast ein Mädchen" in its reversed form serves as an inclusio encompassing the whole poem. Epanodos: The repetition of a group of words in reverse order. Scesis onamaton: Omission of the only verb of a sentence. Ellipse: A mark or series of marks: ( . . . ) for example, used in writing or printing to indicate an omission, especially of letters or words. Agogic Accent: An accent caused by relative prolongation of the word to be emphasized. Common in French poetry. Inclusio: A repeated phrase or word which surrounds the main text.