{"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-hiboux","title":{"source":"Les Hiboux","translated":"The Owls"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/les-hiboux","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/les-chats","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/la-pipe","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-hiboux-s1-l1","source":"Sous les ifs noirs qui les abritent","translation":"Beneath the black yews that shelter them","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"les ifs noirs","title":"«un if» — a yew","body":"«un if» is the yew tree, the dark, slow-growing evergreen traditionally planted in churchyards and long associated with death and mourning. «Sous les ifs noirs qui les abritent» = 'beneath the black yews that shelter them'. The funereal tree sets the still, tomb-like key of the whole scene before the owls are even named."}],"words":[{"surface":"Sous","lemma":"sous","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking ifs","gloss":"beneath"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of ifs","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"ifs","lemma":"if","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"locative modifier of tiennent","gloss":"yews"},{"surface":"noirs","lemma":"noir","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies ifs","gloss":"black"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of abritent","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"les","lemma":"le","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"direct object of abritent","gloss":"them"},{"surface":"abritent","lemma":"abriter","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"relative clause on ifs","gloss":"shelter"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"les-hiboux-s1-l2","source":"Les hiboux se tiennent rangés","translation":"the owls hold themselves in a row","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"se tiennent rangés","title":"Pronominal «se tenir» — to hold oneself, to stand","body":"«se tenir» (reflexive «tenir») means 'to hold oneself, to stand, to keep still'. «Les hiboux se tiennent rangés» = 'the owls hold themselves drawn up in a row'. «rangés» is the past participle of «ranger» (to arrange, to line up), here describing how they stand — motionless and orderly, like a row of idols."}],"words":[{"surface":"Les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of hiboux","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"hiboux","lemma":"hibou","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of tiennent","gloss":"owls"},{"surface":"se","lemma":"se","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive","role":"reflexive object of tiennent","gloss":"themselves"},{"surface":"tiennent","lemma":"tenir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"hold"},{"surface":"rangés","lemma":"ranger","morphology":"verb, past participle, masculine, plural","role":"complement of tiennent","gloss":"lined up"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"les-hiboux-s1-l3","source":"Ainsi que des dieux étrangers","translation":"just like alien gods","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Ainsi","lemma":"ainsi","morphology":"adverb","role":"part of the comparison ainsi que","gloss":"just"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"part of the phrase Ainsi","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of dieux","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"dieux","lemma":"dieu","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"compared to hiboux via ainsi que","gloss":"gods"},{"surface":"étrangers","lemma":"étranger","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies dieux","gloss":"alien"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"les-hiboux-s1-l4","source":"Dardant leur oeil rouge. Ils méditent.","translation":"darting their red eye. They meditate.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Dardant leur oeil rouge","title":"Present participle «darder»","body":"«dardant» is the present participle of «darder» — to shoot or dart (a beam, a glance), from «un dard», a dart or sting. «Dardant leur oeil rouge» = 'darting their red eye', the fixed predatory stare leveled outward like a thrown spear. The clipped final sentence «Ils méditent.» ('They meditate.') closes the quatrain on the owls' uncanny stillness."}],"words":[{"surface":"Dardant","lemma":"darder","morphology":"verb, present participle","role":"participial clause modifying tiennent (Les hiboux se tiennent rangés, previous line)","gloss":"darting"},{"surface":"leur","lemma":"leur","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of oeil","gloss":"their"},{"surface":"oeil","lemma":"oeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of Dardant","gloss":"eye"},{"surface":"rouge","lemma":"rouge","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies oeil","gloss":"red"},{"surface":"Ils","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of méditent","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"méditent","lemma":"méditer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"meditate"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"les-hiboux-s2-l1","source":"Sans remuer ils se tiendront","translation":"Without stirring they will hold still","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"ils se tiendront","title":"Future of pronominal «se tenir»","body":"«se tiendront» is the future of the pronominal «se tenir» (to hold oneself, to keep still), the same verb as «se tiennent» in the first stanza. «Sans remuer ils se tiendront» = 'without stirring they will hold still'. «sans + infinitive» («sans remuer» = 'without moving') is the standard way French expresses 'without ...-ing'. The future tense projects the owls' immobility forward across the whole coming day."}],"words":[{"surface":"Sans","lemma":"sans","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of remuer","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"remuer","lemma":"remuer","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"adverbial clause on tiendront","gloss":"stirring"},{"surface":"ils","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, plural","role":"subject of tiendront","gloss":"they"},{"surface":"se","lemma":"se","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive","role":"reflexive particle of tiendront","gloss":"themselves"},{"surface":"tiendront","lemma":"tenir","morphology":"verb, future, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"will hold still"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"les-hiboux-s2-l2","source":"Jusqu'à l'heure mélancolique","translation":"until the melancholy hour","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Jusqu'","lemma":"jusque","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of the compound preposition jusqu'à","gloss":"until"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of the compound preposition jusqu'à","gloss":"to","note":"jusqu'à is a single compound preposition meaning \"until.\""},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of heure","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"heure","lemma":"heure","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of tiendront","gloss":"hour"},{"surface":"mélancolique","lemma":"mélancolique","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies heure","gloss":"melancholy"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"les-hiboux-s2-l3","source":"Où, poussant le soleil oblique,","translation":"when, pushing aside the slanting sun,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Où","lemma":"où","morphology":"pronoun, relative","role":"relative adverb introducing clause modifying heure","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"poussant","lemma":"pousser","morphology":"verb, present participle","role":"adverbial clause modifying établiront","gloss":"pushing aside"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of soleil","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"soleil","lemma":"soleil","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of poussant","gloss":"sun"},{"surface":"oblique","lemma":"oblique","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies soleil","gloss":"slanting"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"les-hiboux-s2-l4","source":"Les ténèbres s'établiront.","translation":"the darkness will settle in.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Les ténèbres","title":"«les ténèbres» — darkness (plural)","body":"«les ténèbres» is a grammatically plural, always-elevated noun for deep darkness or gloom, weightier than ordinary «l'obscurité». «s'établiront» is the future of pronominal «s'établir» (to establish itself, to settle in). «Les ténèbres s'établiront» = 'the darkness will settle in' — night arrives not as a fall but as a sovereign taking up residence."}],"words":[{"surface":"Les","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of ténèbres","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"ténèbres","lemma":"ténèbre","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"subject of établiront","gloss":"darkness"},{"surface":"s'","lemma":"se","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive","role":"reflexive particle of établiront","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"établiront","lemma":"établir","morphology":"verb, future, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"will settle in"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"les-hiboux-s3-l1","source":"Leur attitude au sage enseigne","translation":"Their bearing teaches the wise man","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Leur","lemma":"leur","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of attitude","gloss":"their"},{"surface":"attitude","lemma":"attitude","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of enseigne","gloss":"bearing"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking sage","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"sage","lemma":"sage","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"indirect object of enseigne","gloss":"wise man"},{"surface":"enseigne","lemma":"enseigner","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"teaches"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"les-hiboux-s3-l2","source":"Qu'il faut en ce monde qu'il craigne","translation":"that in this world he must dread","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"qu'il faut ... qu'il craigne","title":"Subjunctive after «il faut que»","body":"«il faut que» ('it is necessary that / one must') always triggers the subjunctive. «craigne» is the present subjunctive of «craindre» (to fear, to dread). Read straight: «leur attitude enseigne au sage qu'il faut qu'il craigne...» = 'their bearing teaches the wise man that he must dread...'. The owls' stillness is moralized into a lesson: fear movement and tumult."}],"words":[{"surface":"Qu'","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clausal complement of enseigne","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"il","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, impersonal","role":"expletive subject of faut","gloss":"it","note":"il faut is the impersonal construction \"it is necessary,\" il does not refer to a person."},{"surface":"faut","lemma":"falloir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"is necessary"},{"surface":"en","lemma":"en","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking monde","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"ce","lemma":"ce","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of monde","gloss":"this"},{"surface":"monde","lemma":"monde","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of craigne","gloss":"world"},{"surface":"qu'","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the subject clause of faut","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"il","lemma":"il","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of craigne","gloss":"he"},{"surface":"craigne","lemma":"craindre","morphology":"verb, present, subjunctive, third-person, singular","role":"clausal complement of faut","gloss":"dread"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"les-hiboux-s3-l3","source":"Le tumulte et le mouvement;","translation":"all tumult and all movement;","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of tumulte","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"tumulte","lemma":"tumulte","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of craigne","gloss":"tumult"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of mouvement","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"mouvement","lemma":"mouvement","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with tumulte","gloss":"movement"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"les-hiboux-s4-l1","source":"L'homme ivre d'une ombre qui passe","translation":"The man drunk on a passing shadow","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ivre d'une ombre qui passe","title":"«ivre de» — drunk on, intoxicated by","body":"«ivre» = 'drunk, intoxicated'; «ivre de» means 'drunk on / mad for' something. «une ombre qui passe» is 'a shadow that passes', a fleeting, insubstantial thing. «L'homme ivre d'une ombre qui passe» = 'the man intoxicated by a passing shadow' — the restless dreamer who chases mere appearances, set against the motionless, contemplative owls."}],"words":[{"surface":"L'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of homme","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"homme","lemma":"homme","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of Porte","gloss":"man"},{"surface":"ivre","lemma":"ivre","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies homme","gloss":"drunk"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking ombre","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of ombre","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"ombre","lemma":"ombre","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of ivre","gloss":"shadow"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of passe","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"passe","lemma":"passer","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"relative clause on ombre","gloss":"passes"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"les-hiboux-s4-l2","source":"Porte toujours le châtiment","translation":"always bears the punishment","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Porte","lemma":"porter","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"bears"},{"surface":"toujours","lemma":"toujours","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies Porte","gloss":"always"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of châtiment","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"châtiment","lemma":"châtiment","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of Porte","gloss":"punishment"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"les-hiboux-s4-l3","source":"D'avoir voulu changer de place.","translation":"of having wished to change his place.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"D'avoir voulu changer de place","title":"Past infinitive «avoir voulu»","body":"«avoir voulu» is the past infinitive — «avoir» plus the past participle of «vouloir» (to want, to wish) — expressing a completed prior action: 'to have wished'. «le châtiment d'avoir voulu changer de place» = 'the punishment for having wished to change his place'. «changer de place» = 'to move, to change position'. The sin punished is simply the desire to be elsewhere — the opposite of the owls' rooted calm."}],"words":[{"surface":"D'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of voulu","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"avoir","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"auxiliary verb, infinitive","role":"depends on voulu","gloss":"having"},{"surface":"voulu","lemma":"vouloir","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"wished"},{"surface":"changer","lemma":"changer","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of voulu","gloss":"to change"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking place, idiom changer de","gloss":"(of)"},{"surface":"place","lemma":"place","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of changer","gloss":"place"}]}]}