{"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":"semper-eadem","title":{"source":"Semper eadem","translated":"Always the Same"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/semper-eadem","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/je-te-donne-ces-vers-afin-que-si-mon-nom","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/tout-entiere","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":"semper-eadem-s1-l1","source":"«D'où vous vient, disiez-vous, cette tristesse étrange,","translation":"\"Where does it come from, you would ask, this strange sadness,","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"D'où vous vient ... cette tristesse","title":"Inversion in «d'où vous vient cette tristesse»","body":"Read in plain order this is «d'où cette tristesse vous vient» = 'from where does this sadness come to you'. The verb «venir» is placed before its subject «cette tristesse» — a poetic inversion — and «vous» is the dative ('to you'), so the sadness 'comes to you'. «disiez-vous» ('you would say / you kept asking') is itself inverted as a quotative aside, the standard form for reporting speech mid-sentence."}],"words":[{"surface":"D'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of d'où (from where)","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"où","lemma":"où","morphology":"pronoun, interrogative","role":"part of d'où, modifies vient","gloss":"where"},{"surface":"vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"indirect object of vient","gloss":"to you"},{"surface":"vient","lemma":"venir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"comes"},{"surface":"disiez","lemma":"dire","morphology":"verb, imperfect, indicative, second-person, plural","role":"parenthetical clause (you would say)","gloss":"you would say"},{"surface":"-vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"subject of disiez","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"cette","lemma":"ce","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of tristesse","gloss":"this"},{"surface":"tristesse","lemma":"tristesse","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of vient","gloss":"sadness"},{"surface":"étrange","lemma":"étrange","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies tristesse","gloss":"strange"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"semper-eadem-s1-l2","source":"Montant comme la mer sur le roc noir et nu?»","translation":"rising like the sea over the black and naked rock?\"","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Montant","lemma":"monter","morphology":"verb, present participle","role":"modifies tristesse (previous line)","gloss":"rising"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking mer","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of mer","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"mer","lemma":"mer","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of comme","gloss":"sea"},{"surface":"sur","lemma":"sur","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking roc","gloss":"over"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of roc","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"roc","lemma":"roc","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of sur","gloss":"rock"},{"surface":"noir","lemma":"noir","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies roc","gloss":"black"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"nu","lemma":"nu","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with noir","gloss":"naked"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"semper-eadem-s1-l3","source":"— Quand notre coeur a fait une fois sa vendange","translation":"— Once our heart has gathered in its vintage,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"a fait ... sa vendange","title":"«la vendange» — the grape harvest","body":"«la vendange» is the grape-harvest, the gathering of the vintage; «faire sa vendange» = 'to bring in one's harvest'. «Quand notre coeur a fait une fois sa vendange» = 'once the heart has done its vintage', i.e. has lived through its season and reaped what it will ever reap. «une fois» here means 'once, once and for all'. The metaphor turns a life of feeling into a single harvest after which only the bitterness of line 4 remains."}],"words":[{"surface":"Quand","lemma":"quand","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the clause of fait","gloss":"once"},{"surface":"notre","lemma":"notre","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of coeur","gloss":"our"},{"surface":"coeur","lemma":"coeur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of fait","gloss":"heart"},{"surface":"a","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"depends on fait","gloss":"has"},{"surface":"fait","lemma":"faire","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"gathered"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of fois","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"fois","lemma":"fois","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"adverbial phrase (une fois = \"once\"), modifies fait","gloss":"once"},{"surface":"sa","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of vendange","gloss":"its"},{"surface":"vendange","lemma":"vendange","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of fait","gloss":"vintage"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"semper-eadem-s1-l4","source":"Vivre est un mal. C'est un secret de tous connu,","translation":"to live is an evil. It is a secret known to all,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Vivre","lemma":"vivre","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"subject of est","gloss":"to live"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking to mal","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of mal","gloss":"an"},{"surface":"mal","lemma":"mal","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"predicate noun of est","gloss":"evil"},{"surface":"C'","lemma":"ce","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of est","gloss":"it"},{"surface":"est","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking to secret","gloss":"is"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of secret","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"secret","lemma":"secret","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"predicate noun of est","gloss":"secret"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking connu (agent)","gloss":"by"},{"surface":"tous","lemma":"tout","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, plural","role":"agent of connu","gloss":"all"},{"surface":"connu","lemma":"connaître","morphology":"verb, past, passive, participle, masculine, singular","role":"clause modifying secret","gloss":"known"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"semper-eadem-s2-l1","source":"Une douleur très simple et non mystérieuse","translation":"a very plain grief, and not mysterious,","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of douleur","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"douleur","lemma":"douleur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"in apposition to secret (previous line)","gloss":"grief"},{"surface":"très","lemma":"très","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies simple","gloss":"very"},{"surface":"simple","lemma":"simple","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies douleur","gloss":"plain"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"non","lemma":"non","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies mystérieuse","gloss":"not"},{"surface":"mystérieuse","lemma":"mystérieux","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"coordinated with simple","gloss":"mysterious"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"semper-eadem-s2-l2","source":"Et, comme votre joie, éclatante pour tous.","translation":"and, like your joy, glaring plain to everyone.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"éclatante pour tous","title":"«éclatant» — dazzling, blazing out","body":"«éclatant» (from «éclater», 'to burst, to break out') means 'dazzling, blazing, conspicuous' — light or sound that bursts upon everyone. «éclatante pour tous» = 'blazingly obvious to all'. The word answers «votre joie» ('your joy'): the woman's happiness is as loud and visible as the speaker's sorrow is — both are out in the open, «pour tous», for everyone to see."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking joie","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"votre","lemma":"votre","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of joie","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"joie","lemma":"joie","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of comme","gloss":"joy"},{"surface":"éclatante","lemma":"éclatant","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies douleur (previous line)","gloss":"glaring"},{"surface":"pour","lemma":"pour","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking tous","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"tous","lemma":"tout","morphology":"pronoun, masculine, plural","role":"object of pour","gloss":"everyone"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"semper-eadem-s2-l3","source":"Cessez donc de chercher, ô belle curieuse!","translation":"Stop searching, then, O lovely inquisitive one!","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Cessez","lemma":"cesser","morphology":"verb, present, imperative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"stop"},{"surface":"donc","lemma":"donc","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies Cessez","gloss":"then"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the infinitive chercher","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"chercher","lemma":"chercher","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of Cessez","gloss":"searching"},{"surface":"ô","lemma":"ô","morphology":"interjection","role":"vocative particle introducing belle curieuse","gloss":"O"},{"surface":"belle","lemma":"bel","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies curieuse","gloss":"lovely"},{"surface":"curieuse","lemma":"curieux","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"vocative, head of the phrase","gloss":"inquisitive one"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"semper-eadem-s2-l4","source":"Et, bien que votre voix soit douce, taisez-vous!","translation":"and, though your voice be sweet, be silent!","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"bien que votre voix soit douce","title":"Subjunctive after «bien que»","body":"«bien que» ('although, though') always governs the subjunctive. «soit» is the present subjunctive of «être» — «bien que votre voix soit douce» = 'although your voice is (may be) sweet'. The mood marks the sweetness as conceded, set aside: granted as true only to be overruled by the command «taisez-vous!» ('be silent!'), the pronominal «se taire» given in the imperative."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"bien","lemma":"bien","morphology":"adverb","role":"part of bien que (concessive)","gloss":"though","note":"\"Bien que\" is the concessive conjunction \"although.\""},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"part of bien que (concessive)","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"votre","lemma":"votre","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of voix","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"voix","lemma":"voix","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of douce","gloss":"voice"},{"surface":"soit","lemma":"être","morphology":"auxiliary verb, present, subjunctive, third-person, singular","role":"copula linking to douce","gloss":"be"},{"surface":"douce","lemma":"doux","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"predicate adjective (concessive clause)","gloss":"sweet"},{"surface":"taisez","lemma":"taire","morphology":"verb, present, imperative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"be silent"},{"surface":"-vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive, plural","role":"reflexive pronoun of taisez","gloss":"yourself"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"semper-eadem-s3-l1","source":"Taisez-vous, ignorante! âme toujours ravie!","translation":"Be silent, you who know nothing! soul forever enraptured!","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"âme toujours ravie","title":"«ravi» — carried away, enraptured","body":"«ravi» is the past participle of «ravir», literally 'to seize, to carry off' (as in 'ravish'), and so 'delighted, enraptured'. «âme toujours ravie» = 'soul forever enraptured / forever carried away'. The praise is half a warning: the woman's bliss depends on her not knowing — «ignorante» — what the speaker knows, and «toujours» ('always') quietly echoes the Latin title, «Semper eadem»."}],"words":[{"surface":"Taisez","lemma":"taire","morphology":"verb, present, imperative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"be silent"},{"surface":"-vous","lemma":"vous","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive, second-person, plural","role":"reflexive object of Taisez","gloss":"yourselves","note":"Hyphenated reflexive pronoun attached after an imperative verb."},{"surface":"ignorante","lemma":"ignorant","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"vocative in apposition to -vous","gloss":"ignorant one"},{"surface":"âme","lemma":"âme","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"head of the vocative phrase","gloss":"soul"},{"surface":"toujours","lemma":"toujours","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies ravie","gloss":"forever"},{"surface":"ravie","lemma":"ravir","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies âme","gloss":"enraptured"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"semper-eadem-s3-l2","source":"Bouche au rire enfantin! Plus encor que la Vie,","translation":"Mouth of childlike laughter! More even than Life,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Bouche","lemma":"bouche","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"head of the vocative phrase","gloss":"mouth"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"au","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking rire","gloss":"with the"},{"surface":"rire","lemma":"rire","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of preposition au","gloss":"laugh"},{"surface":"enfantin","lemma":"enfantin","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies rire","gloss":"childlike"},{"surface":"Plus","lemma":"plus","morphology":"adverb","role":"part of the comparison plus...que","gloss":"more"},{"surface":"encor","lemma":"encor","morphology":"adverb","role":"intensifies Plus","gloss":"even"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the comparison with Vie","gloss":"than"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of Vie","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Vie","lemma":"vie","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of comparison, head of the phrase","gloss":"Life"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"semper-eadem-s3-l3","source":"La Mort nous tient souvent par des liens subtils.","translation":"Death often holds us by subtle bonds.","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"La","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of Mort","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"Mort","lemma":"mort","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"subject of tient","gloss":"Death"},{"surface":"nous","lemma":"nous","morphology":"pronoun, plural","role":"direct object of tient","gloss":"us"},{"surface":"tient","lemma":"tenir","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"holds"},{"surface":"souvent","lemma":"souvent","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies tient","gloss":"often"},{"surface":"par","lemma":"par","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking liens","gloss":"by"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of liens","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"liens","lemma":"lien","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"oblique argument of tient","gloss":"bonds"},{"surface":"subtils","lemma":"subtil","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies liens","gloss":"subtle"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"semper-eadem-s4-l1","source":"Laissez, laissez mon coeur s'enivrer d'un mensonge,","translation":"Let, let my heart get drunk on a lie,","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"laissez ... s'enivrer d'un mensonge","title":"Pronominal «s'enivrer» under «laisser»","body":"«laisser» + infinitive = 'to let / allow (something) to', so «laissez mon coeur s'enivrer» = 'let my heart get drunk'. «s'enivrer» is pronominal — 'to make oneself drunk, to grow intoxicated' (from «ivre», 'drunk') — and takes «de» for the thing one is drunk on: «s'enivrer d'un mensonge» = 'to get drunk on a lie'. The doubled imperative «Laissez, laissez» turns the command into a plea, and the lie is the woman's own untroubled joy."}],"words":[{"surface":"Laissez","lemma":"laisser","morphology":"verb, present, imperative, second-person, plural","role":"emphatic repetition of laissez (w2)","gloss":"let"},{"surface":"laissez","lemma":"laisser","morphology":"verb, present, imperative, second-person, plural","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"let"},{"surface":"mon","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of coeur","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"coeur","lemma":"coeur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of laissez","gloss":"heart"},{"surface":"s'","lemma":"se","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive","role":"depends on enivrer","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"enivrer","lemma":"enivrer","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of laissez","gloss":"get drunk"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking mensonge","gloss":"on"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of mensonge","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"mensonge","lemma":"mensonge","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of enivrer","gloss":"lie"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"semper-eadem-s4-l2","source":"Plonger dans vos beaux yeux comme dans un beau songe","translation":"to plunge into your lovely eyes as into a lovely dream,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Plonger","lemma":"plonger","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"to plunge"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking yeux","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"vos","lemma":"votre","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of yeux","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"beaux","lemma":"beau","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies yeux","gloss":"lovely"},{"surface":"yeux","lemma":"oeil","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"oblique argument of Plonger","gloss":"eyes"},{"surface":"comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking songe","gloss":"as"},{"surface":"dans","lemma":"dans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking songe","gloss":"into"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of songe","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"beau","lemma":"beau","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies songe","gloss":"lovely"},{"surface":"songe","lemma":"songe","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"oblique argument of Plonger","gloss":"dream"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"semper-eadem-s4-l3","source":"Et sommeiller longtemps à l'ombre de vos cils!","translation":"and slumber a long while in the shadow of your lashes!","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"à l'ombre de vos cils","title":"«les cils» — the eyelashes","body":"«les cils» are the eyelashes (the eyelids are «les paupières»). «à l'ombre de vos cils» = 'in the shadow of your lashes'. The sonnet's three closing infinitives — «s'enivrer», «plonger», «sommeiller» — all hang on «laissez» of line 1, a single drawn-out wish: to drink the lie, sink into the eyes as into a dream, and sleep long under the shade those lashes throw. The chosen lie is preferred to the death-truth of the tercet above."}],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"sommeiller","lemma":"sommeiller","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"to slumber"},{"surface":"longtemps","lemma":"longtemps","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies sommeiller","gloss":"a long while"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking ombre","gloss":"in"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of ombre","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"ombre","lemma":"ombre","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"oblique argument of sommeiller","gloss":"shadow"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking cils","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"vos","lemma":"votre","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of cils","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"cils","lemma":"cil","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"modifies ombre","gloss":"lashes"}]}]}