This is quick (not verifying). Rilke was quite fluent in French, he was employed by Rodin (of all people) as a secretary, and lived in Paris for 10(?) years. But only toward the end of his life, did he suddenly start writing French poems. He wrote enough to fill up a book of at least an inch in width - mainly short lyrics. This activity came after the Duino Elegies, and the Sonnets to Orpheus, etc. i.e. after his major work was complete.
This lyric was set to music by Barber & also Paul Hindemith. In my H.S. choir, we sang the Hindemith pieces - they are very brief, but lovely. So, this was actually one of the first poems of Rilke I knew. I later went on to the German poems, which have great power.
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This lyric was set to music by Barber & also Paul Hindemith. In my H.S. choir, we sang the Hindemith pieces - they are very brief, but lovely. So, this was actually one of the first poems of Rilke I knew. I later went on to the German poems, which have great power.
A YouTube link to the Hindemith Six Chansons.
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