{"work":{"slug":"baudelaire","title":{"source":"Les Fleurs du mal","translated":"The Flowers of Evil"},"author":"Charles Baudelaire","language":"French","languageCode":"fr","url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire"},"unit":{"kind":"poem","number":null,"id":"a-une-dame-creole","title":{"source":"À une dame créole","translated":"To a Creole Lady"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/a-une-dame-creole","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/franciscae-meae-laudes","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/moesta-et-errabunda","license":"Source text: public domain (Charles Baudelaire, d. 1867). English translation: © 2026 1732 Studios, LLC — original draft, pending editorial review.","audioBase":null,"lines":[{"number":1,"label":"1","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s1-l1","source":"Au pays parfumé que le soleil caresse,","translation":"In the perfumed land the sun caresses,","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Au pays parfumé","title":"«le pays parfumé» — the fragrant land","body":"«parfumé» is the past participle of «parfumer», 'to perfume, to scent', used here as an adjective: 'the scented / fragrant land'. The unnamed «pays» is the tropics — the island of Mauritius (then the French Île de France; Île Bourbon was the neighbouring Réunion), which Baudelaire had visited; the whole opening line steeps the poem in heat and perfume before the lady even appears."}],"words":[{"surface":"Au","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition (contraction of à+le)","role":"preposition marking pays","gloss":"in the"},{"surface":"pays","lemma":"pays","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"land"},{"surface":"parfumé","lemma":"parfumer","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies pays","gloss":"perfumed"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"direct object of caresse, introduces the relative clause on pays","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of soleil","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"soleil","lemma":"soleil","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of caresse","gloss":"sun"},{"surface":"caresse","lemma":"caresser","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"relative clause on pays","gloss":"caresses"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s1-l2","source":"J'ai connu, sous un dais d'arbres tout empourprés","translation":"I knew, beneath a canopy of crimson-flushed trees","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"tout empourprés","title":"«empourpré» — flushed crimson","body":"«empourpré» is built on «pourpre» (purple, crimson) with the verb «empourprer», 'to flush / dye crimson'. The trees that form the «dais» (canopy, baldachin) are «tout empourprés», all flushed crimson — the deep purple-red of tropical blossom that turns the grove into a royal canopy over the lady."}],"words":[{"surface":"J'","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of connu","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"ai","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"depends on connu","gloss":"have"},{"surface":"connu","lemma":"connaître","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"known"},{"surface":"sous","lemma":"sous","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking dais","gloss":"beneath"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of dais","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"dais","lemma":"dais","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"depends on connu","gloss":"canopy"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking arbres","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"arbres","lemma":"arbre","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"modifies dais","gloss":"trees"},{"surface":"tout","lemma":"tout","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies empourprés","gloss":"wholly"},{"surface":"empourprés","lemma":"empourprer","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, plural","role":"modifies arbres","gloss":"crimson-flushed"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s1-l3","source":"Et de palmiers d'où pleut sur les yeux la paresse,","translation":"And of palms from which a languor rains upon the eyes,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"d'où pleut sur les yeux la paresse","title":"«pleuvoir» used transitively, with inversion","body":"«pleuvoir» (to rain) is normally impersonal, but here it rains a thing: «la paresse» (idleness, languor) is the subject, placed after the verb in poetic inversion — 'from which languor rains down upon the eyes'. The image makes drowsiness fall like light or dew from the palm-fronds onto the onlooker."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking palmiers","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"palmiers","lemma":"palmier","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"coordinated with arbres","gloss":"palms"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of pleut","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"où","lemma":"où","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"oblique argument of pleut","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"pleut","lemma":"pleuvoir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"rains"},{"surface":"sur","lemma":"sur","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking yeux","gloss":"upon"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of yeux","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"yeux","lemma":"oeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"object of sur","gloss":"eyes"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of paresse","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"paresse","lemma":"paresse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of pleut","gloss":"languor"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s1-l4","source":"Une dame créole aux charmes ignorés.","translation":"A Creole lady of charms still unknown.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"aux charmes ignorés","title":"«à» + article describing a person","body":"The construction «aux charmes ignorés» uses «à» (contracted to «aux» before a plural) to attach a defining feature: 'with / having charms that are unknown'. «ignorés» here means 'unrecognized, undiscovered' rather than 'ignored' — her beauty has not yet been noticed by the wider world, the very point the sonnet's second half develops."}],"words":[{"surface":"Une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of dame","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"dame","lemma":"dame","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"lady"},{"surface":"créole","lemma":"créole","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies dame","gloss":"Creole"},{"surface":"aux","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition (contraction of à+les)","role":"preposition marking charmes","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"charmes","lemma":"charme","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"modifies dame","gloss":"charms"},{"surface":"ignorés","lemma":"ignorer","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies charmes","gloss":"unknown"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s2-l1","source":"Son teint est pâle et chaud; la brune enchanteresse","translation":"Her complexion is pale and warm; the dark enchantress","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"la brune enchanteresse","title":"«enchanteresse» — the feminine of «enchanteur»","body":"«enchanteresse» is the feminine form of «enchanteur» (enchanter, sorcerer): 'enchantress, sorceress'. Paired with «brune» ('dark-haired, dark') it fixes the lady's colouring — pale-and-warm skin under dark hair — and casts her, lightly, as a figure who casts a spell."}],"words":[{"surface":"Son","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of teint","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"teint","lemma":"teint","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of pâle","gloss":"complexion"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking to pâle","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"pâle","lemma":"pâle","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"pale"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"chaud","lemma":"chaud","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with pâle","gloss":"warm"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of brune","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"brune","lemma":"brun","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies enchanteresse","gloss":"dark"},{"surface":"enchanteresse","lemma":"enchanteresse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"enchantress"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s2-l2","source":"A dans le cou des airs noblement maniérés;","translation":"Carries in her neck a bearing nobly mannered;","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"des airs noblement maniérés","title":"«des airs» — manner, bearing","body":"«un air» (plural «des airs») here means a 'look, manner, bearing' rather than 'air' in the sense of breeze or tune. «des airs noblement maniérés» = 'a nobly mannered bearing': the carriage of her neck has a studied, aristocratic grace. The verb is «A» (from «avoir»), 'she has', placed at the head of the line."}],"words":[{"surface":"A","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"carries"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking cou","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of cou","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"cou","lemma":"cou","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of dans","gloss":"neck"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of airs","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"airs","lemma":"air","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of A","gloss":"bearing"},{"surface":"noblement","lemma":"noblement","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies maniérés","gloss":"nobly"},{"surface":"maniérés","lemma":"maniérer","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies airs","gloss":"mannered"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s2-l3","source":"Grande et svelte en marchant comme une chasseresse,","translation":"Tall and slender as she walks, like a huntress,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"comme une chasseresse","title":"«chasseresse» — huntress","body":"«chasseresse» is the poetic feminine of «chasseur» (hunter): 'huntress'. The word carries an echo of Diana, the chaste huntress-goddess, lending the lady's stride a tall, athletic, almost divine poise — «Grande et svelte en marchant», tall and slim as she walks."}],"words":[{"surface":"Grande","lemma":"grand","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"tall"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"svelte","lemma":"svelte","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"coordinated with Grande","gloss":"slender"},{"surface":"en","lemma":"en","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of marchant","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"marchant","lemma":"marcher","morphology":"verb, present, participle","role":"adverbial clause on Grande","gloss":"walking"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking chasseresse","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of chasseresse","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"chasseresse","lemma":"chasseresse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of marchant","gloss":"huntress"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s2-l4","source":"Son sourire est tranquille et ses yeux assurés.","translation":"Her smile is tranquil and her eyes assured.","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Son","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of sourire","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"sourire","lemma":"sourire","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of tranquille","gloss":"smile"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking to tranquille","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"tranquille","lemma":"tranquille","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"tranquil"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"ses","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of yeux","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"yeux","lemma":"oeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of assurés","gloss":"eyes"},{"surface":"assurés","lemma":"assurer","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"predicate complement of yeux (elided être)","gloss":"assured"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s3-l1","source":"Si vous alliez, Madame, au vrai pays de gloire,","translation":"If you were to go, Madame, to the true land of glory,","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Si vous alliez","title":"«si» + imperfect → conditional sentence","body":"«alliez» is the imperfect of «aller» (to go). With «si» it opens a hypothesis about the future-as-possibility: «Si vous alliez… vous feriez…» — 'If you were to go… you would make…'. The whole sestet hangs on this one conditional: were she to come to France, she would inspire countless sonnets."}],"words":[{"surface":"Si","lemma":"si","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clause of alliez","gloss":"if"},{"surface":"vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"subject of alliez","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"alliez","lemma":"aller","morphology":"verb, imperfect, indicative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"were to go"},{"surface":"Madame","lemma":"madame","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct address","gloss":"Madame"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition (contraction of à+le)","role":"preposition marking pays","gloss":"to the"},{"surface":"vrai","lemma":"vrai","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies pays","gloss":"true"},{"surface":"pays","lemma":"pays","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of alliez","gloss":"land"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking gloire","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"gloire","lemma":"gloire","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies pays","gloss":"glory"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s3-l2","source":"Sur les bords de la Seine ou de la verte Loire,","translation":"On the banks of the Seine or of the green Loire,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Sur","lemma":"sur","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking bords","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of bords","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"bords","lemma":"bord","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"banks"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking Seine","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of Seine","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Seine","lemma":"Seine","morphology":"proper noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies bords","gloss":"Seine"},{"surface":"ou","lemma":"ou","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"or"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking Loire","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of Loire","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"verte","lemma":"vert","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies Loire","gloss":"green"},{"surface":"Loire","lemma":"Loire","morphology":"proper noun, feminine, singular","role":"coordinated with Seine","gloss":"Loire"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s3-l3","source":"Belle digne d'orner les antiques manoirs,","translation":"Beauty worthy to adorn the ancient manors,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"digne d'orner","title":"«digne de» + infinitive","body":"«digne de» means 'worthy of'; followed by an infinitive it gives 'worthy to do'. «Belle digne d'orner les antiques manoirs» = 'Beauty worthy to adorn the ancient manor-houses'. «Belle» is used as a noun of direct address — 'O beautiful one' — continuing the «Madame» of the stanza's first line."}],"words":[{"surface":"Belle","lemma":"beau","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular, used as a noun","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"beauty"},{"surface":"digne","lemma":"digne","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies Belle","gloss":"worthy"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of orner","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"orner","lemma":"orner","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of digne","gloss":"adorn"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of manoirs","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"antiques","lemma":"antique","morphology":"adjective, plural","role":"modifies manoirs","gloss":"ancient"},{"surface":"manoirs","lemma":"manoir","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of orner","gloss":"manors"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s4-l1","source":"Vous feriez, à l'abri des ombreuses retraites","translation":"You would make, sheltered in the shadowy retreats,","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"à l'abri des ombreuses retraites","title":"«à l'abri de» — sheltered by / in","body":"«à l'abri de» is a fixed phrase, 'sheltered from / under cover of'. Here it locates the action in cool, shaded seclusion — «les ombreuses retraites», the shadowy retreats of the manor parks. «Vous feriez» is the conditional of «faire» ('you would make'), the main clause answering «Si vous alliez» from the previous stanza; its object, «mille sonnets», arrives on the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"Vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"subject of feriez","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"feriez","lemma":"faire","morphology":"verb, conditional, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"would make"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking abri","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of abri","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"abri","lemma":"abri","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"depends on feriez","gloss":"shelter"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition (contraction of de+les)","role":"preposition marking retraites","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"ombreuses","lemma":"ombreux","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies retraites","gloss":"shadowy"},{"surface":"retraites","lemma":"retraite","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"modifies abri","gloss":"retreats"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s4-l2","source":"Germer mille sonnets dans le coeur des poètes,","translation":"A thousand sonnets germinate in the hearts of poets,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Germer mille sonnets","title":"«faire germer» — to make sprout","body":"This line completes «Vous feriez… germer» (lines spanning the stanza): «faire» + infinitive is the causative, 'to make / cause to happen'. «germer» means 'to germinate, sprout, bud'. So 'you would make a thousand sonnets sprout in the hearts of poets' — her beauty plants poems like seeds in the poets she meets."}],"words":[{"surface":"Germer","lemma":"germer","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of feriez","gloss":"germinate"},{"surface":"mille","lemma":"mille","morphology":"numeral","role":"quantifies sonnets","gloss":"a thousand"},{"surface":"sonnets","lemma":"sonnet","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"logical subject of Germer","gloss":"sonnets"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking coeur","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of coeur","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"coeur","lemma":"coeur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"depends on Germer","gloss":"heart"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition (contraction of de+les)","role":"preposition marking poètes","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"poètes","lemma":"poète","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"modifies coeur","gloss":"poets"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"a-une-dame-creole-s4-l3","source":"Que vos grands yeux rendraient plus soumis que vos noirs.","translation":"Whom your great eyes would render more enslaved than your blacks.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"rendraient plus soumis","title":"«rendre» + adjective — to make (something) something","body":"«rendre» followed by an adjective means 'to make (someone) + adjective': «rendraient plus soumis» = 'would make (them) more submissive'. The conditional «rendraient» (from «rendre») keeps the hypothesis alive to the last word. «Que» refers back to «les poètes»: her great eyes would leave the poets even more in thrall — «plus soumis que vos noirs» — than the enslaved people of her island, a closing comparison whose colonial bluntness now reads as a mark of its 1840s origin."}],"words":[{"surface":"Que","lemma":"que","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"direct object of rendraient","gloss":"whom"},{"surface":"vos","lemma":"votre","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of yeux","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"grands","lemma":"grand","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies yeux","gloss":"great"},{"surface":"yeux","lemma":"oeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of rendraient","gloss":"eyes"},{"surface":"rendraient","lemma":"rendre","morphology":"verb, conditional, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"would render"},{"surface":"plus","lemma":"plus","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies soumis","gloss":"more"},{"surface":"soumis","lemma":"soumettre","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"predicate complement of rendraient","gloss":"submissive"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"conjunction, comparative","role":"introduces the comparison","gloss":"than"},{"surface":"vos","lemma":"votre","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of noirs","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"noirs","lemma":"noir","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural, used substantively","role":"object of comparison introduced by que","gloss":"blacks","note":"\"Vos noirs\" refers to enslaved Black people on colonial plantations — dated, now-offensive usage typical of Baudelaire's era."}]}]}