{"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":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom","title":{"source":"Je te donne ces vers afin que si mon nom","translated":"I give you these verses so that if my name"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/un-fantome","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/semper-eadem","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":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s1-l1","source":"Je te donne ces vers afin que si mon nom","translation":"I give you these verses so that if my name","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"afin que si mon nom … Aborde","title":"«afin que» + subjunctive of purpose","body":"«afin que» ('so that, in order that') introduces a purpose clause and takes the subjunctive. «Aborde» (line 2), though, belongs to the nested «si» ('if') clause — and «si» takes the indicative, so «Aborde» is the present indicative of «aborder». The verbs «afin que» actually governs, in the subjunctive, are «Fatigue» and «Reste» in the second quatrain. The whole poem is one suspended sentence: 'I give you these verses so that, if my name reaches distant ages …, your memory should hang from my proud rhymes.' The «si» ('if') condition nests inside the «afin que» purpose."}],"words":[{"surface":"Je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of donne","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"te","lemma":"te","morphology":"pronoun, singular, second-person","role":"indirect object of donne","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"donne","lemma":"donner","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"give"},{"surface":"ces","lemma":"ce","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of vers","gloss":"these"},{"surface":"vers","lemma":"vers","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of donne","gloss":"verses"},{"surface":"afin","lemma":"afin","morphology":"adverb","role":"part of afin que (purpose clause)","gloss":"so"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"part of afin que (purpose clause)","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"si","lemma":"si","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the conditional clause (si mon nom...)","gloss":"if"},{"surface":"mon","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of nom","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"nom","lemma":"nom","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of Aborde (next line)","gloss":"name"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s1-l2","source":"Aborde heureusement aux époques lointaines,","translation":"should happily reach the far-off ages,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Aborde … aux époques lointaines","title":"«aborder» — to land, to come to shore","body":"«aborder» literally means 'to come alongside, to land (a ship)'. Set against «Vaisseau» (vessel) two lines down, it makes the poet's name a ship making landfall «aux époques lointaines» — putting in at distant ages as at a far coast. «heureusement» here keeps its older force, 'with good fortune', not merely 'luckily'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Aborde","lemma":"aborder","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject: mon nom)","gloss":"should reach"},{"surface":"heureusement","lemma":"heureusement","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies Aborde","gloss":"happily"},{"surface":"aux","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking époques","gloss":"to the"},{"surface":"époques","lemma":"époque","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"object of aux","gloss":"ages"},{"surface":"lointaines","lemma":"lointain","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies époques","gloss":"far-off"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s1-l3","source":"Et fait rêver un soir les cervelles humaines,","translation":"and one evening sets human minds to dreaming,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"fait rêver … les cervelles humaines","title":"«faire» + infinitive (causative)","body":"«faire rêver quelqu'un» = 'to make someone dream, to set someone dreaming'. «faire» + infinitive is the causative construction: the subject (my name) causes others (the «cervelles humaines», 'human brains') to perform the action of «rêver». Still governed by the «si» of line 1: 'if my name … and sets human minds to dreaming'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"fait","lemma":"faire","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb, causative (with rêver)","gloss":"sets"},{"surface":"rêver","lemma":"rêver","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"infinitive complement of fait","gloss":"dreaming"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of soir","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"soir","lemma":"soir","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"temporal adverbial of fait","gloss":"evening"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of cervelles","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"cervelles","lemma":"cervelle","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"direct object of fait rêver","gloss":"minds"},{"surface":"humaines","lemma":"humain","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies cervelles","gloss":"human"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s1-l4","source":"Vaisseau favorisé par un grand aquilon,","translation":"a vessel favored by a great north wind,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"un grand aquilon","title":"«l'aquilon» — the north wind","body":"«l'aquilon» is the elevated, poetic name for the cold north wind (from Latin «aquilo»). The line is in apposition to «mon nom»: the name is a «Vaisseau favorisé», a ship driven onward — here, unusually, the harsh north wind is a help, the gust that carries the poet's fame «aux époques lointaines»."}],"words":[{"surface":"Vaisseau","lemma":"vaisseau","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"in apposition to mon nom","gloss":"vessel"},{"surface":"favorisé","lemma":"favoriser","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"clause modifying Vaisseau","gloss":"favored"},{"surface":"par","lemma":"par","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking aquilon","gloss":"by"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of aquilon","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"grand","lemma":"grand","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies aquilon","gloss":"great"},{"surface":"aquilon","lemma":"aquilon","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"agent of favorisé","gloss":"north wind"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s2-l1","source":"Ta mémoire, pareille aux fables incertaines,","translation":"your memory, like the uncertain fables,","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Ta","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of mémoire","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"mémoire","lemma":"mémoire","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of Fatigue (next line)","gloss":"memory"},{"surface":"pareille","lemma":"pareil","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies mémoire","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"aux","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking fables","gloss":"to the"},{"surface":"fables","lemma":"fable","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"complement of pareille (object of aux)","gloss":"fables"},{"surface":"incertaines","lemma":"incertain","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies fables","gloss":"uncertain"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s2-l2","source":"Fatigue le lecteur ainsi qu'un tympanon,","translation":"wearies the reader as a dulcimer does,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ainsi qu'un tympanon","title":"«le tympanon» — the hammered dulcimer","body":"«ainsi que» = 'just as, like'. «le tympanon» is the hammered dulcimer, a stringed instrument struck with little mallets — its insistent, monotonous ringing is what tires «le lecteur». «Fatigue» is the present subjunctive of «fatiguer» (spelled identically to the indicative for 3rd-person singular -er verbs, but subjunctive in mood, governed by «afin que»). The poem's main clause remains «Je te donne ces vers»; «Ta mémoire … Fatigue» belongs to the purpose clause. Your memory wearies the reader like that droning music, yet clings on, in the next lines, to the poet's rhymes."}],"words":[{"surface":"Fatigue","lemma":"fatiguer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject: Ta mémoire)","gloss":"wearies"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of lecteur","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"lecteur","lemma":"lecteur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of Fatigue","gloss":"reader"},{"surface":"ainsi","lemma":"ainsi","morphology":"adverb","role":"part of ainsi que (comparison)","gloss":"just"},{"surface":"qu'","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"part of ainsi que (comparison)","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of tympanon","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"tympanon","lemma":"tympanon","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of comparison introduced by ainsi que","gloss":"dulcimer"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s2-l3","source":"Et par un fraternel et mystique chaînon","translation":"and by a fraternal and mystic link","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"par","lemma":"par","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking chaînon","gloss":"by"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of chaînon","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"fraternel","lemma":"fraternel","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies chaînon","gloss":"fraternal"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"mystique","lemma":"mystique","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"coordinated with fraternel, modifies chaînon","gloss":"mystic"},{"surface":"chaînon","lemma":"chaînon","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of par","gloss":"link"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s2-l4","source":"Reste comme pendue à mes rimes hautaines;","translation":"stays as if hung upon my haughty rhymes;","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Reste comme pendue à mes rimes","title":"«pendue» — past participle agreeing with «Ta mémoire»","body":"«pendue» is the past participle of «pendre» ('to hang'), feminine singular to agree with the subject «Ta mémoire» ('your memory'). «Reste comme pendue à …» = 'stays as if hung upon …'. The chain image of the line before («chaînon», a link of a chain) becomes literal: her memory hangs, suspended, from the poet's «rimes hautaines» — surviving only because it is fastened to his verse."}],"words":[{"surface":"Reste","lemma":"rester","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb, coordinated with Fatigue (subject: Ta mémoire)","gloss":"stays"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"conjunction","role":"introduces the comparative pendue","gloss":"as if"},{"surface":"pendue","lemma":"pendre","morphology":"verb, past, participle, feminine, singular","role":"predicate complement of Reste (comme pendue)","gloss":"hung"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking rimes","gloss":"upon"},{"surface":"mes","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of rimes","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"rimes","lemma":"rime","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"object of à","gloss":"rhymes"},{"surface":"hautaines","lemma":"hautain","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies rimes","gloss":"haughty"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s3-l1","source":"Être maudit à qui, de l'abîme profond","translation":"Accursed being, to whom, from the deep abyss","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Être maudit à qui … rien … ne répond","title":"«Être maudit» — accursed being","body":"Here «Être» is the noun 'a being' (capitalized, in apposition to «toi»), and «maudit» is 'cursed, accursed' (past participle of «maudire»). «à qui … rien … ne répond» = 'to whom nothing answers': the beloved is a doomed being whom nothing in all creation, from abyss to sky, will answer — nothing «hors moi», except the poet himself."}],"words":[{"surface":"Être","lemma":"être","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase, vocative","gloss":"Being"},{"surface":"maudit","lemma":"maudit","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies Être","gloss":"accursed"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking qui","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"indirect object of répond (later line)","gloss":"whom"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking abîme","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of abîme","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"abîme","lemma":"abîme","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of de","gloss":"abyss"},{"surface":"profond","lemma":"profond","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies abîme","gloss":"deep"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s3-l2","source":"Jusqu'au plus haut du ciel, rien, hors moi, ne répond!","translation":"to the highest heaven, nothing but me replies!","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"rien, hors moi, ne répond","title":"«hors» — except, apart from","body":"«hors» here means 'except, apart from' (the sense of «hormis», «excepté»). «rien … hors moi … ne répond» = 'nothing answers except me'. The «ne … rien» negation frames the whole span from «l'abîme profond» to «le plus haut du ciel» — the entire vertical of creation — leaving the poet as the sole voice that responds to this accursed being."}],"words":[{"surface":"Jusqu'","lemma":"jusque","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking haut (jusqu'au plus haut)","gloss":"up to"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of jusqu'au plus haut, modifying répond","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"plus","lemma":"plus","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies haut","gloss":"most"},{"surface":"haut","lemma":"haut","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"object of au","gloss":"high"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking ciel","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"ciel","lemma":"ciel","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of du, modifies haut","gloss":"heaven"},{"surface":"rien","lemma":"rien","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of répond","gloss":"nothing"},{"surface":"hors","lemma":"hors","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking moi","gloss":"but"},{"surface":"moi","lemma":"moi","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"object of hors, modifies rien","gloss":"me"},{"surface":"ne","lemma":"ne","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies répond","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"répond","lemma":"répondre","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"replies"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s3-l3","source":"— Ô toi qui, comme une ombre à la trace éphémère,","translation":"— O you who, like a shadow of fleeting trace,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Ô","lemma":"ô","morphology":"interjection","role":"vocative particle before toi","gloss":"O"},{"surface":"toi","lemma":"toi","morphology":"pronoun","role":"vocative, head of the phrase","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"subject of Foules (later line)","gloss":"who"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking ombre","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of ombre","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"ombre","lemma":"ombre","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of comme","gloss":"shadow"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking trace","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of trace","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"trace","lemma":"trace","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies ombre","gloss":"trace"},{"surface":"éphémère","lemma":"éphémère","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies trace","gloss":"fleeting"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s4-l1","source":"Foules d'un pied léger et d'un regard serein","translation":"trample with a light foot and a serene gaze","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Foules … Les stupides mortels","title":"«fouler» — to tread, to trample","body":"«fouler» = 'to tread, to trample underfoot'. «Foules» is the present indicative, 'you trample', continuing the «Ô toi qui …» address across the tercet; its object «Les stupides mortels» arrives only in the next line. She walks over the dull mortals «d'un pied léger» (with a light foot) and «d'un regard serein» (with a serene gaze) — untouched by the scorn they aimed at her."}],"words":[{"surface":"Foules","lemma":"fouler","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject: toi qui)","gloss":"trample"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking pied","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of pied","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"pied","lemma":"pied","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of d', instrument of Foules","gloss":"foot"},{"surface":"léger","lemma":"léger","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies pied","gloss":"light"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking regard","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of regard","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"regard","lemma":"regard","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with pied","gloss":"gaze"},{"surface":"serein","lemma":"serein","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies regard","gloss":"serene"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s4-l2","source":"Les stupides mortels qui t'ont jugée amère,","translation":"the stupid mortals who judged you bitter,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"qui t'ont jugée amère","title":"Past-participle agreement with the preceding object","body":"«jugée» agrees in gender and number with the direct object «t'» (= «te», you, feminine) that precedes the verb «ont jugé» — hence the extra «-e». «qui t'ont jugée amère» = 'who judged you bitter'. «amère» ('bitter') likewise is feminine to match «toi». The mortals misjudged her as bitter; she now treads over them, serene."}],"words":[{"surface":"Les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of mortels","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"stupides","lemma":"stupide","morphology":"adjective, plural","role":"modifies mortels","gloss":"stupid"},{"surface":"mortels","lemma":"mortel","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of Foules (previous line)","gloss":"mortals"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"subject of jugée","gloss":"who"},{"surface":"t'","lemma":"te","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"direct object of jugée","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"ont","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"depends on jugée","gloss":"have"},{"surface":"jugée","lemma":"juger","morphology":"verb, past, participle, feminine, singular","role":"relative clause on mortels","gloss":"judged"},{"surface":"amère","lemma":"amer","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"predicate complement of jugée (t')","gloss":"bitter"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom-s4-l3","source":"Statue aux yeux de jais, grand ange au front d'airain!","translation":"statue with eyes of jet, great angel with a brow of bronze!","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"yeux de jais … front d'airain","title":"«jais» (jet) and «airain» (bronze)","body":"«le jais» is jet, the deep-black stone used for mourning jewelry — «yeux de jais», black-glittering eyes. «l'airain» is bronze (poetic for «le bronze»), so «front d'airain» is a brow of bronze: hard, unyielding, impassive. The two metals close the sonnet by making the beloved a monument — «Statue … grand ange» — cold, immortal, and lifted above the mortals at her feet."}],"words":[{"surface":"Statue","lemma":"statue","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"vocative, in apposition to toi","gloss":"statue"},{"surface":"aux","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking yeux","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"yeux","lemma":"oeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"modifies Statue","gloss":"eyes"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking jais","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"jais","lemma":"jais","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies yeux","gloss":"jet"},{"surface":"grand","lemma":"grand","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies ange","gloss":"great"},{"surface":"ange","lemma":"ange","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with Statue (vocative)","gloss":"angel"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking front","gloss":"with the"},{"surface":"front","lemma":"front","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of au, modifies ange","gloss":"brow"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking airain","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"airain","lemma":"airain","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies front","gloss":"bronze"}]}]}