It has been of primary importance for me
    1) to stay close to the very words that Rilke used and when
    translating
    2) to keep to his poetic ideas.
In that way the reader comes closest to discovering the poet himself.

I have attempted to compensate for Rilke's rhyme by using rhyme within
the verse and by positioning his words with an ear to the word-music
which the meaning allows.                                                              

    Charles L. Cingolani