{"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-revenant","title":{"source":"Le Revenant","translated":"The Revenant"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/le-revenant","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/moesta-et-errabunda","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/sonnet-d-automne","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-revenant-s1-l1","source":"Comme les anges à l'oeil fauve,","translation":"Like the angels with the tawny eye,","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"à l'oeil fauve","title":"«fauve» — tawny, wild","body":"«fauve» names the yellow-brown of a lion's coat and, by extension, anything wild or predatory; «un fauve» is a big cat or beast of prey. «les anges à l'oeil fauve» = 'the angels with the tawny eye' — the construction «à + l'» attaches a defining feature ('the … one with…'). These are not gentle cherubs but the fallen, beast-eyed angels, and they set the menacing key for the whole poem."}],"words":[{"surface":"Comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking anges","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of anges","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"anges","lemma":"ange","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"angels"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking oeil","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of oeil","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"oeil","lemma":"oeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies anges","gloss":"eye"},{"surface":"fauve","lemma":"fauve","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies oeil","gloss":"tawny"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"le-revenant-s1-l2","source":"Je reviendrai dans ton alcôve","translation":"I shall come back into your alcove","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Je reviendrai","title":"Future of «revenir» — and the title","body":"«reviendrai» is the future of «revenir» (to come back, to return). The verb is the root of the title «le revenant» — literally 'the one who comes back', the French word for a ghost. The speaker promises a return from the dead: «Je reviendrai dans ton alcôve» = 'I shall come back into your alcove'. «une alcôve» is the recessed bed-niche of a bedchamber, a charged, intimate space."}],"words":[{"surface":"Je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of reviendrai","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"reviendrai","lemma":"revenir","morphology":"verb, future, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"shall come back"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking alcôve","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"ton","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of alcôve","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"alcôve","lemma":"alcôve","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"depends on reviendrai","gloss":"alcove"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"le-revenant-s1-l3","source":"Et vers toi glisserai sans bruit","translation":"And toward you shall glide without a sound","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"vers toi glisserai","title":"Fronted phrase before the verb","body":"Read straight, this is «et glisserai sans bruit vers toi» — '(I) shall glide silently toward you'. The verse fronts «vers toi» ('toward you') ahead of the verb «glisserai» (future of «glisser», to glide, to slip) for rhythm and menace. The subject «je» is carried over from the line above and not repeated, as French verse often allows."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"vers","lemma":"vers","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking toi","gloss":"toward"},{"surface":"toi","lemma":"toi","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"oblique argument of glisserai","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"glisserai","lemma":"glisser","morphology":"verb, future, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (subject je, previous line)","gloss":"shall glide"},{"surface":"sans","lemma":"sans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking bruit","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"bruit","lemma":"bruit","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of glisserai","gloss":"sound"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"le-revenant-s1-l4","source":"Avec les ombres de la nuit;","translation":"With the shadows of the night;","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Avec","lemma":"avec","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking ombres","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of ombres","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"ombres","lemma":"ombre","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"oblique argument of glisserai (previous line)","gloss":"shadows"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking nuit","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of nuit","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"nuit","lemma":"nuit","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies ombres","gloss":"night"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"le-revenant-s2-l1","source":"Et je te donnerai, ma brune,","translation":"And I shall give you, my dark one,","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ma brune","title":"«ma brune» — my dark-haired one","body":"«brun / brune» means brown-haired or dark; used as a noun, «ma brune» is an affectionate 'my dark-haired girl', addressed to the beloved (the same dark-haired mistress who haunts this cycle of poems). The tenderness of the address sits against the cold gifts to come — «des baisers froids comme la lune» in the next line."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of donnerai","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"te","lemma":"te","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"indirect object of donnerai","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"donnerai","lemma":"donner","morphology":"verb, future, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"shall give"},{"surface":"ma","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of brune","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"brune","lemma":"brune","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"vocative, addressed by donnerai","gloss":"dark-haired one"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"le-revenant-s2-l2","source":"Des baisers froids comme la lune","translation":"Kisses cold as the moon","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Des","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of baisers","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"baisers","lemma":"baiser","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of donnerai (previous line)","gloss":"kisses"},{"surface":"froids","lemma":"froid","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies baisers","gloss":"cold"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking lune","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of lune","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"lune","lemma":"lune","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies baisers","gloss":"moon"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"le-revenant-s2-l3","source":"Et des caresses de serpent","translation":"And the caresses of a serpent","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of caresses","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"caresses","lemma":"caresse","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"coordinated with baisers, direct object of donnerai","gloss":"caresses"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking serpent","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"serpent","lemma":"serpent","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies caresses","gloss":"serpent"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"le-revenant-s2-l4","source":"Autour d'une fosse rampant.","translation":"Crawling around a grave.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Autour d'une fosse rampant","title":"Present participle «rampant»","body":"«rampant» is the present participle of «ramper» (to crawl, to slither), describing the serpent of the line above: «des caresses de serpent / Autour d'une fosse rampant» = 'the caresses of a serpent crawling around a grave'. «une fosse» is a pit or grave. The participle is held to the very end of the stanza, leaving the image of the crawling snake to close on the open grave."}],"words":[{"surface":"Autour","lemma":"autour","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking fosse (with d'), part of compound autour de","gloss":"around","note":"\"Autour de\" is a compound preposition meaning \"around\"."},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of the compound preposition autour de, marking fosse","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of fosse","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"fosse","lemma":"fosse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of Autour d'","gloss":"grave"},{"surface":"rampant","lemma":"ramper","morphology":"verb, present, participle","role":"clause modifying serpent, describing des caresses de serpent (\"serpent rampant\" = crawling/rampant serpent)","gloss":"crawling"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"le-revenant-s3-l1","source":"Quand viendra le matin livide,","translation":"When the livid morning comes,","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Quand viendra le matin","title":"Future after «quand» + inversion","body":"French puts the future tense after «quand» where English keeps the present: «Quand viendra le matin» = 'When the morning comes' (literally 'when will come the morning'). The verb «viendra» (future of «venir») is inverted ahead of its subject «le matin livide» for the verse. «livide» means ghastly pale, ashen — the dawn itself wears the pallor of a corpse."}],"words":[{"surface":"Quand","lemma":"quand","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clause of viendra","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"viendra","lemma":"venir","morphology":"verb, future, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"comes"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of matin","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"matin","lemma":"matin","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of viendra","gloss":"morning"},{"surface":"livide","lemma":"livide","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies matin","gloss":"livid"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"le-revenant-s3-l2","source":"Tu trouveras ma place vide,","translation":"You will find my place empty,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Tu","lemma":"tu","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of trouveras","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"trouveras","lemma":"trouver","morphology":"verb, future, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"will find"},{"surface":"ma","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of place","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"place","lemma":"place","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of trouveras","gloss":"place"},{"surface":"vide","lemma":"vide","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies place","gloss":"empty"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"le-revenant-s3-l3","source":"Où jusqu'au soir il fera froid.","translation":"Where until evening it will be cold.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"il fera froid","title":"Impersonal «il fait froid»","body":"«il fait froid» is the fixed impersonal expression for 'it is cold' (of weather), with «il» a dummy subject naming no one; «il fera froid» is its future, 'it will be cold'. «Où jusqu'au soir il fera froid» = 'where, until evening, it will be cold' — the empty side of the bed stays cold all day, the chill of the absent ghost left behind in the warm world."}],"words":[{"surface":"Où","lemma":"où","morphology":"relative adverb","role":"introduces the relative clause modifying place (previous line)","gloss":"where"},{"surface":"jusqu'","lemma":"jusque","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking soir (jusqu'au = until the)","gloss":"until"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition (contracted with le)","role":"preposition marking soir","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"soir","lemma":"soir","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"temporal adjunct of fera","gloss":"evening"},{"surface":"il","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, impersonal, masculine, singular","role":"impersonal subject of fera","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"fera","lemma":"faire","morphology":"verb, future, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"will be"},{"surface":"froid","lemma":"froid","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular (predicate with impersonal faire)","role":"predicate complement of fera","gloss":"cold","note":"\"il fera froid\" is the impersonal construction \"it will be cold.\""}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"le-revenant-s4-l1","source":"Comme d'autres par la tendresse,","translation":"As others rule by tenderness,","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"conjunction","role":"introduces the comparison","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition, partitive","role":"partitive marker of autres","gloss":"some","note":"\"d'autres\" = \"some others\"; the d' is a partitive marker, not a possessive."},{"surface":"autres","lemma":"autre","morphology":"pronoun, indefinite, plural","role":"head of the phrase (subject of an implied verb, e.g. régnent)","gloss":"others"},{"surface":"par","lemma":"par","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking tendresse","gloss":"through"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of tendresse","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"tendresse","lemma":"tendresse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies autres","gloss":"tenderness"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"le-revenant-s4-l2","source":"Sur ta vie et sur ta jeunesse,","translation":"Over your life and over your youth,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Sur","lemma":"sur","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking vie","gloss":"over"},{"surface":"ta","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of vie","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"vie","lemma":"vie","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"life"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"sur","lemma":"sur","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking jeunesse","gloss":"over"},{"surface":"ta","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of jeunesse","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"jeunesse","lemma":"jeunesse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"coordinated with vie","gloss":"youth"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"le-revenant-s4-l3","source":"Moi, je veux régner par l'effroi.","translation":"I mean to reign through dread.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"je veux régner par l'effroi","title":"«l'effroi» — dread, terror","body":"«l'effroi» is dread, terror — a deeper, colder word than «la peur» (fear). «régner par l'effroi» = 'to reign through dread / to rule by terror'. The whole sonnet folds into this last line, set off by the emphatic «Moi, je» ('As for me, I…'): where others would win love by «la tendresse» (tenderness), this returning ghost chooses to rule the beloved through fear instead."}],"words":[{"surface":"Moi","lemma":"moi","morphology":"pronoun, emphatic, singular","role":"emphatic subject pronoun, in apposition with je","gloss":"I"},{"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":"régner","lemma":"régner","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of veux","gloss":"to reign"},{"surface":"par","lemma":"par","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking effroi","gloss":"through"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of effroi","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"effroi","lemma":"effroi","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of régner (means)","gloss":"dread"}]}]}