Although The Book of Hours is the work of Rilke's youth, it contains the germ of his mature convictions. Written as spontaneously as received prayers, these poems celebrate a God who is not the Creator of the Universe but is rather humanity itself, and, above all, that most intensely conscious part of humanity, the artist. Babette Deutsch's classic translations capture the rich harmony and suggestive imagery of the originals, allowing interpretations both religious and philosophical and transporting the reader to new heights of inspirations and musicality.