{"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":"les-chats","title":{"source":"Les Chats","translated":"Cats"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/les-chats","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/tristesses-de-la-lune","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/les-hiboux","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":"les-chats-s1-l1","source":"Les amoureux fervents et les savants austères","translation":"Fervent lovers and austere scholars","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of amoureux","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"amoureux","lemma":"amoureux","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of Aiment","gloss":"lovers"},{"surface":"fervents","lemma":"fervent","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies amoureux","gloss":"fervent"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of savants","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"savants","lemma":"savant","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"coordinated with amoureux, subject of Aiment","gloss":"scholars"},{"surface":"austères","lemma":"austère","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies savants","gloss":"austere"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"les-chats-s1-l2","source":"Aiment également, dans leur mûre saison,","translation":"love alike, in their ripened season,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"leur mûre saison","title":"«mûr(e)» — ripe, mature","body":"«mûr» literally means 'ripe' (of fruit); applied to a «saison» (season) it turns figurative — the ripe, mature time of life. «dans leur mûre saison» = 'in their mature years'. The word quietly equates the lovers and the scholars: both have reached the same settled, autumnal stage."}],"words":[{"surface":"Aiment","lemma":"aimer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"love"},{"surface":"également","lemma":"également","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies Aiment","gloss":"equally"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking saison","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"leur","lemma":"leur","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of saison","gloss":"their"},{"surface":"mûre","lemma":"mûr","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies saison","gloss":"ripened"},{"surface":"saison","lemma":"saison","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of Aiment","gloss":"season"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"les-chats-s1-l3","source":"Les chats puissants et doux, orgueil de la maison,","translation":"love the cats, powerful and gentle, pride of the house,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of chats","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"chats","lemma":"chat","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"direct object of Aiment","gloss":"cats"},{"surface":"puissants","lemma":"puissant","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies chats","gloss":"powerful"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"doux","lemma":"doux","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"coordinated with puissants","gloss":"gentle"},{"surface":"orgueil","lemma":"orgueil","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"in apposition to chats","gloss":"pride"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking maison","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of maison","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"maison","lemma":"maison","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies orgueil","gloss":"house"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"les-chats-s1-l4","source":"Qui comme eux sont frileux et comme eux sédentaires.","translation":"who, like them, are chilly creatures and, like them, stay-at-homes.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"frileux ... sédentaires","title":"«frileux» and «sédentaire»","body":"«frileux» = 'sensitive to the cold, fond of warmth' — the cat curled by the fire. «sédentaire» = 'settled, homebound, sedentary'. The repeated «comme eux» ('like them') stitches cat to human: the same love of warmth and stillness binds the beast to the lover and the scholar."}],"words":[{"surface":"Qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of sont","gloss":"who"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking eux","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"eux","lemma":"eux","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, plural","role":"object of comme","gloss":"them"},{"surface":"sont","lemma":"être","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"copula of the relative clause","gloss":"are"},{"surface":"frileux","lemma":"frileux","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"predicate adjective of sont","gloss":"chilly"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking eux","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"eux","lemma":"eux","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, plural","role":"object of comme","gloss":"them"},{"surface":"sédentaires","lemma":"sédentaire","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"coordinated with frileux, predicate of sont","gloss":"stay-at-home"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"les-chats-s2-l1","source":"Amis de la science et de la volupté","translation":"Friends of knowledge and of sensual delight,","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Amis","lemma":"ami","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"in apposition to chats","gloss":"friends"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking science","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of science","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"science","lemma":"science","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies Amis","gloss":"knowledge"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking volupté","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of volupté","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"volupté","lemma":"volupté","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"coordinated with science, modifies Amis","gloss":"sensual delight"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"les-chats-s2-l2","source":"Ils cherchent le silence et l'horreur des ténèbres;","translation":"they seek out silence and the horror of the dark;","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Ils","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of cherchent","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"cherchent","lemma":"chercher","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"seek out"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of silence","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"silence","lemma":"silence","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of cherchent","gloss":"silence"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of horreur","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"horreur","lemma":"horreur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"coordinated with silence, direct object of cherchent","gloss":"horror"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking ténèbres","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"ténèbres","lemma":"ténèbre","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"modifies horreur","gloss":"darkness"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"les-chats-s2-l3","source":"L'Erèbe les eût pris pour ses coursiers funèbres,","translation":"Erebus would have taken them for his funereal steeds,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"L'Erèbe","title":"«Érèbe» — Erebus","body":"«Érèbe» (Erebus) is the primordial darkness of Greek myth, a region of the underworld between earth and Hades. Casting the cats as the «coursiers funèbres» ('funereal steeds') that might draw the chariot of Erebus lifts the housecat into a creature of the night and the dead — sphinx, oracle, and familiar of the dark."},{"kind":"grammar","term":"les eût pris ... S'ils pouvaient","title":"«eût pris» — the literary conditional","body":"«eût pris» is the pluperfect subjunctive of «prendre», used here as the second-form literary conditional ('would have taken'). It pairs with «S'ils pouvaient» in the next line to form a counterfactual: Erebus would have harnessed them — if only they could bend their pride to servitude. The whole hinge of the sentence is this unreal 'if'."}],"words":[{"surface":"L'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of Erèbe","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Erèbe","lemma":"Erèbe","morphology":"proper noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of pris","gloss":"Erebus"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"direct object of pris","gloss":"them"},{"surface":"eût","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"auxiliary verb, imperfect subjunctive, third-person, singular","role":"auxiliary of pris (literary conditional perfect)","gloss":"would have","note":"eût pris is the literary second-form conditional perfect (imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle), used for the ordinary conditional perfect \"aurait pris.\""},{"surface":"pris","lemma":"prendre","morphology":"verb, past participle, masculine, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence, with eût","gloss":"taken"},{"surface":"pour","lemma":"pour","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking coursiers","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"ses","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of coursiers","gloss":"his"},{"surface":"coursiers","lemma":"coursier","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"oblique argument of pris","gloss":"steeds"},{"surface":"funèbres","lemma":"funèbre","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies coursiers","gloss":"funereal"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"les-chats-s2-l4","source":"S'ils pouvaient au servage incliner leur fierté.","translation":"if they could bend their pride to bondage.","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"S'","lemma":"si","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the conditional clause","gloss":"if"},{"surface":"ils","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of pouvaient","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"pouvaient","lemma":"pouvoir","morphology":"verb, imperfect, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"could"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking servage","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"servage","lemma":"servage","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of incliner","gloss":"bondage"},{"surface":"incliner","lemma":"incliner","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of pouvaient","gloss":"bend"},{"surface":"leur","lemma":"leur","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of fierté","gloss":"their"},{"surface":"fierté","lemma":"fierté","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of incliner","gloss":"pride"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"les-chats-s3-l1","source":"Ils prennent en songeant les nobles attitudes","translation":"Dreaming, they take on the noble attitudes","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"en songeant","title":"«en» + present participle (gerund)","body":"«en songeant» is the gerund of «songer» (to dream, to muse): «en» + present participle gives 'while / by doing'. So «ils prennent en songeant» = 'they take on, as they dream'. The cats do not strike a pose deliberately; the sphinx-like stillness simply settles over them in the act of dreaming."}],"words":[{"surface":"Ils","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of prennent","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"prennent","lemma":"prendre","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"take on"},{"surface":"en","lemma":"en","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the gerund clause songeant","gloss":"while"},{"surface":"songeant","lemma":"songer","morphology":"verb, present participle","role":"gerund clause modifying prennent","gloss":"dreaming"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of nobles","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"nobles","lemma":"noble","morphology":"adjective, plural","role":"modifies attitudes","gloss":"noble"},{"surface":"attitudes","lemma":"attitude","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"direct object of prennent","gloss":"attitudes"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"les-chats-s3-l2","source":"Des grands sphinx allongés au fond des solitudes,","translation":"of great sphinxes stretched out in the depths of solitude,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Des","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking sphinx, modifies attitudes","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"grands","lemma":"grand","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies sphinx","gloss":"great"},{"surface":"sphinx","lemma":"sphinx","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of allongés","gloss":"sphinxes"},{"surface":"allongés","lemma":"allongé","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies sphinx","gloss":"stretched out"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking fond","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"fond","lemma":"fond","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of allongés","gloss":"depths"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking solitudes","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"solitudes","lemma":"solitude","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"modifies fond","gloss":"solitude"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"les-chats-s3-l3","source":"Qui semblent s'endormir dans un rêve sans fin;","translation":"who seem to fall asleep in an endless dream;","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"s'endormir","title":"Pronominal «s'endormir»","body":"«s'endormir» is the pronominal verb 'to fall asleep' (vs. «dormir», 'to sleep'). The reflexive «se» marks the change of state — drifting off — not a sleep already settled. The sphinxes are caught in the act of sinking into «un rêve sans fin», an endless dream, forever on the edge of sleep."}],"words":[{"surface":"Qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of semblent","gloss":"who"},{"surface":"semblent","lemma":"sembler","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"seem"},{"surface":"s'","lemma":"se","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive","role":"depends on endormir","gloss":"themselves"},{"surface":"endormir","lemma":"endormir","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of semblent","gloss":"fall asleep"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking rêve","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of rêve","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"rêve","lemma":"rêve","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of endormir","gloss":"dream"},{"surface":"sans","lemma":"sans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking fin","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"fin","lemma":"fin","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies rêve","gloss":"end","note":"sans fin, \"without end,\" is the idiom for \"endless.\""}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"les-chats-s4-l1","source":"Leurs reins féconds sont pleins d'étincelles magiques,","translation":"Their fertile loins are full of magic sparks,","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Leurs reins féconds","title":"«les reins»","body":"«les reins» (always plural) are the loins, the lower back — the seat of generative and sexual force. «féconds» = 'fertile, teeming'. The image turns the cat's body into a hidden reservoir of energy — the «étincelles magiques» ('magic sparks') that the final line scatters into its eyes as flecks of gold."}],"words":[{"surface":"Leurs","lemma":"leur","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of reins","gloss":"their"},{"surface":"reins","lemma":"rein","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of sont","gloss":"loins"},{"surface":"féconds","lemma":"fécond","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies reins","gloss":"fertile"},{"surface":"sont","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"copula linking to pleins","gloss":"are"},{"surface":"pleins","lemma":"plein","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"predicate adjective of sont","gloss":"full"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking étincelles","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"étincelles","lemma":"étincelle","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"oblique argument of pleins","gloss":"sparks"},{"surface":"magiques","lemma":"magique","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies étincelles","gloss":"magic"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"les-chats-s4-l2","source":"Et des parcelles d'or, ainsi qu'un sable fin,","translation":"and flecks of gold, like a fine sand,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination with étincelles","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of parcelles","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"parcelles","lemma":"parcelle","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"coordinated with étincelles, oblique argument of pleins","gloss":"flecks"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking or","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"or","lemma":"or","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies parcelles","gloss":"gold"},{"surface":"ainsi","lemma":"ainsi","morphology":"adverb","role":"part of the comparison ainsi que","gloss":"just"},{"surface":"qu'","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"part of the phrase ainsi","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of sable","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"sable","lemma":"sable","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"compared to parcelles via ainsi que","gloss":"sand"},{"surface":"fin","lemma":"fin","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies sable","gloss":"fine"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"les-chats-s4-l3","source":"Etoilent vaguement leurs prunelles mystiques.","translation":"faintly star their mystic pupils.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Étoilent","title":"«étoiler» — to star, to spangle","body":"«étoiler» is a verb coined from «étoile» (star): 'to spangle, to scatter with star-like points'. The flecks of gold «étoilent» the cats' «prunelles» (pupils) — they sow the eyes with tiny stars. The sonnet ends by turning the animal's gaze into a small night sky, mystic and faintly glittering."}],"words":[{"surface":"Etoilent","lemma":"étoiler","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"star"},{"surface":"vaguement","lemma":"vaguement","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies Etoilent","gloss":"faintly"},{"surface":"leurs","lemma":"leur","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of prunelles","gloss":"their"},{"surface":"prunelles","lemma":"prunelle","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"direct object of Etoilent","gloss":"pupils"},{"surface":"mystiques","lemma":"mystique","morphology":"adjective, plural","role":"modifies prunelles","gloss":"mystic"}]}]}