{"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":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive","title":{"source":"Une nuit que j'étais près d'une affreuse Juive","translated":"One Night When I Lay Beside a Hideous Jewess"},"section":"Spleen and Ideal","summary":null,"url":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive","lines":14},"previous":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/le-vampire","next":"https://1732studios.com/books/baudelaire/remords-posthume","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":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s1-l1","source":"Une nuit que j'étais près d'une affreuse Juive,","translation":"One night when I lay beside a hideous Jewess,","stanza":1,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Une nuit que j'étais","title":"«que» = 'when' after a time word","body":"After a noun of time like «une nuit» ('one night'), «que» works as a relative meaning 'when' rather than 'that': «une nuit que j'étais» = 'one night when I was'. It is the verse-friendly equivalent of «où» («une nuit où j'étais»). «affreuse» is the feminine of «affreux» — 'frightful, hideous, dreadful'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of nuit","gloss":"one"},{"surface":"nuit","lemma":"nuit","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"night"},{"surface":"que","lemma":"que","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the relative clause of étais, modifying nuit","gloss":"when"},{"surface":"j'","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of étais","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"étais","lemma":"être","morphology":"verb, imperfect, indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the relative clause modifying nuit","gloss":"lay"},{"surface":"près","lemma":"près","morphology":"adverb","role":"adverbial modifying étais, forms près de with d'","gloss":"near"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking Juive (près de)","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"une","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of Juive","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"affreuse","lemma":"affreux","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies Juive","gloss":"hideous"},{"surface":"Juive","lemma":"juive","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of d'","gloss":"Jewess"}]},{"number":2,"label":"2","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s1-l2","source":"Comme au long d'un cadavre un cadavre étendu,","translation":"Like one corpse stretched out along another corpse,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Comme","lemma":"comme","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition introducing the comparison","gloss":"like"},{"surface":"au","lemma":"au","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of the compound preposition au long de","gloss":"along the"},{"surface":"long","lemma":"long","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"part of the compound preposition au long de","gloss":"length"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking the first cadavre","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of the first cadavre","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"cadavre","lemma":"cadavre","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of d', in the compound preposition au long de","gloss":"corpse"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of the second cadavre","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"cadavre","lemma":"cadavre","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase, in apposition with Je (next line)","gloss":"corpse"},{"surface":"étendu","lemma":"étendre","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"modifies the second cadavre","gloss":"stretched out"}]},{"number":3,"label":"3","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s1-l3","source":"Je me pris à songer près de ce corps vendu","translation":"I fell to dreaming there beside that body sold,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"Je me pris à songer","title":"«se prendre à» + infinitive — to start to","body":"«se prendre à faire qqch» means 'to begin / fall to doing something', often half against one's will. «Je me pris à songer» (past historic of «se prendre») = 'I began to muse / fell to dreaming'. «songer» is to muse, to dream, to let the mind drift — softer and more reverie-laden than «penser». «ce corps vendu» — 'that body sold' — names the woman as a paid prostitute."}],"words":[{"surface":"Je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of pris","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"me","lemma":"me","morphology":"pronoun, singular, reflexive","role":"depends on pris","gloss":"myself"},{"surface":"pris","lemma":"prendre","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"fell to"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"introduces the clause of songer","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"songer","lemma":"songer","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"complement of pris","gloss":"dreaming"},{"surface":"près","lemma":"près","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies songer","gloss":"beside"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking corps","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"ce","lemma":"ce","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of corps","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"corps","lemma":"corps","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of de, near près","gloss":"body"},{"surface":"vendu","lemma":"vendre","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"modifies corps","gloss":"sold"}]},{"number":4,"label":"4","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s1-l4","source":"À la triste beauté dont mon désir se prive.","translation":"Of the sad beauty my desire denies itself.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"dont mon désir se prive","title":"Pronominal «se priver de» — to deny oneself","body":"«se priver de qqch» is the pronominal verb 'to deprive / deny oneself of something'. The relative «dont» carries that «de»: «la beauté dont mon désir se prive» = 'the beauty of which my desire deprives itself' — the absent, longed-for woman the speaker dreams of while lying with the bought one. The whole quatrain hangs on this turn: a sordid present bed becomes the doorway to an idealized memory."}],"words":[{"surface":"À","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking beauté, complement of songer (previous line)","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of beauté","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"triste","lemma":"triste","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies beauté","gloss":"sad"},{"surface":"beauté","lemma":"beauté","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"object of À, complement of songer","gloss":"beauty"},{"surface":"dont","lemma":"dont","morphology":"pronoun","role":"object of prive (via se priver de), refers to beauté","gloss":"which"},{"surface":"mon","lemma":"mon","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of désir","gloss":"my"},{"surface":"désir","lemma":"désir","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of prive","gloss":"desire"},{"surface":"se","lemma":"se","morphology":"pronoun, reflexive","role":"depends on prive","gloss":"itself"},{"surface":"prive","lemma":"priver","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the relative clause modifying beauté","gloss":"denies"}]},{"number":5,"label":"5","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s2-l1","source":"Je me représentai sa majesté native,","translation":"I pictured to myself her inborn majesty,","stanza":2,"audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Je","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of représentai","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"me","lemma":"me","morphology":"pronoun, singular, reflexive","role":"indirect object of représentai","gloss":"to myself"},{"surface":"représentai","lemma":"représenter","morphology":"verb, simple past (passé simple), indicative, first-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"pictured"},{"surface":"sa","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of majesté","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"majesté","lemma":"majesté","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of représentai","gloss":"majesty"},{"surface":"native","lemma":"natif","morphology":"adjective, feminine, singular","role":"modifies majesté","gloss":"inborn"}]},{"number":6,"label":"6","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s2-l2","source":"Son regard de vigueur et de grâces armé,","translation":"Her gaze armed with vigor and with graces,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"de vigueur et de grâces armé","title":"Postposed participle «armé»","body":"Read in prose order: «son regard armé de vigueur et de grâces» — 'her gaze armed with vigour and graces'. Baudelaire delays the participle «armé» to the line's end for the rhyme and the cadence, so the qualities arrive before the weapon-word that gathers them. «armé de» = 'armed / equipped with'; the martial image turns the woman's look into something that strikes."}],"words":[{"surface":"Son","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of regard","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"regard","lemma":"regard","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"gaze"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking vigueur","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"vigueur","lemma":"vigueur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"modifies regard","gloss":"vigor"},{"surface":"et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking grâces","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"grâces","lemma":"grâce","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"coordinated with vigueur","gloss":"graces"},{"surface":"armé","lemma":"armer","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"modifies regard","gloss":"armed"}]},{"number":7,"label":"7","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s2-l3","source":"Ses cheveux qui lui font un casque parfumé,","translation":"Her hair that makes for her a perfumed helmet,","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"qui lui font un casque","title":"Dative «lui» — 'for her'","body":"«lui» here is the indirect-object pronoun 'to / for her': «ses cheveux qui lui font un casque» = 'her hair that makes for her a helmet'. «un casque» is a helmet; «parfumé» ('perfumed, scented') is the participle of «parfumer». The martial figure of the line before continues — the woman's hair becomes armour — a motif Baudelaire develops at length in the companion poem «La Chevelure»."}],"words":[{"surface":"Ses","lemma":"son","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of cheveux","gloss":"her"},{"surface":"cheveux","lemma":"cheveu","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"hair"},{"surface":"qui","lemma":"qui","morphology":"pronoun","role":"subject of font","gloss":"that"},{"surface":"lui","lemma":"lui","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"indirect object of font","gloss":"for her"},{"surface":"font","lemma":"faire","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, plural","role":"main verb of the relative clause modifying cheveux","gloss":"make"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of casque","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"casque","lemma":"casque","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of font","gloss":"helmet"},{"surface":"parfumé","lemma":"parfumer","morphology":"adjective, masculine, singular","role":"modifies casque","gloss":"perfumed"}]},{"number":8,"label":"8","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s2-l4","source":"Et dont le souvenir pour l'amour me ravive.","translation":"And whose memory revives me again for love.","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"dont","lemma":"dont","morphology":"pronoun","role":"modifies souvenir","gloss":"whose"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of souvenir","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"souvenir","lemma":"souvenir","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"subject of ravive","gloss":"memory"},{"surface":"pour","lemma":"pour","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking amour","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"l'","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of amour","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"amour","lemma":"amour","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"modifies ravive","gloss":"love"},{"surface":"me","lemma":"me","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"direct object of ravive","gloss":"me"},{"surface":"ravive","lemma":"raviver","morphology":"verb, present, indicative, third-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence, subject is souvenir","gloss":"revives"}]},{"number":9,"label":"9","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s3-l1","source":"Car j'eusse avec ferveur baisé ton noble corps,","translation":"For I would have fervently kissed your noble body,","stanza":3,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"grammar","term":"j'eusse … baisé","title":"Literary past conditional «j'eusse baisé»","body":"«j'eusse baisé» is the second form of the past conditional (pluperfect subjunctive used for «j'aurais baisé») — 'I would have kissed', a high, literary register. «Car» ('for, because') opens the tercets, and the address swerves to «tu»: from here the speaker no longer describes the woman but speaks to her («ton noble corps»). «baiser» here keeps its older, courtly sense 'to kiss'."}],"words":[{"surface":"Car","lemma":"car","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"for"},{"surface":"j'","lemma":"je","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of eusse","gloss":"I"},{"surface":"eusse","lemma":"avoir","morphology":"verb, imperfect subjunctive (past conditional), first-person, singular","role":"auxiliary of baisé","gloss":"would have"},{"surface":"avec","lemma":"avec","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking ferveur","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"ferveur","lemma":"ferveur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"depends on baisé","gloss":"fervor"},{"surface":"baisé","lemma":"baiser","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence (with eusse)","gloss":"kissed"},{"surface":"ton","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, singular","role":"determiner of corps","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"noble","lemma":"noble","morphology":"adjective, singular","role":"modifies corps","gloss":"noble"},{"surface":"corps","lemma":"corps","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of baisé","gloss":"body"}]},{"number":10,"label":"10","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s3-l2","source":"Et depuis tes pieds frais jusqu'à tes noires tresses","translation":"And from your cool feet up to your black tresses","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Et","lemma":"et","morphology":"conjunction","role":"links the coordination","gloss":"and"},{"surface":"depuis","lemma":"depuis","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking pieds","gloss":"from"},{"surface":"tes","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of pieds","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"pieds","lemma":"pied","morphology":"noun, masculine, plural","role":"head of the phrase","gloss":"feet"},{"surface":"frais","lemma":"frais","morphology":"adjective, masculine, plural","role":"modifies pieds","gloss":"cool"},{"surface":"jusqu'","lemma":"jusque","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of the compound preposition jusqu'à","gloss":"up to"},{"surface":"à","lemma":"à","morphology":"preposition","role":"part of the compound preposition jusqu'à","gloss":"to"},{"surface":"tes","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of tresses","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"noires","lemma":"noir","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies tresses","gloss":"black"},{"surface":"tresses","lemma":"tresse","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"object of jusqu'à, head of the phrase","gloss":"tresses"}]},{"number":11,"label":"11","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s3-l3","source":"Déroulé le trésor des profondes caresses,","translation":"Unrolled the treasure of deep caresses,","audio":null,"notes":[],"words":[{"surface":"Déroulé","lemma":"dérouler","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"coordinated with baisé (previous segments), past participle with eusse","gloss":"unrolled"},{"surface":"le","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of trésor","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"trésor","lemma":"trésor","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"direct object of Déroulé","gloss":"treasure"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking caresses","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"profondes","lemma":"profond","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies caresses","gloss":"deep"},{"surface":"caresses","lemma":"caresse","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"modifies trésor","gloss":"caresses"}]},{"number":12,"label":"12","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s4-l1","source":"Si, quelque soir, d'un pleur obtenu sans effort","translation":"If, some evening, with a tear shed without effort","stanza":4,"audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"d'un pleur obtenu sans effort","title":"«un pleur» — a single tear (poetic)","body":"«un pleur» is a poetic, mostly literary word for a tear or weeping (compare everyday «une larme»). «d'un pleur obtenu sans effort» = 'with a tear obtained without effort' — a single tear, shed effortlessly. «Si» ('if') opens the condition that runs to the poem's end: the whole imagined ardor of the tercets is granted only on this one impossible price."}],"words":[{"surface":"Si","lemma":"si","morphology":"subordinating conjunction","role":"introduces the conditional clause","gloss":"if"},{"surface":"quelque","lemma":"quelque","morphology":"determiner","role":"determiner of soir","gloss":"some"},{"surface":"soir","lemma":"soir","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"adverbial, temporal head of the phrase","gloss":"evening"},{"surface":"d'","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking pleur","gloss":"with"},{"surface":"un","lemma":"un","morphology":"determiner, masculine, singular","role":"determiner of pleur","gloss":"a"},{"surface":"pleur","lemma":"pleur","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"object of d'","gloss":"tear"},{"surface":"obtenu","lemma":"obtenir","morphology":"verb, past, participle, masculine, singular","role":"modifies pleur","gloss":"shed"},{"surface":"sans","lemma":"sans","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking effort","gloss":"without"},{"surface":"effort","lemma":"effort","morphology":"noun, masculine, singular","role":"depends on obtenu","gloss":"effort"}]},{"number":13,"label":"13","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s4-l2","source":"Tu pouvais seulement, ô reine des cruelles!","translation":"You could only, O queen of cruel women!","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"ô reine des cruelles","title":"«reine des cruelles» — substantivized adjective","body":"«ô» is the vocative interjection of formal, exclamatory address ('O…'). «reine des cruelles» = 'queen of the cruel ones / cruel women' — the adjective «cruelles» is used as a noun ('cruel women'), with the beloved their sovereign. «Tu pouvais seulement» ('you could only / if only you could') governs the infinitive «Obscurcir» in the final line."}],"words":[{"surface":"Tu","lemma":"tu","morphology":"pronoun, singular","role":"subject of pouvais","gloss":"you"},{"surface":"pouvais","lemma":"pouvoir","morphology":"verb, imperfect, indicative, second-person, singular","role":"main verb of the sentence","gloss":"could"},{"surface":"seulement","lemma":"seulement","morphology":"adverb","role":"modifies pouvais","gloss":"only"},{"surface":"ô","lemma":"ô","morphology":"interjection","role":"vocative particle","gloss":"oh"},{"surface":"reine","lemma":"reine","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"vocative, in apposition with Tu","gloss":"queen"},{"surface":"des","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking cruelles","gloss":"of the"},{"surface":"cruelles","lemma":"cruel","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies reine","gloss":"cruel women"}]},{"number":14,"label":"14","id":"une-nuit-que-j-etais-pres-d-une-affreuse-juive-s4-l3","source":"Obscurcir la splendeur de tes froides prunelles.","translation":"Darken the splendor of your cold pupils.","audio":null,"notes":[{"kind":"vocabulary","term":"Obscurcir … tes froides prunelles","title":"«obscurcir» and «la prunelle»","body":"«obscurcir» is to darken, dim, or cloud (from «obscur», 'dark'); «la prunelle» is the pupil of the eye, and by extension the eye itself. «Obscurcir la splendeur de tes froides prunelles» = 'to dim the splendour of your cold pupils' — to cloud that hard, brilliant gaze with a single tear of feeling. On this impossible condition the whole conditional ardor of the poem turns: the beloved's beauty is wanted only if it could once be softened by pity."}],"words":[{"surface":"Obscurcir","lemma":"obscurcir","morphology":"verb, infinitive","role":"infinitival complement of pouvais (previous line)","gloss":"darken"},{"surface":"la","lemma":"le","morphology":"determiner, feminine, singular","role":"determiner of splendeur","gloss":"the"},{"surface":"splendeur","lemma":"splendeur","morphology":"noun, feminine, singular","role":"direct object of Obscurcir","gloss":"splendor"},{"surface":"de","lemma":"de","morphology":"preposition","role":"preposition marking prunelles","gloss":"of"},{"surface":"tes","lemma":"ton","morphology":"determiner, plural","role":"determiner of prunelles","gloss":"your"},{"surface":"froides","lemma":"froid","morphology":"adjective, feminine, plural","role":"modifies prunelles","gloss":"cold"},{"surface":"prunelles","lemma":"prunelle","morphology":"noun, feminine, plural","role":"object of de, head of the phrase","gloss":"pupils"}]}]}