Translated by Babette Deutsch
- From the 2009 Preface, by Ursula Le Guin
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- Now the hour bows down, it touches me, throbs
- You, neighbor God, if sometimes in the night
- If only there were stillness, full, complete
- I read it in your word, and learn it from
- I am, you anxious one. Do you not hear me
- No, my life is not this precipitous hour
- If I had grown up in a land where days
- In all these things I cherish as a brother . . .
- We are all workmen: prentice, journeyman,
- What will you do, God, when I die?
- The first word that you ever spoke was: light.
- The light shouts in your tree-top, and the face
- Put out my eyes, and I can see you still;
- Although, as from a prison walled with hate,
- You are the future, the great sunrise red
- The sovereigns of the world are old
- All will grow great and powerful again:
- Already ripening barberries grow red,
- Do not be troubled, God, though they say “mine”
The Floating Library 
WOW!this is incredible!
Just thought I’d comment on your post – as I thought you might be interested that I’ve released an album called “Widening Circles”. I have become totally smitten by Rilke and so the album features the english translation of a handful of the poems from the Book of Hours set to my compositions.
You can watch a short film of the recording process
here ==> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIkfYDRLuls
You can have a listen to the album to see if you like it
here ==> http://www.thepoatinatree.com.au
thanks
Spike