{"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":"la-cloche-felee","title":{"source":"La Cloche fêlée","translated":"The Cracked Bell"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/la-cloche-felee","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/le-tonneau-de-la-haine","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/spleen-pluviose-irrite","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":"la-cloche-felee-s1-l1","source":"Il est amer et doux, pendant les nuits d'hiver,","translation":"It is bitter and sweet, during the winter nights,","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"amer et doux","title":"amer / doux","body":"«amer» = 'bitter', «doux» = 'sweet, soft, gentle'. The paired opposites announce the poem's whole mood: remembering by the fire is at once painful and tender. The impersonal «il est» here is the literary equivalent of «c'est» — 'it is'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Il","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, singular","role":"impersonal subject of est, anticipates the infinitive écouter (next line)","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking to amer","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"amer","lemma":"amer","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"bitter"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"doux","lemma":"doux","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with amer","gloss":"sweet"},{"surface":"pendant","lemma":"pendant","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking nuits","gloss":"during"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of nuits","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"nuits","lemma":"nuit","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"temporal complement of the clause (amer et doux)","gloss":"nights"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking hiver","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"hiver","lemma":"hiver","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies nuits","gloss":"winter"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"la-cloche-felee-s1-l2","source":"D'écouter, près du feu qui palpite et qui fume,","translation":"to listen, beside the fire that flickers and smokes,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"D'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the infinitive complement of est (previous line)","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"écouter","lemma":"écouter","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"infinitive subject complement of est (Il est amer et doux d'écouter...)","gloss":"listen"},{"surface":"près","lemma":"près","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies écouter","gloss":"near"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking feu","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"feu","lemma":"feu","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"depends on près","gloss":"fire"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of palpite","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"palpite","lemma":"palpiter","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"relative clause on feu","gloss":"flickers"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of fume","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"fume","lemma":"fumer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"coordinated with palpite","gloss":"smokes"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"la-cloche-felee-s1-l3","source":"Les souvenirs lointains lentement s'élever","translation":"to far-off memories slowly rising","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"s'élever","title":"Pronominal «s'élever»","body":"«s'élever» is the pronominal verb 'to rise, to climb'. The reflexive «se» makes the rising self-caused: the «souvenirs lointains» (distant memories) lift of their own accord. The infinitive depends on «écouter» in the line above — we listen to them rise, like the bells of the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"Les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of souvenirs","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"souvenirs","lemma":"souvenir","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of élever, complement of écouter (perception construction)","gloss":"memories"},{"surface":"lointains","lemma":"lointain","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies souvenirs","gloss":"far-off"},{"surface":"lentement","lemma":"lentement","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies élever","gloss":"slowly"},{"surface":"s'","lemma":"se","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive","role":"reflexive particle of élever","gloss":"themselves"},{"surface":"élever","lemma":"élever","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"infinitive complement of écouter (previous line), souvenirs as subject","gloss":"rising"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"la-cloche-felee-s1-l4","source":"Au bruit des carillons qui chantent dans la brume.","translation":"to the sound of the chimes that sing in the mist.","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Au","lemma":"au","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking bruit","gloss":"to the"},{"surface":"bruit","lemma":"bruit","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"sound"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking carillons","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"carillons","lemma":"carillon","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"modifies bruit","gloss":"chimes"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"subject of chantent","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"chantent","lemma":"chanter","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"relative clause on carillons","gloss":"sing"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking brume","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of brume","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"brume","lemma":"brume","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of dans, modifying chantent","gloss":"mist"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"la-cloche-felee-s2-l1","source":"Bienheureuse la cloche au gosier vigoureux","translation":"Blessed is the bell with the vigorous throat","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Bienheureuse","title":"bienheureux / bienheureuse","body":"«bienheureux» means 'blissful, blessed' and is also the church term for the 'Blessed' (the beatified). Placed first, with no verb, it works as an exclamation: 'Blessed [is] the bell…'. The religious tint prepares «son cri religieux» two lines down."}],"words":[{"surface":"Bienheureuse","lemma":"bienheureux","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"predicate adjective describing cloche","gloss":"Blessed"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of cloche","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"cloche","lemma":"cloche","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject described by Bienheureuse","gloss":"bell"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"au","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking gosier","gloss":"with the"},{"surface":"gosier","lemma":"gosier","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies cloche","gloss":"throat"},{"surface":"vigoureux","lemma":"vigoureux","morphology":"adjective, masculine","role":"modifies gosier","gloss":"vigorous"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"la-cloche-felee-s2-l2","source":"Qui, malgré sa vieillesse, alerte et bien portante,","translation":"which, despite its old age, alert and hale,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"subject of Jette (refers to cloche)","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"malgré","lemma":"malgré","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking vieillesse","gloss":"despite"},{"surface":"sa","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of vieillesse","gloss":"its"},{"surface":"vieillesse","lemma":"vieillesse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of malgré","gloss":"old age"},{"surface":"alerte","lemma":"alerte","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies Qui, coordinated with portante","gloss":"alert"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"bien","lemma":"bien","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies portante","gloss":"well"},{"surface":"portante","lemma":"portant","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"coordinated with alerte","gloss":"hale","note":"'bien portante' is a set phrase meaning 'in good health'."}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"la-cloche-felee-s2-l3","source":"Jette fidèlement son cri religieux,","translation":"faithfully casts out its religious cry,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Jette","lemma":"jeter","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject: Qui/cloche)","gloss":"casts"},{"surface":"fidèlement","lemma":"fidèlement","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies Jette","gloss":"faithfully"},{"surface":"son","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of cri","gloss":"its"},{"surface":"cri","lemma":"cri","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of Jette","gloss":"cry"},{"surface":"religieux","lemma":"religieux","morphology":"adjective, masculine","role":"modifies cri","gloss":"religious"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"la-cloche-felee-s2-l4","source":"Ainsi qu'un vieux soldat qui veille sous la tente!","translation":"just like an old soldier keeping watch beneath the tent!","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Ainsi qu'un","title":"«ainsi que» = 'just as'","body":"«ainsi que» is the literary comparison 'just as, like'. It opens the simile that closes the octave: the faithful bell is likened to «un vieux soldat qui veille» — an old soldier on watch — setting up the wounded soldier the cracked soul will become in the final tercet."}],"words":[{"surface":"Ainsi","lemma":"ainsi","morphology":"adverb","role":"part of the comparative phrase 'ainsi que', modifies Jette","gloss":"just"},{"surface":"qu'","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"part of the phrase Ainsi","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of soldat","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"vieux","lemma":"vieux","morphology":"adjective, masculine","role":"modifies soldat","gloss":"old"},{"surface":"soldat","lemma":"soldat","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of the comparison introduced by Ainsi qu'","gloss":"soldier"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"subject of veille","gloss":"who"},{"surface":"veille","lemma":"veiller","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"relative clause on soldat","gloss":"keeps watch"},{"surface":"sous","lemma":"sous","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking tente","gloss":"beneath"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of tente","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"tente","lemma":"tente","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of sous, locates veille","gloss":"tent"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"la-cloche-felee-s3-l1","source":"Moi, mon âme est fêlée, et lorsqu'en ses ennuis","translation":"I — my soul is cracked, and when, in its weariness,","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"fêlée","title":"fêlé(e)","body":"«fêler» = 'to crack' (a bell, a glass, a voice) — a flaw that leaves the object whole but dulls its ring. The title's «cloche fêlée» turns inward here: «mon âme est fêlée» — the poet's own soul is the cracked bell, no longer able to sound clear."}],"words":[{"surface":"Moi","lemma":"moi","morphology":"pronoun, disjunctive, first-person, singular","role":"emphatic apposition to âme","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"mon","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of âme","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"âme","lemma":"âme","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of fêlée (via est)","gloss":"soul"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking to fêlée","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"fêlée","lemma":"fêler","morphology":"adjective (past participle), feminine, singular","role":"predicate complement of est","gloss":"cracked"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"lorsqu'","lemma":"lorsque","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the temporal clause (continues in s3-l2)","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"en","lemma":"en","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking ennuis","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"ses","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of ennuis","gloss":"its"},{"surface":"ennuis","lemma":"ennui","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"object of en, within the lorsque clause","gloss":"weariness"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"la-cloche-felee-s3-l2","source":"Elle veut de ses chants peupler l'air froid des nuits,","translation":"it tries to people the cold night air with its songs,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Elle","lemma":"elle","morphology":"pronoun, feminine, singular, third-person","role":"subject of veut (refers to âme)","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"veut","lemma":"vouloir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"tries"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking chants","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"ses","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of chants","gloss":"its"},{"surface":"chants","lemma":"chant","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"oblique argument of peupler (instrument)","gloss":"songs"},{"surface":"peupler","lemma":"peupler","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"infinitival complement of veut","gloss":"to people"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of air","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"air","lemma":"air","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of peupler","gloss":"air"},{"surface":"froid","lemma":"froid","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies air","gloss":"cold"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking nuits","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"nuits","lemma":"nuit","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"modifies air","gloss":"nights"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"la-cloche-felee-s3-l3","source":"Il arrive souvent que sa voix affaiblie","translation":"it often happens that its weakened voice","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Il arrive souvent que","title":"Impersonal «il arrive que»","body":"«il arrive que» is the impersonal construction 'it happens that'. The «il» is a dummy subject (no real 'it'); the true clause follows — «que sa voix affaiblie semble…». «il arrive que» normally governs the subjunctive; with «sembler» the 3sg subjunctive and indicative are identical («semble»), so the form here is ambiguous."}],"words":[{"surface":"Il","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, singular","role":"impersonal subject of arrive","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"arrive","lemma":"arriver","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"happens"},{"surface":"souvent","lemma":"souvent","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies arrive","gloss":"often"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clause (verb continues in Semble)","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"sa","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of voix","gloss":"its"},{"surface":"voix","lemma":"voix","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of Semble","gloss":"voice"},{"surface":"affaiblie","lemma":"affaibli","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies voix","gloss":"weakened"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"la-cloche-felee-s4-l1","source":"Semble le râle épais d'un blessé qu'on oublie","translation":"seems the thick death-rattle of a wounded man left forgotten","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"le râle épais","title":"le râle","body":"«le râle» is the rattling, labored breath of the dying — the 'death-rattle'. «épais» ('thick') clogs the sound further. Against the bell's clear «cri religieux», the cracked soul can manage only this choked rasp."}],"words":[{"surface":"Semble","lemma":"sembler","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject: voix)","gloss":"seems"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of râle","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"râle","lemma":"râle","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"predicate complement of Semble","gloss":"death-rattle"},{"surface":"épais","lemma":"épais","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies râle","gloss":"thick"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking blessé","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of blessé","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"blessé","lemma":"blessé","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies râle","gloss":"wounded man"},{"surface":"qu'","lemma":"que","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"direct object of oublie","gloss":"whom"},{"surface":"on","lemma":"on","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of oublie","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"oublie","lemma":"oublier","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"relative clause on blessé","gloss":"forgets"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"la-cloche-felee-s4-l2","source":"Au bord d'un lac de sang, sous un grand tas de morts","translation":"at the edge of a lake of blood, under a great heap of the dead,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Au","lemma":"au","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking bord","gloss":"at the"},{"surface":"bord","lemma":"bord","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"locates blessé (the place where he is forgotten and dies), not Semble — sembler is a copula and cannot take a locative complement","gloss":"edge"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking lac","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of lac","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"lac","lemma":"lac","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies bord","gloss":"lake"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking sang","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"sang","lemma":"sang","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies lac","gloss":"blood"},{"surface":"sous","lemma":"sous","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking tas","gloss":"under"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of tas","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"grand","lemma":"grand","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies tas","gloss":"great"},{"surface":"tas","lemma":"tas","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with bord; second locative phrase situating blessé, not Semble","gloss":"heap"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking morts","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"morts","lemma":"mort","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"modifies tas","gloss":"the dead"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"la-cloche-felee-s4-l3","source":"Et qui meurt, sans bouger, dans d'immenses efforts.","translation":"and who dies, without moving, in immense struggles.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"d'immenses efforts","title":"«de» before a fronted adjective","body":"Before a plural noun led by an adjective, «des» reduces to «de»: «d'immenses efforts», not «des immenses efforts». The final paradox lands hard — the man «meurt, sans bouger» (dies without moving) yet «dans d'immenses efforts» (amid immense efforts): motionless, and straining with all his strength."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"subject of meurt (refers to blessé)","gloss":"who"},{"surface":"meurt","lemma":"mourir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"relative clause on blessé, coordinated with qu'on oublie","gloss":"dies"},{"surface":"sans","lemma":"sans","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of bouger","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"bouger","lemma":"bouger","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"adverbial clause on meurt","gloss":"moving"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking efforts","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"partitive determiner of efforts","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"immenses","lemma":"immense","morphology":"adjective, plural","role":"modifies efforts","gloss":"immense"},{"surface":"efforts","lemma":"effort","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"oblique complement of meurt (manner)","gloss":"struggles"}]}]}