,,14 , r 11 , '.u \ ,, I' FLEURS DU MAL LES LES FLEURS DuMAL CHARLES BAUDELAIRE the complete text of THE FLOWERS OF EVIL in a new translation by RICHARD HOWARD illustrated with nine original monotypes by MICHAEL MAZUR DAVID R GODINE PUBLISHER· BOSTON First hardcover edition published in 1982 and first softcover edition published in 1983 by David R Godine, Publisher, Inc Box 450, Jaffrey, New Hampshire 03452 U'UJl() god; ne rom Translation copyright © 1982 by Richard Howard Illustrations copyright © 1982 by Michael Mazur All rights reserved No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever witham written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUB!.ICATION DATA Baudelaire, Charles, 182T-1867 Les fleurs du mal Translation of: Les fleurs du mal English & French I Howard, Richard, 1929PQ2191.F6Iq 1982 841',8 ISBN 0-87923-462-8 (sc) II Title AACR2 Ninth softcover printing, 2006 Printed in the United States of America , , a translatioll comes later than the original, and Jillce the important UJorks of world literature never r, find their chosen trallS/ators at the time of their origin, their translation marks their stage of continued life,'· -Walter Benjamin, from 'The Task of the Translator,' his introduction to his translation of Baudelaire, 1923 CONTENTS FOR E W R D A XIX BAUDELAIRE CHRONOLOGY XXV DISCUSSIONS OF BAUDELAIRE S I G N I FIe ANT TOT HE T RAN S L A T ION THE FLOWERS OF EVIL To The Reader SPLEEN AND IDEAL Consecration I I '3 The Albatross Elevation '4 15 'I Prize the Memory Guiding Lights 16 The Sick Muse 18 The Muse for Hire '9 The Bad Monk '9 The Enemy 20 Artist Unknown 20 Correspondences Previolls Existence Gypsies on the Road Man and Sea 2I 22 22 Impenitent 23 The Punishment of Pride Vll 15 23 XXXI CONTENTS Beauty 24 The Ideal 25 Giantess 25 Jewels 26 TheMask 27 Hymn to Beauty 28 By Association 29 The Head of Hair 30 'Urn of Stilled Sorrows 3I 'You'd Sleep with Anyone , 32 Sed NOll Satiata 32 'Even When She Walks 33 As If a Serpent Danced 33 Carrion 35 De Profulldis Clamdvi 36 ':::'he Vampire 37 Lethe 38 'J Spent the Night 39 Posthumous Regret 39 The Cat 40 Duellum 40 The Balcony I Possessed 42 A Phantom 42 i The Shadows 42 ii The Perfume 43 iii The Frame 44 iv The Portrait 44 'Suppose My Name 45 Semper Eadem 45 Altogether 46 'What Will You Say Tonight 47 The Living Torch 47 Against Her Levity 48 Reversibility 49 Confession 50 Spiritual Dawn I Evening Harmony 52 The Flask 53 viii Contents Poison 54 Overcast 54 Cat 55 The Fine Ship 56 Invitation to the Voyage 58 The Irreparable 59 Conversation (One Side) 6, Autumnal 6, To a Madonna 62 Song for Late in the Day 64 Sis ina 65 To a Creole Lady 66 MoeJ!a e! Erl'abllncia 66 Incubus 67 Autumn Sonnet 68 Sorrows of the Moon Cats 69 Owls 70 The Pipe 70 Music 7' Burial 7' A Fantastic Engraving 72 The Happy Corpse 72 The Cask of Hate 73 The Cracked Bell 74 Spleen (I) 74 Spleen (II) 75 Spleen (III) 76 Spleen (IV) 76 Obsession 77 Craving for Oblivion 77 Alchemy of Suffering 78 Sympathetic Horror 79 HeclfItoll Timol'otlmenoJ The Irremediable The Clock 82 IX 80 79 Pohnes JuppllmentaireJ -Et man esprit, toujours du vertige hante, Jalouse du neant 1'insensibilite - Ah! ne jamais sortir des Nombres et des Etres! "7 liJ - LES PLAINTES D'UN ICARE Les amants des prostituees Sont heureux, dis pas et repus; Quant a moi, mes bras sont rompus Pour avoir etreint des nuees C' est grace aux astres nonpareils, Qui tout au fond du ciel flamboient, Que mes yeux consumes ne voient Que des souvenirs de soleils En vain j' voulu de l' espace Trouver la fin et Ie milieu; Sous je ne sais que! ceil de feu Je sens man aile qui se casse; Et brule par l' amour du beau, Je n' aurai pas l'honneur sublime De donner man nom a l' ablme Qui me servita de tombeau I8 liJ LE COUVERCLE En que!que lieu qu'il aille, au sur mer au sur terre, Sous un dimat de flam me au sous un solei blanc, Serviteur de Jesus, courtisan de Cythere, Mendiant tenebreux au Cn~sus rutilant, 353 LES FLEURS DU MAL Citadin, campagnard, vagabond, sedentaire, Que son petit cerveau soit actif au soit lent, Partout l'homme subit la terreur du mystere, Et ne regarde en hant qu' avec un ceil tremblant En haut, Ie Ciel! ce mur de caveau qui l' etouffe, Plafond illumine par un opera bouffe au chaque histrion foule un sol ensanglante; Terreur du libertin, espoir du fol ermite: Le Ciel! couvercle nair de la grande marmite au bout l'imperceptible et vaste Humanite '9 );1