Rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFF GGE. The predominant meter is dactylic with many examples of Adonic lines and Adonic lines plus one syllable. This is the second of three sonnets with short verses in dactylic meter. In contrast to the preceding sonnet which extoled the distant past, this sonnet outlines the dangers of the modern machine age.
Hörst du das Neue,[1] Herr,[2]
Do you hear the news, master,
dröhnen uud beben?[3]
rumbling (droning)and shaking?
Kommen Verkündiger,[4]
Prophets are coming,
die es erheben.
who extol it.
Zwar ist kein Hören heil[5]
Certainly no hearing is unscathed
in dem Durchtobtsein,[6]
within the ravenging commotion,
doch der Maschinenteil
Yet the machine part
will jetzt gelobt sein.[7]
now wants to be praised.
Sieh, die Maschine:
Behold, the machine;
wie sie sich wälzt und rächt
how it rolls on and takes its toll on us
und uns entstellt und schwächt.[8]
and replaces us and weakens us.
Hat sie aus uns auch Kraft,[9]
Though it derive strength from us,
sie, ohne Leidenschaft,
lacking passion,
treibe und diene.[10]
let it further function and serve.
Hörst du das Neue, Herr,
Witness the new, master,
dröhnen uud beben?
droning and shaking?
Kommen Verkündiger,
Here come proclaimer,
die es erheben.
it elevating.
Zwar ist kein Hören heil
Yet is no hearing hale
in dem Durchtobtsein,
in the turbulence,
doch der Maschinenteil
yet the machine travail
will jetzt gelobt sein.
needs our reverence.
Sieh, die Maschine:
Regard the machine:
wie sie sich wälzt und rächt
as it subverts and spurts
und uns entstellt und schwächt.
and displaces and hurts.
Hat sie aus uns auch Kraft,
Though it receive our might,
sie, ohne Leidenschaft,
let it, lacking insight,
treibe und diene.
serve us as routine.
[1] das Neue: Another "Substantivierung des Adjetives" whereby an noun is created by capitalizing an adjective and placing it into the neuter case. Here it means something new. The German noun "die Nachrichten" is used for the evening "news reporting" or for "reports" in general. The very general noun "das Neue" means anything at all "new" or "novel."
[2] Herr: Normally means master, but here refers to Orpheus.
[3] drönen und beben: After "hören" the infinitive is used. The two verbs "drönen und beben" create an assonance with the "en" ending and the two long vowels. Also note that all of the short verses are adonic lines and the longer verses are an adonic line plus one further syllable. Assonance: Resemblance of sound, especially of the vowel sounds in words. The "Adonic line" is "composed in 5 syllables, a dactyl followed by a trochee.
[4] Kommen Verkündiger: Since there is no question mark at the end of the sentence, this is a statement rather than a question. In normal German one would say "Es kommen Verkündiger. . ." but the "Es" can be eliminated in more prophetic or elevated language.
[5] Hören heil: 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.
[6] Durchtobtsein: The first example so far in the Sonette of a three-part compound word made up of "durch" "toben" and "sein," the latter being used as a gerund to create a general noun. It fits the context of machine language which is very technical and technical words in German are frequently made up of multiple elements.
[7] doch der Maschinenteil/will jetzt gelobt sein.: In desiring to be praised, the machine has been personified meaning that the proclaimers have elevated it into humankind. Personification: As a manner of speech endowing nonhuman objects, abstractions, or creatures with life and human characteristics.
[8] wie sie sich wälzt und rächt/und uns entstellt und schwächt.: An interesting use of polysyndeton to emphasize the endlessness of the effects on humans of factory work, especially on an assembly line. The use of "rächt" and "schwächt" is significant, since it continues the personification and turns it into something malignant and threatening. Also note the threefold use of the "ä" as further emphasis on the monotony of such mind-numbing work. Polysyndeton; The repetition of conjunctions, normally "and." Personification: As a manner of speech endowing nonhuman objects, abstractions, or creatures with life and human characteristics.
[9] Hat sie aus uns auch Kraft: When the sentence begins with a verb as in verse 3 and does not end in a question mark, besides the reason given in footnote 4, there is also a usage wherein the verb at the beginning signifies that normally the conjunction "wenn" meaning "if" or "whenever" is indicated. The normal sentence would be "Auch wenn sie aus uns Kraft hat. . ."I could not find this rule in Duden, but found an example in a grammatical explanation "Hat der Sprecher die Unterordnung von Sätzen im Auge, dann deutet . . ."
[10] sie, ohne Leidenschaft,/treibe und diene.: You may wonder why the the "sie" does not come after the verbs "treibe" and "diene" following a subordinate clause. The reason is that "sie . . . treibe und diene" is a third person command in Konjunktiv I indicated by the "e" ending instead of a "t" on the two verbs. The "sie" is actually the direct object thereof. This very formal form corresponds to the English "let there be . . . ." For example "Es werde Licht" is translated as "Let there be light."