{"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-pipe","title":{"source":"La Pipe","translated":"The Pipe"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/la-pipe","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/les-hiboux","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/la-musique","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-pipe-s1-l1","source":"Je suis la pipe d'un auteur;","translation":"I am the pipe of an author;","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, first-person, singular","role":"subject of suis","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"suis","lemma":"être","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"copula linking Je and pipe","gloss":"am"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of pipe","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"pipe","lemma":"pipe","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"predicate complement of suis","gloss":"pipe"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking auteur","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of auteur","gloss":"an"},{"surface":"auteur","lemma":"auteur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of d', modifies pipe","gloss":"author"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"la-pipe-s1-l2","source":"On voit, à contempler ma mine","translation":"One sees, on contemplating my look,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"à contempler","title":"«à» + infinitive = 'on / in doing'","body":"«à contempler ma mine» uses «à» before an infinitive to mean 'on / by / in contemplating my face' — the act through which «on voit» (one sees). «la mine» here is the pipe's countenance, its outward look — the dark, smoke-stained bowl described in the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"On","lemma":"on","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of voit","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"voit","lemma":"voir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"sees"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of contempler","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"contempler","lemma":"contempler","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of voit","gloss":"contemplating"},{"surface":"ma","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of mine","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"mine","lemma":"mine","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of contempler","gloss":"look"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"la-pipe-s1-l3","source":"D'Abyssinienne ou de Cafrine,","translation":"of an Abyssinian woman or a Kaffir woman,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Abyssinienne ou Cafrine","title":"«Abyssinienne», «Cafrine» — dark-skinned faces","body":"An «Abyssinienne» is a woman of Abyssinia (Ethiopia); «Cafrine» is the feminine of «Cafre», a now-archaic and pejorative colonial word for a Black southern African ('Kaffir'). Both name dark, dusky faces: the pipe's bowl — meerschaum or clay deepened by years of smoke — has taken on a swarthy complexion. The exotic-feminine coloring is typical of Baudelaire's imagery."}],"words":[{"surface":"D'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking Abyssinienne","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"Abyssinienne","lemma":"Abyssinienne","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of D', modifies mine","gloss":"an Abyssinian woman"},{"surface":"ou","lemma":"ou","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"or"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking Cafrine","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"Cafrine","lemma":"Cafrine","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"coordinated with Abyssinienne","gloss":"a Kaffir woman"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"la-pipe-s1-l4","source":"Que mon maître est un grand fumeur.","translation":"that my master is a heavy smoker.","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clause of est","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"mon","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of maître","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"maître","lemma":"maître","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of est","gloss":"master"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking maître and fumeur","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of fumeur","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"grand","lemma":"grand","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies fumeur","gloss":"heavy"},{"surface":"fumeur","lemma":"fumeur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"predicate complement of est","gloss":"smoker"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"la-pipe-s2-l1","source":"Quand il est comblé de douleur,","translation":"When he is overwhelmed with sorrow,","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"comblé de douleur","title":"«combler» — to fill to the brim","body":"«combler» normally means 'to fill up, to heap, to gratify' — one is usually «comblé de joie» (overflowing with joy). Pairing it with «douleur» is a deliberate twist: the master is filled to overflowing not with happiness but with grief. The past participle «comblé» agrees with the masculine «il»."}],"words":[{"surface":"Quand","lemma":"quand","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clause of comblé","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"il","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of comblé","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"passive auxiliary of comblé","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"comblé","lemma":"combler","morphology":"verb, past, passive, participle, masculine, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"overwhelmed"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking douleur","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"douleur","lemma":"douleur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of comblé","gloss":"sorrow"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"la-pipe-s2-l2","source":"Je fume comme la chaumine","translation":"I smoke like the little cottage","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"la chaumine","title":"«la chaumine» — a thatched cottage","body":"«la chaumine» is a humble thatched-roof cottage, a diminutive of «la chaumière» (from «le chaume», thatch/straw). The pipe 'smokes' (sends up smoke) just as a peasant's cottage sends up a plume from its chimney — a homely, comforting image of the fire kept burning indoors."}],"words":[{"surface":"Je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, first-person, singular","role":"subject of fume","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"fume","lemma":"fumer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"smoke"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking chaumine","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of chaumine","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"chaumine","lemma":"chaumine","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of fume","gloss":"little cottage"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"la-pipe-s2-l3","source":"Où se prépare la cuisine","translation":"where the meal is being made ready","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"se prépare la cuisine","title":"Passive reflexive «se préparer»","body":"«se préparer» here is the reflexive used with a passive sense: «la cuisine se prépare» = 'the cooking is being prepared / gets made ready', with no named cook. French often prefers this to a true passive. Note also the inversion — verb «se prépare» before its subject «la cuisine» — driven by the rhyme with «chaumine» and «cuisine»."}],"words":[{"surface":"Où","lemma":"où","morphology":"adverb","role":"introduces the relative clause on chaumine","gloss":"where"},{"surface":"se","lemma":"se","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive","role":"reflexive particle of prépare","gloss":"(is)"},{"surface":"prépare","lemma":"préparer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"is made ready"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of cuisine","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"cuisine","lemma":"cuisine","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of prépare","gloss":"meal"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"la-pipe-s2-l4","source":"Pour le retour du laboureur.","translation":"for the ploughman's return.","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Pour","lemma":"pour","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking retour","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of retour","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"retour","lemma":"retour","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of Pour","gloss":"return"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking laboureur","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"laboureur","lemma":"laboureur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies retour","gloss":"ploughman"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"la-pipe-s3-l1","source":"J'enlace et je berce son âme","translation":"I entwine and I cradle his soul","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"je berce son âme","title":"«bercer» — to rock, to lull","body":"«bercer» is to rock a cradle, to lull to sleep — and figuratively to soothe or beguile. The same verb opens «Au Lecteur», where Satan «berce» the enchanted spirit; here the pipe lulls the poet's soul gently rather than diabolically. «enlacer» = 'to lace around, to entwine, to embrace', so the soul is at once wrapped and rocked in the rising smoke."}],"words":[{"surface":"J'","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, first-person, singular","role":"subject of enlace","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"enlace","lemma":"enlacer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"entwine"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, first-person, singular","role":"subject of berce","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"berce","lemma":"bercer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"coordinated with enlace","gloss":"cradle"},{"surface":"son","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of âme","gloss":"his"},{"surface":"âme","lemma":"âme","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of enlace and berce","gloss":"soul"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"la-pipe-s3-l2","source":"Dans le réseau mobile et bleu","translation":"in the shifting, blue-tinged web","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking réseau","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of réseau","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"réseau","lemma":"réseau","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of Dans","gloss":"web"},{"surface":"mobile","lemma":"mobile","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies réseau","gloss":"shifting"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"bleu","lemma":"bleu","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with mobile, modifies réseau","gloss":"blue-tinged"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"la-pipe-s3-l3","source":"Qui monte de ma bouche en feu,","translation":"that rises from my burning mouth,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of monte","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"monte","lemma":"monter","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"relative clause on réseau","gloss":"rises"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking bouche","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"ma","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of bouche","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"bouche","lemma":"bouche","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of monte","gloss":"mouth"},{"surface":"en","lemma":"en","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking feu","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"feu","lemma":"feu","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies bouche","gloss":"fire"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"la-pipe-s4-l1","source":"Et je roule un puissant dictame","translation":"And I roll out a potent balm","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"un puissant dictame","title":"«le dictame» — a healing balm","body":"«le dictame» (dittany) is an aromatic herb the ancients prized for healing wounds; by extension the word means a soothing balm or remedy. The pipe 'rolls out' («rouler») not just smoke but a potent salve — picked up in the next line by «guérit» (heals), curing the smoker's weary spirit."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"And"},{"surface":"je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, first-person, singular","role":"subject of roule","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"roule","lemma":"rouler","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"roll out"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of dictame","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"puissant","lemma":"puissant","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies dictame","gloss":"potent"},{"surface":"dictame","lemma":"dictame","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of roule","gloss":"balm"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"la-pipe-s4-l2","source":"Qui charme son coeur et guérit","translation":"that charms his heart and heals","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of charme","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"charme","lemma":"charmer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"relative clause on dictame","gloss":"charms"},{"surface":"son","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of coeur","gloss":"his"},{"surface":"coeur","lemma":"coeur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of charme","gloss":"heart"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"guérit","lemma":"guérir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"coordinated with charme","gloss":"heals"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"la-pipe-s4-l3","source":"De ses fatigues son esprit.","translation":"his spirit of its weariness.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"guérit De ses fatigues son esprit","title":"«guérir [qqn] de [qqch]» across the line break","body":"The construction is «guérir X de Y» — 'to cure / heal X of Y'. Here X is «son esprit» (his spirit) and Y is «ses fatigues» (his weariness, his fatigues), but the poet splits them across the line break and reverses them: «guérit / De ses fatigues son esprit» = 'heals his spirit of its weariness'. Reading the prose order — «guérit son esprit de ses fatigues» — unlocks the final line."}],"words":[{"surface":"De","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking fatigues","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"ses","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of fatigues","gloss":"its"},{"surface":"fatigues","lemma":"fatigue","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"oblique argument of guérit","gloss":"weariness"},{"surface":"son","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of esprit","gloss":"his"},{"surface":"esprit","lemma":"esprit","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of guérit","gloss":"spirit"}]}]}