{"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-mort-joyeux","title":{"source":"Le Mort joyeux","translated":"The Joyful Dead Man"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/le-mort-joyeux","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/une-gravure-fantastique","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/le-tonneau-de-la-haine","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-mort-joyeux-s1-l1","source":"Dans une terre grasse et pleine d'escargots","translation":"In a rich earth, full of snails,","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"une terre grasse","title":"«gras» of soil — rich, fat","body":"«gras» literally means 'fat, greasy', but of earth it means 'rich, heavy, fertile' — soil thick enough to dig into. The fatness of the ground and the «escargots» ('snails') already set the tone: this is the grave imagined as something teeming and alive, not sterile."}],"words":[{"surface":"Dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking terre","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of terre","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"terre","lemma":"terre","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"earth"},{"surface":"grasse","lemma":"gras","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies terre","gloss":"rich"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"pleine","lemma":"plein","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"coordinated with terre","gloss":"full"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking escargots","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"escargots","lemma":"escargot","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"modifies pleine","gloss":"snails"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s1-l2","source":"Je veux creuser moi-même une fosse profonde,","translation":"I want to dig myself a deep pit,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"creuser moi-même","title":"«moi-même» — the emphatic 'myself'","body":"«moi-même» is the disjunctive (stressed) pronoun «moi» reinforced by «même» — an emphatic 'myself, by my own hand', not a reflexive. Set against the verb «creuser» ('to dig, to hollow out'), it underlines the poet's perverse relish: he will not be buried but will dig his own grave «moi-même», eager and active where others are passive corpses."}],"words":[{"surface":"Je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of veux","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"veux","lemma":"vouloir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"want"},{"surface":"creuser","lemma":"creuser","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of veux","gloss":"to dig"},{"surface":"moi","lemma":"moi","morphology":"pronoun, disjunctive","role":"emphatic pronoun (moi-même), modifies je","gloss":"myself","note":"'moi-même' is an emphatic reflexive meaning 'myself' — it stresses that Je does the digging, it is not the direct object of creuser."},{"surface":"même","lemma":"même","morphology":"adverb","role":"second part of moi-même, emphasizes moi","gloss":"-self"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of fosse","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"fosse","lemma":"fosse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of creuser","gloss":"pit"},{"surface":"profonde","lemma":"profond","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies fosse","gloss":"deep"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s1-l3","source":"Où je puisse à loisir étaler mes vieux os","translation":"where I may at leisure spread out my old bones","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"où je puisse","title":"Subjunctive in a purpose relative","body":"«puisse» is the present subjunctive of «pouvoir» ('to be able'). The relative «où» here carries a sense of purpose — 'a pit where I may, where I could' — and that intended, not-yet-real outcome pulls the subjunctive rather than the indicative «peux». «à loisir» is an idiom: 'at leisure, at one's ease, taking all the time one wants'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Où","lemma":"où","morphology":"adverb, relative","role":"depends on puisse","gloss":"where"},{"surface":"je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of puisse","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"puisse","lemma":"pouvoir","morphology":"verb, present, subjunctive, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"may"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking loisir","gloss":"at"},{"surface":"loisir","lemma":"loisir","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of puisse","gloss":"leisure"},{"surface":"étaler","lemma":"étaler","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of puisse","gloss":"spread out"},{"surface":"mes","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of os","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"vieux","lemma":"vieux","morphology":"adjective, masculine","role":"modifies os","gloss":"old"},{"surface":"os","lemma":"os","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of étaler","gloss":"bones"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s1-l4","source":"Et dormir dans l'oubli comme un requin dans l'onde.","translation":"and sleep in oblivion like a shark in the wave.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"un requin dans l'onde","title":"«l'onde» — the poetic wave","body":"«l'onde» is the elevated, poetic word for water or the sea ('the wave, the deep'), loftier than «l'eau». The shark sleeping in the deep is the poem's image of death as ease, not horror: the dead man wants to drowse in oblivion as effortlessly as a shark hangs in the water."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"dormir","lemma":"dormir","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"coordinated with creuser, complement of veux","gloss":"sleep"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking oubli","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of oubli","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"oubli","lemma":"oubli","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"depends on dormir","gloss":"oblivion"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking requin","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of requin","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"requin","lemma":"requin","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"complement of comme (comparison)","gloss":"shark"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking onde","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of onde","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"onde","lemma":"onde","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies requin","gloss":"wave"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s2-l1","source":"Je hais les testaments et je hais les tombeaux;","translation":"I hate testaments and I hate tombs;","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of hais","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"hais","lemma":"haïr","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"hate"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of testaments","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"testaments","lemma":"testament","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of hais","gloss":"testaments"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of hais","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"hais","lemma":"haïr","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"coordinated with hais","gloss":"hate"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of tombeaux","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"tombeaux","lemma":"tombeau","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of hais","gloss":"tombs"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s2-l2","source":"Plutôt que d'implorer une larme du monde,","translation":"Rather than beg a single tear from the world,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Plutôt que d'implorer","title":"«plutôt que de» + infinitive","body":"«plutôt que de» ('rather than') governs an infinitive — here «d'implorer» ('to implore, to beg for'). The «de» is part of the fixed construction. The line sets up a stark choice that line 3 will complete: rather than beg the world for one tear, he would sooner invite the crows to feed on him."}],"words":[{"surface":"Plutôt","lemma":"plutôt","morphology":"adverb","role":"introduces the clause of implorer","gloss":"rather"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"part of the phrase Plutôt","gloss":"than"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of implorer","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"implorer","lemma":"implorer","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"beg"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of larme","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"larme","lemma":"larme","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of implorer","gloss":"tear"},{"surface":"du","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking monde","gloss":"from the"},{"surface":"monde","lemma":"monde","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies larme","gloss":"world"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s2-l3","source":"Vivant, j'aimerais mieux inviter les corbeaux","translation":"Living, I would rather invite the crows","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"j'aimerais mieux","title":"«aimer mieux» — to prefer","body":"«aimer mieux» is the idiomatic way to say 'to prefer, to like better'; in the conditional «j'aimerais mieux» = 'I would rather'. The opening «Vivant» is an apposition — 'while still alive, as a living man' — making the boast more defiant: even now, alive, he chooses the crows over the world's pity."}],"words":[{"surface":"Vivant","lemma":"vivre","morphology":"verb, present, participle","role":"adverbial participle modifying je (while alive)","gloss":"alive"},{"surface":"j'","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of aimerais","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"aimerais","lemma":"aimer","morphology":"verb, present, conditional, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"would like"},{"surface":"mieux","lemma":"mieux","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies aimerais (aimer mieux, 'to prefer')","gloss":"rather"},{"surface":"inviter","lemma":"inviter","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of aimerais","gloss":"invite"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of corbeaux","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"corbeaux","lemma":"corbeau","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of inviter","gloss":"crows"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s2-l4","source":"À saigner tous les bouts de ma carcasse immonde.","translation":"to bleed every shred of my foul carcass.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ma carcasse immonde","title":"«carcasse» and «immonde»","body":"«carcasse» means a carcass, a dead animal's body — used of one's own flesh it is brutally self-deprecating. «immonde» is strong: 'foul, filthy, unclean, vile'. «saigner» here is transitive, 'to bleed (something), to drain of blood'. The poet offers his own body, with savage contempt, as carrion for the crows to drain."}],"words":[{"surface":"À","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of saigner","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"saigner","lemma":"saigner","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"bleed"},{"surface":"tous","lemma":"tout","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies bouts","gloss":"every"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of bouts","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"bouts","lemma":"bout","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of saigner","gloss":"shred"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking carcasse","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"ma","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of carcasse","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"carcasse","lemma":"carcasse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies bouts","gloss":"carcass"},{"surface":"immonde","lemma":"immonde","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies carcasse","gloss":"foul"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s3-l1","source":"Ô vers! noirs compagnons sans oreille et sans yeux,","translation":"O worms! black companions without ear and without eyes,","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Ô vers!","title":"«les vers» — the worms (and a pun)","body":"«les vers» means 'the worms' — the grave-worms the poet hails as «compagnons». The apostrophe «Ô» is the high vocative of address, 'O…'. Note the lurking pun: «le vers» also means 'a line of verse'. A poet calling out «Ô vers!» summons both the worms that will eat him and the verses he writes — fitting, since the tercet goes on to name them «philosophes viveurs»."}],"words":[{"surface":"Ô","lemma":"ô","morphology":"interjection","role":"vocative particle introducing vers","gloss":"O"},{"surface":"vers","lemma":"ver","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"vocative, in apposition to compagnons","gloss":"worms"},{"surface":"noirs","lemma":"noir","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies compagnons","gloss":"black"},{"surface":"compagnons","lemma":"compagnon","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"in apposition to vers","gloss":"companions"},{"surface":"sans","lemma":"sans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking oreille","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"oreille","lemma":"oreille","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies compagnons","gloss":"ear"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"sans","lemma":"sans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking yeux","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"yeux","lemma":"oeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"coordinated with oreille","gloss":"eyes"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s3-l2","source":"Voyez venir à vous un mort libre et joyeux;","translation":"see coming to you a dead man, free and joyful;","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Voyez venir","title":"Imperative + infinitive of perception","body":"«Voyez» is the «vous» imperative of «voir» ('to see'); «voir» followed by a bare infinitive is the verb of perception, 'to see (someone) do something'. «Voyez venir à vous un mort» = 'see a dead man come / coming toward you'. The dead man is «libre et joyeux» — the title's joyfulness — gladly delivering himself to the worms."}],"words":[{"surface":"Voyez","lemma":"voir","morphology":"verb, present, imperative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"see"},{"surface":"venir","lemma":"venir","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of Voyez","gloss":"coming"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking vous","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"oblique argument of venir","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of mort","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"mort","lemma":"mort","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of venir (infinitive clause)","gloss":"dead man"},{"surface":"libre","lemma":"libre","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies mort","gloss":"free"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"joyeux","lemma":"joyeux","morphology":"adjective, masculine","role":"coordinated with libre","gloss":"joyful"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s3-l3","source":"Philosophes viveurs, fils de la pourriture,","translation":"Pleasure-loving philosophers, sons of rot,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Philosophes viveurs","title":"«un viveur» — a liver of the good life","body":"«un viveur» is one who lives for pleasure, a bon vivant, a fast-living sensualist. Yoked to «philosophes», the worms become 'philosopher-libertines' who feast on the body as on a banquet. «fils de la pourriture» ('sons of rot, of decay') makes their philosophy plain: born of decomposition, they take corruption as the natural good."}],"words":[{"surface":"Philosophes","lemma":"philosophe","morphology":"noun, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"philosophers"},{"surface":"viveurs","lemma":"viveur","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"modifies Philosophes","gloss":"pleasure-loving"},{"surface":"fils","lemma":"fils","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"in apposition to Philosophes","gloss":"sons"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking pourriture","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of pourriture","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"pourriture","lemma":"pourriture","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies fils","gloss":"rot"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s4-l1","source":"À travers ma ruine allez donc sans remords,","translation":"Through my ruin, then, go without remorse,","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"allez donc","title":"Imperative with «donc» — 'go on, then'","body":"«allez» is the «vous» imperative of «aller» ('to go'); the particle «donc» adds urging or permission, 'go on then, go right ahead'. «à travers ma ruine» = 'through my ruin', the wreck of his own body. He grants the worms free passage «sans remords» ('without remorse') — there is nothing left in him to spare."}],"words":[{"surface":"À","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking ruine","gloss":"through"},{"surface":"travers","lemma":"travers","morphology":"noun, masculine","role":"part of the phrase À","gloss":"through"},{"surface":"ma","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of ruine","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"ruine","lemma":"ruine","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"depends on allez","gloss":"ruin"},{"surface":"allez","lemma":"aller","morphology":"verb, present, imperative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"go"},{"surface":"donc","lemma":"donc","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies allez","gloss":"then"},{"surface":"sans","lemma":"sans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking remords","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"remords","lemma":"remords","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"depends on allez","gloss":"remorse"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s4-l2","source":"Et dites-moi s'il est encor quelque torture","translation":"and tell me whether there is still some torture left","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"s'il est encor quelque torture","title":"«il est» = il y a; «encor»","body":"«il est» here is the literary, elevated form of «il y a» ('there is'). «encor» is a poetic spelling of «encore» ('still, yet'), the missing -e licensed by the metre. «quelque» before a singular noun means 'some, any'. The whole clause asks the worms: 'is there any torture still left…' — the final, defiant question of the sonnet."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"dites","lemma":"dire","morphology":"verb, present, imperative","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"tell"},{"surface":"-moi","lemma":"moi","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"depends on dites","gloss":"me"},{"surface":"s'","lemma":"si","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clause of est","gloss":"whether"},{"surface":"il","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, singular","role":"impersonal subject of est","gloss":"there"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking to torture","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"encor","lemma":"encor","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies torture","gloss":"still"},{"surface":"quelque","lemma":"quelque","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of torture","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"torture","lemma":"torture","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"torture"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"le-mort-joyeux-s4-l3","source":"Pour ce vieux corps sans âme et mort parmi les morts!","translation":"for this old body, soulless and dead among the dead!","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"mort parmi les morts","title":"«mort parmi les morts»","body":"«parmi» means 'among, in the midst of'. The closing line piles up the poet's nullity: «sans âme» ('without a soul, soulless') and «mort parmi les morts» ('dead among the dead'). The triumphant logic of the sonnet: a body already this dead and empty is beyond all torment — the worms can find nothing left to hurt."}],"words":[{"surface":"Pour","lemma":"pour","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking corps","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"ce","lemma":"ce","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of corps","gloss":"this"},{"surface":"vieux","lemma":"vieux","morphology":"adjective, masculine","role":"modifies corps","gloss":"old"},{"surface":"corps","lemma":"corps","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"body"},{"surface":"sans","lemma":"sans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking âme","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"âme","lemma":"âme","morphology":"noun, singular","role":"modifies corps","gloss":"soul"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"mort","lemma":"mort","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies corps, coordinated with sans âme","gloss":"dead"},{"surface":"parmi","lemma":"parmi","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking morts","gloss":"among"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of morts","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"morts","lemma":"mort","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"oblique argument of mort (dead among the dead)","gloss":"dead"}]}]}