{"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":"le-chat","title":{"source":"Le Chat","translated":"The Cat"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/le-chat","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/remords-posthume","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/duellum","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":"le-chat-s1-l1","source":"Viens, mon beau chat, sur mon coeur amoureux;","translation":"Come, my fine cat, onto my loving heart;","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Viens, mon beau chat","title":"«Viens» — imperative of «venir»","body":"«Viens» is the «tu» imperative of «venir» (to come), addressed to the cat: 'Come'. The poem opens on a command of intimacy, calling the animal up «sur mon coeur amoureux» ('onto my loving heart'). «mon beau chat» — 'my handsome cat' — sets the caressing, amorous tone the sonnet then transfers from the cat to the absent woman."}],"words":[{"surface":"Viens","lemma":"venir","morphology":"verb, imperative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (imperative)","gloss":"come"},{"surface":"mon","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of chat","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"beau","lemma":"beau","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies chat","gloss":"fine"},{"surface":"chat","lemma":"chat","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"vocative, addressed by Viens","gloss":"cat"},{"surface":"sur","lemma":"sur","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking coeur","gloss":"onto"},{"surface":"mon","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of coeur","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"coeur","lemma":"coeur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of Viens (object of sur)","gloss":"heart"},{"surface":"amoureux","lemma":"amoureux","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies coeur","gloss":"loving"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"le-chat-s1-l2","source":"Retiens les griffes de ta patte,","translation":"Hold back the claws of your paw,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Retiens les griffes","title":"«retenir» — to hold back, to restrain","body":"«Retiens» is the «tu» imperative of «retenir» (to hold back, to keep in), parallel to «Viens» above. «les griffes de ta patte» = 'the claws of your paw'. The danger inside the tenderness surfaces at once: the speaker must ask the loved creature to sheathe its claws, foreshadowing the woman whose gaze will «coupe et fend comme un dard»."}],"words":[{"surface":"Retiens","lemma":"retenir","morphology":"verb, imperative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"hold back"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of griffes","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"griffes","lemma":"griffe","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"direct object of Retiens","gloss":"claws"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking patte","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"ta","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of patte","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"patte","lemma":"patte","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of preposition de, modifies griffes","gloss":"paw"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"le-chat-s1-l3","source":"Et laisse-moi plonger dans tes beaux yeux,","translation":"And let me plunge into your beautiful eyes,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"laisse-moi plonger","title":"«laisser» + infinitive — to let / allow","body":"«laisse-moi plonger» uses «laisser quelqu'un + infinitive» ('to let someone do something'): 'let me plunge'. In the affirmative imperative the object pronoun follows the verb and is joined by a hyphen — «laisse-moi» — and «moi» replaces the unstressed «me». The third command in a row keeps the address breathless and coaxing."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"laisse","lemma":"laisser","morphology":"verb, imperative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"let"},{"surface":"-moi","lemma":"moi","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"direct object of laisse","gloss":"me"},{"surface":"plonger","lemma":"plonger","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of laisse","gloss":"plunge"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking yeux","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"tes","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of yeux","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"beaux","lemma":"beau","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies yeux","gloss":"beautiful"},{"surface":"yeux","lemma":"oeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"oblique argument of plonger","gloss":"eyes"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"le-chat-s1-l4","source":"Mêlés de métal et d'agate.","translation":"Mingled of metal and of agate.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Mêlés de métal et d'agate","title":"«mêlé de» — mingled with, blended of","body":"«mêlé» is the past participle of «mêler» (to mix, to mingle); «mêlés de» = 'mingled with / made of a blend of'. The plural «-s» agrees with «tes beaux yeux» on the line above — 'your eyes, mingled of metal and agate'. «l'agate» is the banded semi-precious stone; the cat's eyes are cold mineral, the first hint that this beauty is hard and gem-like rather than warm."}],"words":[{"surface":"Mêlés","lemma":"mêlé","morphology":"adjective (past participle), masculine, plural","role":"modifies yeux (from previous line)","gloss":"mingled"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking métal","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"métal","lemma":"métal","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of preposition de, modifies Mêlés","gloss":"metal"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking agate","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"agate","lemma":"agate","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"coordinated with métal (object of d')","gloss":"agate"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"le-chat-s2-l1","source":"Lorsque mes doigts caressent à loisir","translation":"When my fingers caress at leisure","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"caressent à loisir","title":"«à loisir» — at leisure, freely","body":"«à loisir» is an adverbial idiom meaning 'at leisure, as much as one likes, freely'. «mes doigts caressent à loisir» = 'my fingers caress unhurriedly'. «Lorsque» ('when') opens a long subordinate clause that runs across the whole stanza before the verb «s'enivre» arrives — still within the subordinate «Lorsque» construction, not the main clause. The poem's main clause («Je vois ma femme en esprit») only arrives in the sestet. The slow syntax mimes the unhurried stroking it describes."}],"words":[{"surface":"Lorsque","lemma":"lorsque","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clause of caressent","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"mes","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of doigts","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"doigts","lemma":"doigt","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of caressent","gloss":"fingers"},{"surface":"caressent","lemma":"caresser","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"caress"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking loisir","gloss":"at"},{"surface":"loisir","lemma":"loisir","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of caressent","gloss":"leisure"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"le-chat-s2-l2","source":"Ta tête et ton dos élastique,","translation":"Your head and your supple back,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Ta","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of tête","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"tête","lemma":"tête","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of caressent (s2-l1)","gloss":"head"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"ton","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of dos","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"dos","lemma":"dos","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with tête (object of caressent)","gloss":"back"},{"surface":"élastique","lemma":"élastique","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies dos","gloss":"supple"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"le-chat-s2-l3","source":"Et que ma main s'enivre du plaisir","translation":"And when my hand grows drunk on the pleasure","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"ma main s'enivre du plaisir","title":"«s'enivrer de» — to get drunk on","body":"«s'enivrer» is a pronominal verb — the reflexive «se» shows the subject acting on itself: «ma main s'enivre» = 'my hand makes itself drunk, grows intoxicated'. It takes «de» for what intoxicates: «s'enivre du plaisir de palper» = 'gets drunk on the pleasure of touching'. After «Lorsque … Et que», this is the second branch of the same 'when' clause, both still waiting on the stanza's sensual climax."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"resumes Lorsque, introduces clause of enivre","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"ma","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of main","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"main","lemma":"main","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of enivre","gloss":"hand"},{"surface":"s'","lemma":"se","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive","role":"reflexive particle of enivre","gloss":"(reflexive)"},{"surface":"enivre","lemma":"enivrer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"grows drunk"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking plaisir","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"plaisir","lemma":"plaisir","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of enivre (object of du)","gloss":"pleasure"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"le-chat-s2-l4","source":"De palper ton corps électrique,","translation":"Of feeling your electric body,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"palper ton corps électrique","title":"«palper» — to feel, to palpate","body":"«palper» is 'to feel, to finger, to palpate' — a tactile verb suggesting the hand's careful, searching touch. «De palper» completes «le plaisir de» ('the pleasure of feeling'). «ton corps électrique» — 'your electric body' — names the spark and crackle of a stroked cat's fur, a strikingly modern image that charges the caress with current."}],"words":[{"surface":"De","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the infinitive clause of palper","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"palper","lemma":"palper","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"infinitive clause complementing plaisir (s2-l3)","gloss":"feeling"},{"surface":"ton","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of corps","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"corps","lemma":"corps","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of palper","gloss":"body"},{"surface":"électrique","lemma":"électrique","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies corps","gloss":"electric"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"le-chat-s3-l1","source":"Je vois ma femme en esprit. Son regard,","translation":"I see my woman in spirit. Her gaze,","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Je vois ma femme en esprit","title":"«en esprit» — in the mind, in spirit","body":"«en esprit» means 'in the mind, in spirit, in imagination' — not before the eyes but conjured inwardly. The sentence breaks the stroking spell: «Je vois ma femme en esprit» = 'I see my woman in my mind's eye'. This is the sonnet's hinge, where the caressed cat suddenly summons the absent beloved, and «Son regard» ('her gaze') launches the comparison that fuses the two."}],"words":[{"surface":"Je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of vois","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"vois","lemma":"voir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"see"},{"surface":"ma","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of femme","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"femme","lemma":"femme","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of vois","gloss":"woman"},{"surface":"en","lemma":"en","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking esprit","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"esprit","lemma":"esprit","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies femme","gloss":"spirit"},{"surface":"Son","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of regard","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"regard","lemma":"regard","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"gaze"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"le-chat-s3-l2","source":"Comme le tien, aimable bête","translation":"Like yours, lovable beast,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Comme le tien","title":"«le tien» — possessive pronoun","body":"«le tien» is the possessive pronoun 'yours', here standing for «ton regard» (your gaze): «Son regard, comme le tien» = 'her gaze, like yours'. It carries the masculine singular article «le» to agree with the masculine «regard». The «vous/tu» address to «aimable bête» ('lovable beast') keeps speaking to the cat even while the eye now described belongs to the woman."}],"words":[{"surface":"Comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"preposition marking tien","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of tien","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"tien","lemma":"tien","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, singular","role":"object of comme, compared to regard","gloss":"yours"},{"surface":"aimable","lemma":"aimable","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies bête","gloss":"lovable"},{"surface":"bête","lemma":"bête","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"vocative, in apposition addressing the cat","gloss":"beast"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"le-chat-s3-l3","source":"Profond et froid, coupe et fend comme un dard,","translation":"Deep and cold, cuts and cleaves like a dart,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"coupe et fend comme un dard","title":"«fendre» — to cleave, to split","body":"«coupe» (from «couper», to cut) and «fend» (from «fendre», to split, to cleave) are paired present-tense verbs whose subject is «Son regard» two lines back: 'her gaze … cuts and cleaves'. «un dard» is a dart, sting, or barbed point. The cold gem-eyes of the opening return as a weapon — the woman's look wounds where the cat's beauty only enchanted."}],"words":[{"surface":"Profond","lemma":"profond","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"predicate adjective describing regard","gloss":"deep"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"froid","lemma":"froid","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with Profond","gloss":"cold"},{"surface":"coupe","lemma":"couper","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"coordinated with fend, main verb (subject regard)","gloss":"cuts"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"fend","lemma":"fendre","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"cleaves"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking dard","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of dard","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"dard","lemma":"dard","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of fend","gloss":"dart"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"le-chat-s4-l1","source":"Et, des pieds jusques à la tête,","translation":"And, from the feet up to the head,","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"des pieds jusques à la tête","title":"«jusques» — archaic / poetic «jusqu'à»","body":"«jusques» is an old, poetic form of «jusqu'à» ('as far as, up to'), the final «-s» kept here to fill the metre and lend an archaic music. «des pieds jusques à la tête» = 'from the feet to the head', the French counterpart of 'from head to toe'. The phrase sweeps the whole body before the final image of perfume rising around it."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"de","morphology":"contracted preposition+determiner (de+les), plural","role":"preposition marking pieds","gloss":"from the"},{"surface":"pieds","lemma":"pied","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"object of des (from)","gloss":"feet"},{"surface":"jusques","lemma":"jusque","morphology":"preposition (archaic verse form of jusque)","role":"introduces à la tête (up to)","gloss":"up"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking tête","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of tête","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"tête","lemma":"tête","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of à (up to the head)","gloss":"head"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"le-chat-s4-l2","source":"Un air subtil, un dangereux parfum","translation":"A subtle air, a dangerous perfume","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of air","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"air","lemma":"air","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of Nagent (coordinated with parfum)","gloss":"air"},{"surface":"subtil","lemma":"subtil","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies air","gloss":"subtle"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of parfum","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"dangereux","lemma":"dangereux","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies parfum","gloss":"dangerous"},{"surface":"parfum","lemma":"parfum","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with air (subject of Nagent)","gloss":"perfume"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"le-chat-s4-l3","source":"Nagent autour de son corps brun.","translation":"Swim about her brown body.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Nagent autour de son corps brun","title":"Plural verb «nagent» — delayed subject","body":"«Nagent» is the third-person plural of «nager» (to swim), agreeing with the doubled subject of the line before — «Un air subtil, un dangereux parfum … nagent» = 'a subtle air, a dangerous perfume swim'. French verse often holds the verb back until after its subjects; here the suspended «Nagent» lets the scent seem to float and drift, «autour de son corps brun» ('around her brown body'), closing the sonnet on the same sensual haze it began in."}],"words":[{"surface":"Nagent","lemma":"nager","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"swim"},{"surface":"autour","lemma":"autour","morphology":"adverb","role":"part of compound preposition autour de, marking corps","gloss":"about"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of compound preposition autour de","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"son","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of corps","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"corps","lemma":"corps","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of autour de, oblique argument of Nagent","gloss":"body"},{"surface":"brun","lemma":"brun","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies corps","gloss":"brown"}]}]}