  We have investigated crystal field and phonon dynamics of the multiferroic
orthoferrite DyFeO$_3$ via polarized infrared spectroscopy. Reflectance of
single crystals was measured in the far- to mid-infrared spectral range at
range of temperatures from 10-295 K. We observe a strongly anisotropic phonon
spectrum which differs from earlier lattice dynamical calculations in its
symmetry, as well as a mode with significant and unusual temperature dependence
that we interpret as a coupled phonon-crystal-field excitation.
