Skip to main content

1902RilkeRM

  

Works of art that mention ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) are extremely rare. One such work is the poem «Der Schauende» (He Who Visions, The Seer, The Man Watching, The Beholder) by Rainer Rilke. Below is the original text in German.


 

Der Schauende

1. Ich sehe den Bäumen die Stürme an, die aus laugewordenen Tagen an meine ängstlichen Fenster schlagen, und höre die Fernen Dinge sagen, die ich nicht ohne Freund ertragen, nicht ohne Schwester lieben kann.

2. Da geht der Sturm, ein Umgestalter, geht durch den Wald und durch die Zeit, und alles ist wie ohne Alter: die Landschaft, wie ein Vers im Psalter, ist Ernst und Wucht und Ewigkeit.

3. Wie ist das klein, womit wir ringen, was mit uns ringt, wie ist das groß; ließen wir, ähnlicher den Dingen, uns so vom großen Sturm bezwingen, - wir würden weit und namenlos.

4. Was wir besiegen, ist das Kleine, und der Erfolg selbst macht uns klein. Das Ewige und Ungemeine will nicht von uns gebogen sein. Das ist der Engel, der den Ringern des Alten Testaments erschien: wenn seiner Widersacher Sehnen im Kampfe sich metallen dehnen, fühlt er sie unter seinen Fingern wie Saiten tiefer Melodien.

5. Wen dieser Engel überwand, welcher so oft auf Kampf verzichtet, der geht gerecht und aufgerichtet und groß aus jener harten Hand, die sich, wie formend, an ihn schmiegte. Die Siege laden ihn nicht -ein. Sein Wachstum ist: der Tiefbesiegte von immer Größerem zu sein.

(Rainer Rilke, Berlin-Schmargendorf, Mitte Januar, 1901)


Translation of quote

[Eng]

The Man Watching

...
4. When we win it's with small things, 
and the triumph itself makes us small. 
What is extraordinary and eternal
does not want to be bent by us. 
I mean the Angel who appeared
to the wrestlers of the Old Testament:
when the wrestlers' sinews 
grew long like metal strings, 
he felt them under his fingers 
like chords of deep music.
...

(Translated by Robert Bly, 1981)

  

1902RilkeRM


1906RilkeRM



External links

Rilke RM. Das Buch der Bilder. Berlin: Axel Juncker Verlag, 1902. [dfg-viewer.de]

Rilke RM. Das Buch der Bilder. Berlin, Leipzig, Stuttgart: Axel Juncker Verlag, 1906. [archive.org]

Bly R. Selected Poems of Rainer Maria Rilke: A Translation from the German and Commentary by Robert Bly. New York: Harper & Row, 1981. [archive.org]


Authors & Affiliations

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926), was an Austrian poet and novelist. [wikipedia.org]

 

Rainer Maria Rilke (18 September 1900) Unknown author; original in the wikimedia.org collection (CC0 – Public Domain, no changes).


Robert Elwood Bly (1926-2021) was an American poet, essayist. [wikipedia.org]


Commentary

The penultimate paragraph of the poem is a reference to the verses of the 32nd chapter of the Book of Genesis (Bereshit) 32:24-33:

24  And  he  took  them,  and  sent  them  over  the  stream,  and  sent  over  what  he  had.

25  And  Jacob  was  left  alone;  and  there  wrestled  a  man  with  him  until  the  breaking  of  the  day.

26  And  when  he  saw  that  he  could  not  pre  vail  against  him,  he  struck  against  the  hollow of  his  thigh ;  and  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  was  put  out  of  joint,  as  he  was  wrestling  with  him.

27  And  he  said,  Let  me  go,  for  the  day  hath  dawned.  And  he  said,  I  will  not  let  thee  go  until  thou  hast  blessed  me.

28  And  he  said  unto  him.  What  is  thy  name  ?  and  he  said,  Jacob.

29  And  he  said,  Not  Jacob  shall  any  more  be  called  thy  name,  but  Israel ;  for  as  a  prince  hast  thou  power  with  God  and  with  men,  and  hast  prevailed.

30  And  Jacob  asked  him,  and  said.  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  thy  name.  And  he  said,  Wherefore  is  it  that  thou  dost  ask  after  my  name  ?   And  he  blessed  him  there.

31  And  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  place  Peniёl :  for  I  have  seen  an  angel  of  God  face  to  face,  and  my  life  hath  been  preserved.

32  And  the  sun  rose  unto  him  as  he  passed  by  Penuёl,  and  he  halted  upon  his  thigh.

33  Therefore  do  the  children  of  Israel  not  eat  the  sinew  which  shrank,  which  is  upon  the  hollow  of  the  thigh,  unto  this  day;  because  he  struck  against  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh  on  the  sinew  that  shrank.  (from 1922LeeserI)


Leeser I. The twenty-four books of the Holy Scriptures. Carefully translated according to the Massoretic text, on the basis of the English version after the best Jewish authorities and supplied with short explanatory notes by Isaac Leeser. New York: Bloch Pub. Co., 1922. [archive.org]


Keywords

ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, mention, Bible, poetry


                                                                    

NB! Fair practice / use: copied for the purposes of criticism, review, comment, research and private study in accordance with Copyright Laws of the US: 17 U.S.C. §107; Copyright Law of the EU: Dir. 2001/29/EC, art.5/3a,d; Copyright Law of the RU: ГК РФ ст.1274/1.1-2,7


Imaginative Literature


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

ACETABULAR CANAL

   Acetabular Canal  (Anatomy, topography and significance of the functioning area of ​​the ligamentum capitis femoris) Acetabular Canal.  Part 1.   This article describes the space where the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) attaches and functions.  Acetabular Canal.  Part 2.   This article describes the space where the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) attaches and functions.  Acetabular Canal.  Part 3.   This article describes the space where the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) attaches and functions.  Topography of the Acetabular Canal. Classification   Pathology of the Acetabular Canal . Classification BLOG CONTENT THE DOCTRINE OF LCF MORPHOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY                                                                           ...

Great Compilation. Chapter 49

  English version of the article:  Архипов СВ. Книга Берешит как великая компиляция текстов и смыслов Второго переходного периода Египта: пилотная культурологическая, медицинская, археологическая и текстологическая экспертиза преданий против традиционной атрибуции. Введение.  О круглой связке бедра . 14.02.2026 .  The text in Russian is available at the following link:  2026АрхиповСВ .    The Book of Genesis as a Great Compilation of Texts and Meanings from the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt: A Pilot Culturological, Medical, Archaeological, and Textological Examination of the Legends versus Traditional Attribution.  Chapter 49   By Sergey V. Arkhipov, MD, PhD   CONTENT [i]   Abstract [ii]   Book of Genesis. Chapter 49 Analysis [iii]   Notes to Chapter 49 [iv]   AI Agent's Conclusion [v]   Content [vi]   External links [vii]   Application [i]   Abstract The Book of Genesis (Bereshith) was compo...

BIOMECHANICS OF THE HIP JOINT WITHOUT LCF

  Biomechanics of the hip joint without LCF Do you remember the comparison of the ligamentum teres with the spring element of a cart? ( 1874SavoryWS ). An analogy could arise after reading the book Bell J. The Principles of Surgery (1801) . Most orthopedists still think so. For more details see: https://roundligament.blogspot.com/2024/04/1836-1840partridger.html   &  1836-1840PartridgeR   (remembering the history of orthopedics) #ligamentum_teres   #ligamentum_capitis_femoris   #hip   #biomechanics    Publication in the facebook group 03/28/2025.                                                                                                                   ...

Tweet of June 20 2025

  The first mention of #ligamentum_capitis_femoris ( #ligamentum_teres ) in history is in Akkadian: "nimšu". Read more in our article in Russian: https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2025/06/lcf.html Tweet of June 20 2025 #hip   #ligamentum_capitis_femoris BLOG CONTENT TWITTER OR X                                                                                                           

Human Children. Retelling of Chapter 8

  Short retelling of chapter 1 of the essay: Arkhipov S.V. Human Children: The Origins of Biblical Legends from a Physician's Perspective. Joensuu: Author's Edition, 2025. [In Russian]  Chapter 8. THE LAND OF NOD Cain’s family settled in the land of "Nod," where they established a "city." We propose this tribal group followed a route later known as the Great Khorasan Road, leading Cain, son of Adam, to the Kermanshah Valley in the central Zagros Mountains. There, we believe he founded the settlement of "Enoch," its remnants linked to the archaeological site of Sheikh-e Abad (34°36'42"N, 47°16'11"E). In this village, the newcomers mastered musical instruments, developed metalworking techniques, and some adopted nomadic herding, living in "tents with flocks." As a farmer, Cain likely preserved knowledge of agriculture. Favorable conditions, division of labor, and acquired skills probably fueled population growth among thes...

Great Compilation. Chapter 48

  English version of the article:  Архипов СВ. Книга Берешит как великая компиляция текстов и смыслов Второго переходного периода Египта: пилотная культурологическая, медицинская, археологическая и текстологическая экспертиза преданий против традиционной атрибуции. Введение.  О круглой связке бедра . 14.02.2026 .  The text in Russian is available at the following link:  2026АрхиповСВ .    The Book of Genesis as a Great Compilation of Texts and Meanings from the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt: A Pilot Culturological, Medical, Archaeological, and Textological Examination of the Legends versus Traditional Attribution.  Chapter 48   By Sergey V. Arkhipov, MD, PhD   CONTENT [i]   Abstract [ii]   Book of Genesis. Chapter 48 Analysis [iii]   Notes to Chapter 48 [iv]   AI Agent's Conclusion [v]   Content [vi]   External links [vii]   Application [i]   Abstract The Book of Genesis (Bereshith) was compo...

Online Journal «ABOUT ROUND LIGAMENT OF FEMUR», February 2025

    SCIENTIFIC THEMATIC ONLINE JOURNAL « About Round Ligament of Femur » February, 2025 The publication is dedicated to the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) and related topics.   About the Journal The online journal  « About Round Ligament of  Femur »   was created based on the scientific blog of the same name. Updates: As new materials are prepared.  Purpose:  Popularization and preservation of knowledge about LCF, as well as promoting its practical application. Main goal: Improvement of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries and diseases of the hip joint.   Announcements 25.02.2025 A Facebook group « LIGAMENTUM CAPITIS FEMORIS »  has been created.  26.02.2025 The scientific blog « About Round Ligament of Femur » has been transformed into an online journal of the same name.   Surgical Treatment ...

Australopithecus afarensis

  AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFARENSIS In 1735, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) placed humans as a species «Homo nosce te ipsum» in the order Anthropomorpha along with monkeys and sloths (1735LinneC). In a publication in 1758, the naturalist transferred humans to the order Primates (1758LinneC). Today, humans and chimpanzees are united in the tribe Hominini, as descended from a common ancestor (2001GrovesCP). It has been established that the chromosome that distinguishes humans from monkeys was formed before 4.5 Ma (2022PoszewieckaB_GambinA). The hominin subfamily Sahelanthropus tchadensis lived in the Republic of Chad (Central Africa) from 7.2±0.31 to 6.8±0.45 Ma (2008LebatardAE_BrunetM; 2012ReynoldsSC_GallagherA). Reconstruction of its musculoskeletal system showed that the creature could have been an upright bipedal primate (2005ZollikoferCP_BrunetM). Fossils of what is probably the first bipedal representative of the hominid family Orrorin tugenensis, lived 6.1-5.7 Ma and still retained adapta...

Great Compilation. Chapter 40

  English version of the article:  Архипов СВ. Книга Берешит как великая компиляция текстов и смыслов Второго переходного периода Египта: пилотная культурологическая, медицинская, археологическая и текстологическая экспертиза преданий против традиционной атрибуции. Введение.  О круглой связке бедра . 14.02.2026 .  The text in Russian is available at the following link:  2026АрхиповСВ .    The Book of Genesis as a Great Compilation of Texts and Meanings from the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt: A Pilot Culturological, Medical, Archaeological, and Textological Examination of the Legends versus Traditional Attribution.  Chapter 41   By Sergey V. Arkhipov, MD, PhD   CONTENT [i]   Abstract [ii]   Book of Genesis. Chapter 41 Analysis [iii]   Notes to Chapter 41 [iv]   AI Agent's Conclusion [v]   Content [vi]   External links [vii]   Application [i]   Abstract The Book of Genesis (Bereshith) was compo...

Online Journal «ABOUT ROUND LIGAMENT OF FEMUR», December 2025

  The journal is dedicated to the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) and related topics   About the Journal   »»»                                                                                . The online journal  « About Round Ligament of  Femur »   was created based on the scientific blog of the same name. The resource is the English-language part of the project:  ONLINE JOURNAL:  Ligamentum capitis femoris .   Updates:  As new materials are prepared. Mission :   Popularization and preservation of knowledge about LCF, as well as promoting its practical application. Main goal:  Improvement of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries and diseases of the hip joint. Publisher:  Arkhipov S.V., independent researc...