French · Spleen and Ideal
L'Albatros
The Albatross
16 lines · 3 notes
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- 1
Often, to amuse themselves, the men of the crew
Souventoftensouvent · adverbmodifies Prennent (next line)pourtopour · prepositionintroduces the purpose clause of amusers'themselvesse · pronoun, reflexivereflexive object of amuseramuseramuseamuser · verb, infinitivepurpose clause modifying Prennent (next line)lesthele · determiner, pluraldeterminer of hommeshommesmenhomme · noun, masculine, pluralsubject of Prennent (next line)d'ofde · prepositionpreposition marking équipageéquipagecrewéquipage · noun, masculine, singularmodifies hommes - 2
Catch albatrosses, vast birds of the seas,
Prennentcatchprendre · verb, present, indicative, third-person, pluralmain verb of the sentencedessomeun · determiner, pluraldeterminer of albatrosalbatrosalbatrossesalbatros · noun, masculine, pluraldirect object of Prennentvastesvastvaste · adjective, pluralmodifies oiseauxoiseauxbirdsoiseau · noun, masculine, pluralin apposition to albatrosdesof thede · prepositionpreposition marking mersmersseasmer · noun, feminine, pluralmodifies oiseaux - 3
That follow, indolent companions of the voyage,
Quithatqui · pronounsubject of suiventsuiventfollowsuivre · verb, present, indicative, third-person, pluralrelative clause on albatros/oiseauxindolentsindolentindolent · adjective, masculine, pluralmodifies compagnonscompagnonscompanionscompagnon · noun, masculine, pluralin apposition to Qui (indolent companions)deofde · prepositionpreposition marking voyagevoyagevoyagevoyage · noun, masculine, singularmodifies compagnons - 4
The ship gliding over the bitter gulfs.
Lethele · determiner, masculine, singulardeterminer of navirenavireshipnavire · noun, masculine, singulardirect object of suivent (previous line)glissantglidingglisser · verb, present, participlemodifies naviresuroversur · prepositionpreposition marking gouffreslesthele · determiner, pluraldeterminer of gouffresgouffresgulfsgouffre · noun, masculine, pluraloblique argument of glissantamersbitteramer · adjective, masculine, pluralmodifies gouffres - 5
Scarcely have they laid them on the planks,
Àscarcelyà · prepositionpart of the fixed phrase à peine, modifying déposéspeinehardlypeine · noun, feminine, singularpart of the fixed phrase à peine, modifying déposésà peine is a fixed phrase meaning 'scarcely, hardly'; peine alone means 'pain, difficulty.'
lesthemle · pronoun, pluraldirect object of ont déposésonthaveavoir · auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, pluralauxiliary of déposés-ilstheyil · pronoun, masculine, pluralsubject of ont déposésdéposéslaiddéposer · verb, past, participle, masculine, pluralmain verb of the sentencesuronsur · prepositionpreposition marking plancheslesthele · determiner, pluraldeterminer of planchesplanchesplanksplanche · noun, feminine, pluraloblique argument of déposés - 6
Than these kings of the azure, clumsy and ashamed,
Quethanque · subordinating conjunctioncorrelative with à peine (no sooner...than)cesthesece · determiner, pluraldeterminer of roisroiskingsroi · noun, masculine, pluralsubject of Laissent (next line)deofde · prepositionpreposition marking azurl'thele · determiner, singulardeterminer of azurazurazureazur · noun, masculine, singularmodifies roismaladroitsclumsymaladroit · adjective, masculine, pluralmodifies roisetandet · conjunctionlinks the coordinationhonteuxashamedhonteux · adjective, masculine, pluralcoordinated with maladroits - 7
Pitifully let their great white wings
Laissentletlaisser · verb, present, indicative, third-person, pluralmain verb of the sentencepiteusementpitifullypiteusement · adverbmodifies Laissentleurstheirleur · determiner, pluraldeterminer of ailesgrandesgreatgrand · adjective, feminine, pluralmodifies ailesaileswingsaile · noun, feminine, pluraldirect object of Laissentblancheswhiteblanc · adjective, feminine, pluralmodifies ailes - 8
Drag like oars beside them.
Commelikecomme · prepositionpreposition marking avironsdessomeun · determiner, pluraldeterminer of avironsavironsoarsaviron · noun, masculine, pluraloblique argument of traîner (comparison)traînerdragtraîner · verb, infinitiveinfinitive complement of Laissent (previous line)àatà · prepositionpreposition marking côtécôtésidecôté · noun, masculine, singularoblique argument of traînerd'ofde · prepositionpreposition marking euxeuxthemlui · pronoun, masculine, pluralmodifies côté - 9
This winged voyager, how awkward and weak he is!
Cethisce · determiner, masculine, singulardeterminer of voyageurvoyageurvoyagervoyageur · noun, masculine, singularsubject of est (est gauche)ailéwingedailé · adjective, singularmodifies voyageurcommehowcomme · subordinating conjunctionintroduces the exclamative clause of gaucheilheil · pronoun, masculine, singularsubject of estestisêtre · auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singularcopula linking to gauchegaucheawkwardgauche · adjective, singularpredicate complement of estetandet · conjunctionlinks the coordinationveuleweakveule · adjective, singularcoordinated with gauche - 10
He, but lately so fair, how comical and ugly!
Luihelui · pronoun, masculine, singularemphatic subject of est, in apposition to voyageurnaguèrelatelynaguère · adverbmodifies beausisosi · adverbmodifies beau (intensifier)beaufairbeau · adjective, masculine, singularmodifies Luiqu'howque · subordinating conjunctionintroduces the exclamative clause of comiqueilheil · pronoun, masculine, singularsubject of estestisêtre · auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singularcopula linking to comiquecomiquecomicalcomique · adjective, singularpredicate complement of estetandet · conjunctionlinks the coordinationlaiduglylaid · adjective, singularcoordinated with comique - 11
One man teases his beak with a stubby pipe,
L'thele · determiner, singulardeterminer of ununoneun · pronoun, masculine, singularsubject of agaceagaceteasesagacer · verb, present, indicative, third-person, singularmain verb of the sentencesonhisson · determiner, singulardeterminer of becbecbeakbec · noun, masculine, singulardirect object of agaceavecwithavec · prepositionpreposition marking brûle-gueuleunaun · determiner, masculine, singulardeterminer of brûlebrûleburnbrûle · noun, masculine, singularobject of avec, first part of the compound brûle-gueulegueulemouthgueule · noun, feminine, singularcompound with brûlebrûle-gueule (lit. 'mouth-burner') is French slang for a small, stubby pipe — rendered 'stubby pipe' in the translation.
- 12
Another mimics, limping, the cripple who once flew!
L'thele · determiner, singulardeterminer of autreautreotherautre · pronoun, masculine, singularsubject of mimemimemimicsmimer · verb, present, indicative, third-person, singularmain verb of the sentenceenwhileen · prepositionpreposition marking boitantboitantlimpingboiter · verb, present, participleadverbial gerund modifying mimel'thele · determiner, singulardeterminer of infirmeinfirmecrippleinfirme · noun, singulardirect object of mimequiwhoqui · pronounsubject of volaitvolaitonce flewvoler · verb, imperfect, indicative, third-person, singularrelative clause on infirme - 13
The Poet is like the prince of the clouds
Lethele · determiner, masculine, singulardeterminer of PoètePoètePoetpoète · noun, masculine, singularsubject of semblableestisêtre · auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singularcopula linking to semblablesemblablelikesemblable · adjective, singularpredicate complement of estautheà · prepositionpreposition marking princeprinceprinceprince · noun, masculine, singularoblique argument of semblabledesof thede · prepositionpreposition marking nuéesnuéescloudsnuée · noun, feminine, pluralmodifies prince - 14
Who haunts the tempest and laughs at the archer;
Quiwhoqui · pronounsubject of hantehantehauntshanter · verb, present, indicative, third-person, singularrelative clause on Poètelathele · determiner, feminine, singulardeterminer of tempêtetempêtetempesttempête · noun, feminine, singulardirect object of hanteetandet · conjunctionlinks the coordinationsehimselfse · pronoun, reflexivereflexive pronoun of the idiom se rire dese rire de is an idiom meaning 'to laugh at, mock.'
ritlaughsrire · verb, present, indicative, third-person, singularcoordinated with hantedeatde · prepositionpreposition marking archerl'thele · determiner, singulardeterminer of archerarcherarcherarcher · noun, masculine, singularoblique argument of rit - 15
Exiled on the ground amid the jeering throng,
Exiléexiledexiler · verb, past, participle, masculine, singularmodifies Poète (appositive)suronsur · prepositionpreposition marking sollethele · determiner, masculine, singulardeterminer of solsolgroundsol · noun, masculine, singularoblique argument of Exiléauin theà · prepositionpreposition marking milieumilieumidstmilieu · noun, masculine, singularoblique argument of Exilédesof thede · prepositionpreposition marking huéeshuéesjeershuée · noun, feminine, pluralmodifies milieu - 16
His giant's wings prevent him from walking.
Seshisson · determiner, pluraldeterminer of ailesaileswingsaile · noun, feminine, pluralsubject of empêchentdeofde · prepositionpreposition marking géantgéantgiantgéant · noun, masculine, singularmodifies ailesl'himle · pronoun, singulardirect object of empêchentempêchentpreventempêcher · verb, present, indicative, third-person, pluralmain verb of the sentencedefromde · prepositionintroduces the clause of marchermarcherwalkingmarcher · verb, infinitivecomplement of empêchent
The particulars
- The text
- Les Fleurs du mal, Charles Baudelaire. Spleen and Ideal.
- Translation
- Public-domain French (Baudelaire, d. 1867). English translation © 2026 1732 Studios, LLC.
- Words
- Every word of the text, by letter.
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