{"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-gout-du-neant","title":{"source":"Le Goût du néant","translated":"The Taste for Nothingness"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/le-gout-du-neant","lines":15},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/obsession","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/alchimie-de-la-douleur","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-gout-du-neant-s1-l1","source":"Morne esprit, autrefois amoureux de la lutte,","translation":"Gloomy spirit, once in love with the struggle,","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Morne","lemma":"morne","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies esprit","gloss":"gloomy"},{"surface":"esprit","lemma":"esprit","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"vocative address","gloss":"spirit"},{"surface":"autrefois","lemma":"autrefois","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies amoureux","gloss":"once"},{"surface":"amoureux","lemma":"amoureux","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies esprit","gloss":"in love"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking lutte","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of lutte","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"lutte","lemma":"lutte","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of amoureux","gloss":"struggle"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s1-l2","source":"L'Espoir, dont l'éperon attisait ton ardeur,","translation":"Hope, whose spur once stoked your ardour,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"L'Espoir","title":"Capitalized «l'Espoir»","body":"Baudelaire capitalizes «l'Espoir» (Hope) to personify it as an allegorical figure — here a rider whose «éperon» (spur) drove the spirit on. The relative «dont» = 'whose / of which', linking Hope to the spur that «attisait» (stoked, fanned, kindled) the spirit's «ardeur» (ardour, fire)."}],"words":[{"surface":"L'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of Espoir","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Espoir","lemma":"espoir","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of veut (s1-l3)","gloss":"Hope"},{"surface":"dont","lemma":"dont","morphology":"pronoun","role":"possessive relative pronoun, modifies éperon (refers to Espoir)","gloss":"whose"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of éperon","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"éperon","lemma":"éperon","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of attisait","gloss":"spur"},{"surface":"attisait","lemma":"attiser","morphology":"verb, imperfect, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the relative clause on Espoir","gloss":"stoked"},{"surface":"ton","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of ardeur","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"ardeur","lemma":"ardeur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of attisait","gloss":"ardour"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s1-l3","source":"Ne veut plus t'enfourcher! Couche-toi sans pudeur,","translation":"wants to mount you no longer! Lie down without shame,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Couche-toi","title":"Pronominal imperative «se coucher»","body":"«se coucher» = 'to lie down, go to bed'; the imperative drops the «se» and appends the stressed pronoun: «Couche-toi» = 'Lie down'. The spirit is told to lie «sans pudeur» (without shame, without modesty) — to surrender openly, like the exhausted old horse Hope refuses to ride."}],"words":[{"surface":"Ne","lemma":"ne","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies veut","gloss":"no"},{"surface":"veut","lemma":"vouloir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject: Espoir, previous line)","gloss":"wants"},{"surface":"plus","lemma":"plus","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies veut","gloss":"longer"},{"surface":"t'","lemma":"te","morphology":"pronoun, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on enfourcher","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"enfourcher","lemma":"enfourcher","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of veut","gloss":"to mount"},{"surface":"Couche","lemma":"coucher","morphology":"verb, imperative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the imperative clause","gloss":"lie down"},{"surface":"toi","lemma":"toi","morphology":"pronoun, singular, reflexive","role":"reflexive pronoun, depends on Couche","gloss":"yourself"},{"surface":"sans","lemma":"sans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking pudeur","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"pudeur","lemma":"pudeur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of Couche","gloss":"shame"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s1-l4","source":"Vieux cheval dont le pied à chaque obstacle butte.","translation":"old horse whose foot stumbles at every hurdle.","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Vieux","lemma":"vieux","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies cheval","gloss":"old"},{"surface":"cheval","lemma":"cheval","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"appositive to Espoir (s1-l2)","gloss":"horse"},{"surface":"dont","lemma":"dont","morphology":"pronoun","role":"possessive relative pronoun, modifies pied (refers to cheval)","gloss":"whose"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of pied","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"pied","lemma":"pied","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of butte","gloss":"foot"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking obstacle","gloss":"at"},{"surface":"chaque","lemma":"chaque","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of obstacle","gloss":"every"},{"surface":"obstacle","lemma":"obstacle","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of butte","gloss":"hurdle"},{"surface":"butte","lemma":"buter","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the relative clause (refers to pied)","gloss":"stumbles"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s2-l1","source":"Résigne-toi, mon coeur; dors ton sommeil de brute.","translation":"Resign yourself, my heart; sleep your brute's sleep.","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"dors ton sommeil","title":"Cognate accusative «dors ton sommeil»","body":"«dormir» (to sleep) is normally intransitive, but here it takes its own noun as object: «dors ton sommeil de brute» — literally 'sleep your sleep of a brute'. This figure (a verb governing a noun from the same root) makes the sleep feel total and animal — «de brute» = 'of a beast', mindless and dumb."}],"words":[{"surface":"Résigne","lemma":"résigner","morphology":"verb, imperative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the imperative clause","gloss":"resign"},{"surface":"toi","lemma":"toi","morphology":"pronoun, singular, reflexive","role":"reflexive pronoun, depends on Résigne","gloss":"yourself"},{"surface":"mon","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of coeur","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"coeur","lemma":"coeur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"vocative address","gloss":"heart"},{"surface":"dors","lemma":"dormir","morphology":"verb, imperative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the imperative clause","gloss":"sleep"},{"surface":"ton","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of sommeil","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"sommeil","lemma":"sommeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of dors","gloss":"sleep"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking brute","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"brute","lemma":"brute","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies sommeil","gloss":"brute"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s3-l1","source":"Esprit vaincu, fourbu! Pour toi, vieux maraudeur,","translation":"Spirit defeated, worn out! For you, old marauder,","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"fourbu","title":"fourbu","body":"«fourbu» means 'exhausted, dead-beat' — and is used especially of a foundered, broken-down horse, which keeps the equine image of the first stanza alive. «vaincu» = 'vanquished, defeated'; «maraudeur» = 'marauder, prowler, petty thief', the spirit recast as a beaten old vagrant."}],"words":[{"surface":"Esprit","lemma":"esprit","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"vocative address, appositive to coeur","gloss":"spirit"},{"surface":"vaincu","lemma":"vaincre","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"modifies Esprit","gloss":"defeated"},{"surface":"fourbu","lemma":"fourbu","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies Esprit","gloss":"worn out"},{"surface":"Pour","lemma":"pour","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking toi","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"toi","lemma":"toi","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"object of preposition Pour","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"vieux","lemma":"vieux","morphology":"adjective, masculine","role":"modifies maraudeur","gloss":"old"},{"surface":"maraudeur","lemma":"maraudeur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"appositive to toi","gloss":"marauder"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s3-l2","source":"L'amour n'a plus de goût, non plus que la dispute;","translation":"love has no taste any longer, no more than quarrelling does;","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"non plus que","title":"«ne... plus... non plus que»","body":"«n'a plus de goût» = 'no longer has any taste / appetite'; «non plus que» = 'no more than'. The construction pairs two losses: love has gone flat, «non plus que la dispute» — and so has the strife that once fed the spirit's «ardeur». «le goût» here is both 'taste' and 'liking', and gives the poem its title."}],"words":[{"surface":"L'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of amour","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"amour","lemma":"amour","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of a","gloss":"love"},{"surface":"n'","lemma":"ne","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies a","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"a","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"has"},{"surface":"plus","lemma":"plus","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies a","gloss":"no more"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking goût","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"goût","lemma":"goût","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of a","gloss":"taste"},{"surface":"non","lemma":"non","morphology":"adverb","role":"introduces the comparison non plus que","gloss":"no"},{"surface":"plus","lemma":"plus","morphology":"adverb","role":"part of the phrase non","gloss":"more"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"part of the phrase non","gloss":"than"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of dispute","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"dispute","lemma":"dispute","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of comparison (non plus que), compared with goût","gloss":"quarrelling"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s3-l3","source":"Adieu donc, chants du cuivre et soupirs de la flûte!","translation":"Farewell then, songs of the brass and sighs of the flute!","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Adieu","lemma":"adieu","morphology":"interjection","role":"interjection, addressed to chants et soupirs","gloss":"farewell"},{"surface":"donc","lemma":"donc","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies Adieu","gloss":"then"},{"surface":"chants","lemma":"chant","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"object of Adieu (vocative farewell)","gloss":"songs"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking cuivre","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"cuivre","lemma":"cuivre","morphology":"noun, singular","role":"modifies chants","gloss":"brass"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"soupirs","lemma":"soupir","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"coordinated with chants, object of Adieu","gloss":"sighs"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking flûte","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of flûte","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"flûte","lemma":"flûte","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies soupirs","gloss":"flute"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s3-l4","source":"Plaisirs, ne tentez plus un coeur sombre et boudeur!","translation":"Pleasures, tempt no longer a heart gloomy and sulking!","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Plaisirs","lemma":"plaisir","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"vocative address","gloss":"pleasures"},{"surface":"ne","lemma":"ne","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies tentez","gloss":"no"},{"surface":"tentez","lemma":"tenter","morphology":"verb, imperative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the imperative clause","gloss":"tempt"},{"surface":"plus","lemma":"plus","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies tentez","gloss":"longer"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of coeur","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"coeur","lemma":"coeur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of tentez","gloss":"heart"},{"surface":"sombre","lemma":"sombre","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies coeur","gloss":"gloomy"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"boudeur","lemma":"boudeur","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with sombre, modifies coeur","gloss":"sulking"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s4-l1","source":"Le Printemps adorable a perdu son odeur!","translation":"Adorable Spring has lost its scent!","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of Printemps","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Printemps","lemma":"printemps","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of perdu","gloss":"Spring"},{"surface":"adorable","lemma":"adorable","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies Printemps","gloss":"adorable"},{"surface":"a","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on perdu","gloss":"has"},{"surface":"perdu","lemma":"perdre","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"lost"},{"surface":"son","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of odeur","gloss":"its"},{"surface":"odeur","lemma":"odeur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of perdu","gloss":"scent"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s5-l1","source":"Et le Temps m'engloutit minute par minute,","translation":"And Time swallows me up minute by minute,","stanza":5,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of Temps","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Temps","lemma":"temps","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of engloutit","gloss":"Time"},{"surface":"m'","lemma":"me","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"direct object of engloutit","gloss":"me"},{"surface":"engloutit","lemma":"engloutir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"swallows"},{"surface":"minute","lemma":"minute","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"adverbial phrase modifying engloutit (part of the idiom \"minute par minute\")","gloss":"minute"},{"surface":"par","lemma":"par","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking minute","gloss":"by"},{"surface":"minute","lemma":"minute","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"part of the phrase minute par minute, object of par","gloss":"minute"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s5-l2","source":"Comme la neige immense un corps pris de roideur;","translation":"as the boundless snow swallows a body seized with stiffness;","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Comme la neige immense un corps","title":"Verb elided after «comme»","body":"The comparison reuses the verb «engloutit» from the line above without repeating it: 'as the boundless snow [swallows] a body…'. «pris de roideur» = 'seized with stiffness / rigidity' (an older spelling of «raideur») — the stiffening of a corpse, or of a body freezing in the snow."}],"words":[{"surface":"Comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking neige","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of neige","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"neige","lemma":"neige","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of the elided verb (swallows), compared object","gloss":"snow"},{"surface":"immense","lemma":"immense","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies neige","gloss":"boundless"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of corps","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"corps","lemma":"corps","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of the elided verb (paired with neige)","gloss":"body"},{"surface":"pris","lemma":"prendre","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine","role":"clause modifying corps","gloss":"seized"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking roideur","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"roideur","lemma":"roideur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of pris","gloss":"stiffness"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s5-l3","source":"— Je contemple d'en haut le globe en sa rondeur","translation":"— I gaze down from on high at the globe in its roundness","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of contemple","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"contemple","lemma":"contempler","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"gaze"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of the adverbial phrase d'en haut (from on high)","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"en","lemma":"en","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of the adverbial phrase d'en haut","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"haut","lemma":"haut","morphology":"adverb","role":"head of d'en haut, modifies contemple","gloss":"high"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of globe","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"globe","lemma":"globe","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of contemple","gloss":"globe"},{"surface":"en","lemma":"en","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking rondeur","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"sa","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of rondeur","gloss":"its"},{"surface":"rondeur","lemma":"rondeur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of en, phrase modifies globe","gloss":"roundness"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s5-l4","source":"Et je n'y cherche plus l'abri d'une cahute.","translation":"and I no longer seek there the shelter of a hovel.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"n'y cherche plus","title":"The adverbial pronoun «y»","body":"«y» = 'there / in it', standing in for «sur le globe» (on the globe) from the previous line, so «je n'y cherche plus» = 'I no longer look there for'. «une cahute» = 'a hut, a shanty, a hovel': the speaker, gazing down from above, has given up even wanting the smallest refuge on earth."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of cherche","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"n'","lemma":"ne","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies cherche (negation ne...plus)","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"y","lemma":"y","morphology":"pronoun, adverbial (locative)","role":"locative adverb, modifies cherche ('there')","gloss":"there"},{"surface":"cherche","lemma":"chercher","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"seek"},{"surface":"plus","lemma":"plus","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies cherche (negation ne...plus)","gloss":"no longer"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of abri","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"abri","lemma":"abri","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of cherche","gloss":"shelter"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking cahute","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of cahute","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"cahute","lemma":"cahute","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies abri","gloss":"hovel"}]},{"number":15,"label":"15","id":"le-gout-du-neant-s6-l1","source":"Avalanche, veux-tu m'emporter dans ta chute?","translation":"Avalanche, will you carry me off in your fall?","stanza":6,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"veux-tu m'emporter","title":"Inversion + «m'emporter»","body":"The question inverts subject and verb: «veux-tu...?» = 'do you want to...? / will you...?'. «emporter» = 'to carry off, sweep away', with «m'» ('me') as its object. The poem's final wish is to be taken «dans ta chute» (in your fall) — to vanish, completing the «goût du néant», the craving for oblivion."}],"words":[{"surface":"Avalanche","lemma":"avalanche","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"vocative address","gloss":"Avalanche"},{"surface":"veux","lemma":"vouloir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"want"},{"surface":"tu","lemma":"tu","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of veux","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"m'","lemma":"me","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"direct object of emporter","gloss":"me"},{"surface":"emporter","lemma":"emporter","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"infinitive complement of veux","gloss":"carry off"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking chute","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"ta","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of chute","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"chute","lemma":"chute","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of emporter","gloss":"fall"}]}]}