Arts & Sciences

Song of the Statue

by Rainer Maria Rilke 1875–1926

Translated by Jessie Lemont (1918) · From The Book of Pictures

Arts & Sciences

Who so loveth me that he
Will give his precious life for me?
I shall be set free from the stone
If some one drowns for me in the sea,
I shall have life, life of my own,--
For life I ache.

I long for the singing blood,
The stone is so still and cold.
I dream of life, life is good.
Will no one love me and be bold
And me awake?

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I weep and weep alone,
Weep always for my stone.
What joy is my blood to me
If it ripens like red wine?
It cannot call back from the sea
The life that was given for mine,
Given for Love's sake.

MLA

Rilke, Rainer Maria. “Song of the Statue.” Translated by Jessie Lemont. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/rilke/12/.

Chicago

Rilke, Rainer Maria. “Song of the Statue.” Translated by Jessie Lemont. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/rilke/12/.

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