Prayers of a Young Poet

This volume marks the first translation of these prayer-poems into English. Originally written in 1899, Rilke wrote them upon returning to Germany from his first trip to Russia. His experience of the East shaped him profoundly. He found himself entranced by Orthodox churches and monasteries, above all by the icons that seemed to him like flames glowing in dark spaces. He intended these poems as icons of sorts, gestures that could illumine a way for seekers in the darkness. As Rilke here writes, "I love the dark hours of my being, / for they deepen my senses."

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) was one of the most important German-language poets and writers of the early 20th century. His other poetry collections include Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus.

Mark S. Burrows is scholar, poet, and teacher, known internationally for his work on theology and spirituality, mysticism and poetics. For more than two decades he taught in several graduate theological schools in the US and Germany. He is also a translator of German poetry and prose into English, and currently lives and teaches in Germany. Recent publications include his widely-celebrated translation of Rilke, Prayers of a Young Poet (Paraclete), and Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart (Hampton Roads).