Charles Baudelaire’s “The Vampire”

A French reading: 


Original French
Translation
Charles Baudelaire’s “Le
Vampire”
Charles Baudelaire’s “The
Vampire”
Toi qui, comme un coup de
couteau,
You, like a piercing knife,
Dans mon coeur plaintif es
entrée;
Who entered my grieving heart;
Toi qui, forte comme un troupeau
You, strong as a flock of
demons,
De démons, vins, folle et
parée,
Who came adorned in madness.
De mon esprit humilié
My shameful spirit
Faire ton lit et ton
domaine;
Made into your bed and your
domain;
— Infâme à qui je suis lié
—Vile woman to whom I am bound
Comme le forçat à la
chaîne,
As a convict to a chain,
Comme au jeu le joueur
têtu,
As a gambler to his
game,
Comme à la bouteille
l’ivrogne,
As a drunkard to his drink,
Comme aux vermines la
charogne
As a vermin to his carcass,
— Maudite, maudite sois-tu!
—Cursed, cursed—be you!
J’ai prié le glaive rapide
I prayed for the swift
sword
De conquérir ma liberté,
To win my freedom,
Et j’ai dit au poison
perfide
And asked the treacherous
poison
De secourir ma lâcheté.
To save my cowardice.
Hélas! le poison et le
glaive
Alas! The sword and poison
both
M’ont pris en dédain et
m’ont dit:
Have left me disdained and
said:
«Tu n’es pas digne qu’on
t’enlève
“You’re not fit to be lifted
À ton esclavage maudit,
from accurséd slavery,
Imbécile! — de son empire
Fool! — if our efforts
Si nos efforts te
délivraient,
Could free you from her
empire,
Tes baisers
ressusciteraient
Your kisses would revive
Le cadavre de ton vampire!»
Your vampire’s carcass!”





This is a good reading of a different English translation:

 

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