{"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-squelette-laboureur","title":{"source":"Le Squelette laboureur","translated":"The Laboring Skeleton"},"section":"Parisian Scenes","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/le-squelette-laboureur","lines":32},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/a-une-passante","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/le-crepuscule-du-soir","license":"Source text: public domain (Charles Baudelaire, d. 1867). English translation: © 2026 1732 Studios, LLC — original draft, pending editorial review.","audioBase":null,"lines":[{"heading":"I","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-n1"},{"number":1,"label":"1","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s1-l1","source":"Dans les planches d'anatomie","translation":"Among the anatomical plates","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"les planches d'anatomie","title":"planche (f.)","body":"A «planche» here is an engraved plate or illustration, not a board: «les planches d'anatomie» are the anatomy plates of old medical books, the kind sold on the «quais» (riverside quays) of Paris. The whole first part is set among these used books laid out for sale."}],"words":[{"surface":"Dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking planches","gloss":"among"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of planches","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"planches","lemma":"planche","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"plates"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking anatomie","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"anatomie","lemma":"anatomie","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies planches","gloss":"anatomy"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s1-l2","source":"Qui traînent sur ces quais poudreux","translation":"that lie about on these dusty quays","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Qui traînent","title":"traîner","body":"«traîner» literally means 'to drag', but used of objects it means 'to lie around, to be left lying about'. «Qui traînent sur ces quais poudreux» = 'that lie about on these dusty quays' — the neglected old books strewn along the Seine's bookstalls."}],"words":[{"surface":"Qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of traînent","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"traînent","lemma":"traîner","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"lie about"},{"surface":"sur","lemma":"sur","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking quais","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"ces","lemma":"ce","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of quais","gloss":"these"},{"surface":"quais","lemma":"quai","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"oblique argument of traînent","gloss":"quays"},{"surface":"poudreux","lemma":"poudreux","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies quais","gloss":"dusty"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s1-l3","source":"Où maint livre cadavéreux","translation":"where many a cadaverous book","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"maint livre","title":"maint (literary determiner)","body":"«maint» is a literary, slightly archaic word for 'many a': «maint livre» = 'many a book'. It takes a singular noun, like its English equivalent, and lends the line an old-fashioned, bookish tone fitting the dusty volumes it describes."}],"words":[{"surface":"Où","lemma":"où","morphology":"adverb","role":"depends on Dort","gloss":"where"},{"surface":"maint","lemma":"maint","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of livre","gloss":"many a","note":"maint is an archaic determiner meaning 'many a'."},{"surface":"livre","lemma":"livre","morphology":"noun, singular","role":"subject of Dort","gloss":"book"},{"surface":"cadavéreux","lemma":"cadavéreux","morphology":"adjective, masculine","role":"modifies livre","gloss":"cadaverous"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s1-l4","source":"Dort comme une antique momie,","translation":"sleeps like an ancient mummy,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Dort","lemma":"dormir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"sleeps"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking momie","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of momie","gloss":"an"},{"surface":"antique","lemma":"antique","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies momie","gloss":"ancient"},{"surface":"momie","lemma":"momie","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of Dort","gloss":"mummy"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s2-l1","source":"Dessins auxquels la gravité","translation":"Drawings to which the gravity","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"auxquels","title":"Relative «auquel» (pl. «auxquels»)","body":"«auxquels» contracts «à» + «lesquels» — 'to which' — agreeing in the masculine plural with «Dessins». It sets up the long sentence whose verb arrives two lines later: «Dessins auxquels… ont communiqué la Beauté» = 'Drawings to which… have imparted Beauty'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Dessins","lemma":"dessin","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase (antecedent of auxquels)","gloss":"drawings"},{"surface":"auxquels","lemma":"auxquels","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, plural","role":"indirect object of communiqué","gloss":"to which"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of gravité","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"gravité","lemma":"gravité","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of communiqué","gloss":"gravity"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s2-l2","source":"Et le savoir d'un vieil artiste,","translation":"and the learning of an old artist,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of savoir","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"savoir","lemma":"savoir","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with gravité","gloss":"knowledge"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking artiste","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of artiste","gloss":"an"},{"surface":"vieil","lemma":"vieux","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies artiste","gloss":"old"},{"surface":"artiste","lemma":"artiste","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies savoir","gloss":"artist"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s2-l3","source":"Bien que le sujet en soit triste,","translation":"though the subject of them be sad,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Bien que le sujet en soit triste","title":"«bien que» + subjunctive","body":"«bien que» ('although') always governs the subjunctive: «soit» is the present subjunctive of «être». The pronoun «en» means 'of them / of it', pointing back to the «Dessins». «Bien que le sujet en soit triste» = 'although their subject be sad'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Bien","lemma":"bien","morphology":"adverb","role":"introduces the clause of triste","gloss":"although","note":"Bien que is a concessive conjunction, 'although'."},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"part of the phrase Bien","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of sujet","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"sujet","lemma":"sujet","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of triste","gloss":"subject"},{"surface":"en","lemma":"en","morphology":"pronoun","role":"oblique argument of triste","gloss":"of it"},{"surface":"soit","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, subjunctive, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking to triste","gloss":"be"},{"surface":"triste","lemma":"triste","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"sad"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s2-l4","source":"Ont communiqué la Beauté,","translation":"have imparted Beauty,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Ont communiqué la Beauté","title":"communiquer","body":"Here «communiquer» means not 'to communicate (a message)' but 'to impart, to transmit (a quality)' to something: «ont communiqué la Beauté» = 'have imparted Beauty'. The capitalized «Beauté» is one of Baudelaire's abstractions — the art that redeems even a grim anatomical subject."}],"words":[{"surface":"Ont","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"depends on communiqué","gloss":"have"},{"surface":"communiqué","lemma":"communiquer","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"imparted"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of Beauté","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Beauté","lemma":"beauté","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of communiqué","gloss":"Beauty"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s3-l1","source":"On voit, ce qui rend plus complètes","translation":"One sees, which makes more complete","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"On voit","title":"Impersonal «on»","body":"«on» is the indefinite subject 'one / people / we', far commoner in French than impersonal 'one' in English. «On voit» = 'one sees, you can see'. Its object — «Des Ecorchés et des Squelettes» — is held back to the end of the stanza for the grim reveal."}],"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":"ce","lemma":"ce","morphology":"pronoun","role":"head of a parenthetical relative clause commenting on the scene (not itself an argument of voit — Ecorchés/Squelettes is the direct object of voit)","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of rend","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"rend","lemma":"rendre","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"relative clause on ce","gloss":"makes"},{"surface":"plus","lemma":"plus","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies complètes","gloss":"more"},{"surface":"complètes","lemma":"complet","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"predicative complement of rend","gloss":"complete"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s3-l2","source":"Ces mystérieuses horreurs,","translation":"these mysterious horrors,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Ces","lemma":"ce","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of horreurs","gloss":"these"},{"surface":"mystérieuses","lemma":"mystérieux","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies horreurs","gloss":"mysterious"},{"surface":"horreurs","lemma":"horreur","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"direct object of rend","gloss":"horrors"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s3-l3","source":"Bêchant comme des laboureurs,","translation":"spading like plowmen,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Bêchant comme des laboureurs","title":"bêcher / laboureur","body":"«bêcher» is to dig or turn earth with a «bêche» (a spade); a «laboureur» is one who works the soil, a plowman or peasant farmer. The present participle «Bêchant» modifies the skeletons below: they are shown digging «comme des laboureurs», like farmhands — the image that gives the poem its title."}],"words":[{"surface":"Bêchant","lemma":"bêcher","morphology":"verb, present, participle","role":"modifies Squelettes","gloss":"digging"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking laboureurs","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of laboureurs","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"laboureurs","lemma":"laboureur","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"plowmen"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s3-l4","source":"Des Ecorchés et des Squelettes.","translation":"Flayed Men and Skeletons.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Des Ecorchés","title":"un écorché","body":"An «écorché» is a 'flayed figure' — an anatomical drawing or model of a body with the skin removed to show the muscles, a staple of art and medical study. Baudelaire capitalizes «Ecorchés» and «Squelettes», personifying the plates' figures into the laborers of the second part. (Note the older spelling «Ecorchés», without the accent on the capital.)"}],"words":[{"surface":"Des","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of Ecorchés","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"Ecorchés","lemma":"ecorché","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of voit","gloss":"Flayed Men"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of Squelettes","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"Squelettes","lemma":"squelette","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"coordinated with Ecorchés","gloss":"Skeletons"}]},{"heading":"II","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-n2"},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s4-l1","source":"De ce terrain que vous fouillez,","translation":"From this ground that you dig into,","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"que vous fouillez","title":"fouiller","body":"«fouiller» means 'to dig into, to search, to excavate'. The poet now turns to address the skeletons directly with the formal «vous». «De ce terrain que vous fouillez» = 'from this ground that you dig into' — opening the long question that runs through the rest of the poem."}],"words":[{"surface":"De","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking terrain","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"ce","lemma":"ce","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of terrain","gloss":"this"},{"surface":"terrain","lemma":"terrain","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"ground"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"pronoun","role":"direct object of fouillez","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"subject of fouillez","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"fouillez","lemma":"fouiller","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, second-person, plural","role":"relative clause on terrain","gloss":"dig into"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s4-l2","source":"Manants résignés et funèbres","translation":"Resigned and funereal serfs,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Manants","title":"le manant","body":"A «manant» is a medieval villein or peasant bound to the land; by extension, a lowly boor. Addressed to the skeletons, «Manants résignés et funèbres» = 'resigned and funereal serfs' casts them as toilers conscripted to labor even in death."}],"words":[{"surface":"Manants","lemma":"manant","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"serfs"},{"surface":"résignés","lemma":"résigner","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, plural","role":"clause modifying Manants","gloss":"resigned"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"funèbres","lemma":"funèbre","morphology":"adjective, plural","role":"coordinated with résignés","gloss":"funereal"}]},{"number":15,"label":"15","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s4-l3","source":"De tout l'effort de vos vertèbres,","translation":"with all the effort of your vertebrae,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"De","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking effort","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"tout","lemma":"tout","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"modifies effort","gloss":"all"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of effort","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"effort","lemma":"effort","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"effort"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking vertèbres","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"vos","lemma":"votre","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of vertèbres","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"vertèbres","lemma":"vertèbre","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"modifies effort","gloss":"vertebrae"}]},{"number":16,"label":"16","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s4-l4","source":"Ou de vos muscles dépouillés,","translation":"or of your stripped muscles,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"vos muscles dépouillés","title":"dépouillé","body":"«dépouillé» is the past participle of «dépouiller», 'to strip, to lay bare'. «vos muscles dépouillés» = 'your stripped muscles' — muscles laid bare of skin, the very thing an «écorché» plate displays."}],"words":[{"surface":"Ou","lemma":"ou","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"or"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking muscles","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"vos","lemma":"votre","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of muscles","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"muscles","lemma":"muscle","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"muscles"},{"surface":"dépouillés","lemma":"dépouiller","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, plural","role":"clause modifying muscles","gloss":"stripped"}]},{"number":17,"label":"17","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s5-l1","source":"Dites, quelle moisson étrange,","translation":"Say, what strange harvest,","stanza":5,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Dites","lemma":"dire","morphology":"verb, present, imperative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"say"},{"surface":"quelle","lemma":"quel","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of moisson","gloss":"what"},{"surface":"moisson","lemma":"moisson","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"harvest"},{"surface":"étrange","lemma":"étrange","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies moisson","gloss":"strange"}]},{"number":18,"label":"18","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s5-l2","source":"Forçats arrachés au charnier,","translation":"convicts torn from the charnel-house,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Forçats arrachés au charnier","title":"forçat / charnier","body":"A «forçat» is a convict sentenced to hard labor; a «charnier» is a charnel-house or mass grave where bones are heaped. «Forçats arrachés au charnier» = 'convicts torn from the charnel-house' — the dead conscripted as a chain gang of the grave."}],"words":[{"surface":"Forçats","lemma":"forçat","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"convicts"},{"surface":"arrachés","lemma":"arracher","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, plural","role":"clause modifying Forçats","gloss":"torn"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"au","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking charnier","gloss":"from the"},{"surface":"charnier","lemma":"charnier","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of arrachés","gloss":"charnel-house"}]},{"number":19,"label":"19","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s5-l3","source":"Tirez-vous, et de quel fermier","translation":"do you draw, and for what farmer","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Tirez-vous","title":"Interrogative inversion","body":"A question by inversion: the subject «vous» flips behind the verb, «Tirez-vous?» = 'do you draw / pull?'. Its object is «quelle moisson étrange» two lines above — French freely strings the question across the verse. Read it: 'what strange harvest do you draw…?'"}],"words":[{"surface":"Tirez","lemma":"tirer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"do you draw","note":"tirer here means 'to draw/reap [a harvest]', echoing 'quelle moisson étrange ... tirez-vous' — not 'to descend/originate from'."},{"surface":"-vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, plural, reflexive","role":"depends on Tirez","gloss":"yourselves"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking fermier","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"quel","lemma":"quel","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of fermier","gloss":"what"},{"surface":"fermier","lemma":"fermier","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of remplir/Avez (the coordinated clause 'de quel fermier avez-vous à remplir la grange', not of Tirez)","gloss":"farmer"}]},{"number":20,"label":"20","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s5-l4","source":"Avez-vous à remplir la grange?","translation":"must you fill the barn?","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Avez-vous à remplir","title":"«avoir à» + infinitive","body":"«avoir à» + an infinitive expresses obligation — 'to have to, to be obliged to': «Avez-vous à remplir la grange?» = 'must you fill the barn?'. The inversion «Avez-vous» again marks the question; the «grange» (barn) is the harvest's grim destination."}],"words":[{"surface":"Avez","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"must you"},{"surface":"-vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"subject of Avez","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of remplir","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"remplir","lemma":"remplir","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of Avez","gloss":"fill"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of grange","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"grange","lemma":"grange","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of remplir","gloss":"barn"}]},{"number":21,"label":"21","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s6-l1","source":"Voulez-vous (d'un destin trop dur","translation":"Do you wish (of a fate too harsh","stanza":6,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Voulez","lemma":"vouloir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"do you wish"},{"surface":"-vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"subject of Voulez","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking destin","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of destin","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"destin","lemma":"destin","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies emblème","gloss":"fate"},{"surface":"trop","lemma":"trop","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies dur","gloss":"too"},{"surface":"dur","lemma":"dur","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies destin","gloss":"harsh"}]},{"number":22,"label":"22","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s6-l2","source":"Epouvantable et clair emblème!)","translation":"a dreadful and clear emblem!)","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Epouvantable et clair emblème","title":"emblème (m.)","body":"An «emblème» is a symbol or allegorical figure that stands for an idea. The parenthesis names the skeletons themselves as «un emblème» of a fate too harsh — 'a dreadful and clear emblem'. (Note the older capital spelling «Epouvantable», without the accent.)"}],"words":[{"surface":"Epouvantable","lemma":"épouvantable","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies emblème","gloss":"dreadful"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"clair","lemma":"clair","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies emblème","gloss":"clear"},{"surface":"emblème","lemma":"emblème","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of Voulez","gloss":"emblem"}]},{"number":23,"label":"23","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s6-l3","source":"Montrer que dans la fosse même","translation":"to show that in the very grave","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Montrer","lemma":"montrer","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of Voulez","gloss":"to show"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"depends on Montrer","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking fosse","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of fosse","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"fosse","lemma":"fosse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of est","gloss":"grave"},{"surface":"même","lemma":"même","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies fosse","gloss":"very"}]},{"number":24,"label":"24","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s6-l4","source":"Le sommeil promis n'est pas sûr;","translation":"the promised sleep is not assured;","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Le sommeil promis","title":"le sommeil promis","body":"«le sommeil» is sleep, here the eternal rest «promis» (promised) by death. «Le sommeil promis n'est pas sûr» = 'the promised sleep is not assured' — the poem's central dread, that the grave offers no real repose."}],"words":[{"surface":"Le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of sommeil","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"sommeil","lemma":"sommeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of sûr","gloss":"sleep"},{"surface":"promis","lemma":"promettre","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine","role":"clause modifying sommeil","gloss":"promised"},{"surface":"n'","lemma":"ne","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies sûr","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking to sûr","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"pas","lemma":"pas","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies sûr","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"sûr","lemma":"sûr","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"certain"}]},{"number":25,"label":"25","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s7-l1","source":"Qu'envers nous le Néant est traître;","translation":"that toward us the Void is treacherous;","stanza":7,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"le Néant","title":"le Néant","body":"«le Néant» is nothingness, the Void — capitalized by Baudelaire as a personified power. «envers nous» = 'toward us'. «le Néant est traître» = 'the Void is treacherous': even oblivion breaks its promise of rest."}],"words":[{"surface":"Qu'","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clause of traître","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"envers","lemma":"envers","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking nous","gloss":"toward"},{"surface":"nous","lemma":"nous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"oblique argument of envers","gloss":"us"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of Néant","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Néant","lemma":"néant","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of est","gloss":"Void"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"passive auxiliary of traître","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"traître","lemma":"traître","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"treacherous"}]},{"number":26,"label":"26","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s7-l2","source":"Que tout, même la Mort, nous ment,","translation":"that everything, even Death, lies to us,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"même la Mort, nous ment","title":"mentir + indirect object «nous»","body":"«mentir» ('to lie') takes an indirect object with «à»: 'to lie to someone'. The pronoun «nous» is that object — «nous ment» = 'lies to us'. «Que tout, même la Mort, nous ment» = 'that everything, even Death, lies to us' — the bleak heart of the poem's revelation."}],"words":[{"surface":"Que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clause of tout","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"tout","lemma":"tout","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of ment","gloss":"everything"},{"surface":"même","lemma":"même","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies Mort","gloss":"even"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of Mort","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Mort","lemma":"mort","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"in apposition to tout","gloss":"Death"},{"surface":"nous","lemma":"nous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"direct object of ment","gloss":"us"},{"surface":"ment","lemma":"mentir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"verb of the clause introduced by Que","gloss":"lies"}]},{"number":27,"label":"27","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s7-l3","source":"Et que sempiternellement","translation":"and that everlastingly","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"sempiternellement","title":"sempiternellement","body":"«sempiternellement» = 'everlastingly, for ever and ever' — from the Latin «sempiternus». Heavier and more wearied than «éternellement», it stresses dreary, unending repetition: the toil that, the poem fears, never stops even in death."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"sempiternellement","lemma":"sempiternellement","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies faudra","gloss":"everlastingly"}]},{"number":28,"label":"28","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s7-l4","source":"Hélas! il nous faudra peut-être","translation":"alas! we shall perhaps have to,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"il nous faudra","title":"Impersonal «falloir» (future)","body":"«falloir» is impersonal — only ever 'il faut' — meaning 'it is necessary'. «faudra» is its future; the pronoun «nous» marks who is obliged. «il nous faudra peut-être… écorcher la terre» = 'we shall perhaps have to… flay the earth', the infinitive arriving in the final stanza."}],"words":[{"surface":"Hélas","lemma":"hélas","morphology":"interjection","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"alas"},{"surface":"il","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, singular","role":"impersonal subject of faudra","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"nous","lemma":"nous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"indirect object of faudra","gloss":"we"},{"surface":"faudra","lemma":"falloir","morphology":"verb, future, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"shall have to"},{"surface":"peut-être","lemma":"peut-être","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies faudra","gloss":"perhaps"}]},{"number":29,"label":"29","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s8-l1","source":"Dans quelque pays inconnu","translation":"In some unknown country","stanza":8,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking pays","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"quelque","lemma":"quelque","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of pays","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"pays","lemma":"pays","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"country"},{"surface":"inconnu","lemma":"inconnu","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies pays","gloss":"unknown"}]},{"number":30,"label":"30","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s8-l2","source":"Ecorcher la terre revêche","translation":"to flay the stubborn earth","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Ecorcher la terre revêche","title":"écorcher / revêche","body":"«écorcher» means 'to flay, to skin' — the same verb behind «Ecorchés» above; applied to the soil it means to break and strip the earth's surface. «revêche» = 'harsh, surly, intractable'. «Ecorcher la terre revêche» = 'to flay the stubborn earth', binding the skeletons' digging to their own flayed bodies."}],"words":[{"surface":"Ecorcher","lemma":"écorcher","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of faudra","gloss":"to flay"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of terre","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"terre","lemma":"terre","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of Ecorcher","gloss":"earth"},{"surface":"revêche","lemma":"revêche","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies terre","gloss":"stubborn"}]},{"number":31,"label":"31","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s8-l3","source":"Et pousser une lourde bêche","translation":"and to drive a heavy spade","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"pousser","lemma":"pousser","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"coordinated with Ecorcher","gloss":"to drive"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of bêche","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"lourde","lemma":"lourd","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies bêche","gloss":"heavy"},{"surface":"bêche","lemma":"bêche","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of pousser","gloss":"spade"}]},{"number":32,"label":"32","id":"le-squelette-laboureur-s8-l4","source":"Sous notre pied sanglant et nu?","translation":"beneath our bleeding and naked foot?","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"notre pied sanglant et nu","title":"sanglant et nu","body":"«sanglant» = 'bloody, bleeding'; «nu» = 'bare, naked'. The shift from the skeletons' «vous» to «notre pied» ('our foot') folds the living reader into the toil: the poem ends on the question mark of an eternal, barefoot, bleeding labor."}],"words":[{"surface":"Sous","lemma":"sous","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking pied","gloss":"beneath"},{"surface":"notre","lemma":"notre","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of pied","gloss":"our"},{"surface":"pied","lemma":"pied","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of pousser","gloss":"foot"},{"surface":"sanglant","lemma":"sanglant","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies pied","gloss":"bleeding"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"nu","lemma":"nu","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with sanglant","gloss":"naked"}]}]}