Analysis of Franciscae Meae Laudes (Praises of My Francesca)
Charles Baudelaire 1821 (Paris) – 1867 (Paris)
Novis te cantabo chordis,
O novelletum quod ludis
In solitudine cordis.
Esto sertis implicata,
Ô femina delicata
Per quam solvuntur peccata!
Sicut beneficum Lethe,
Hauriam oscula de te,
Quae imbuta es magnete.
Quum vitiorum tempegtas
Turbabat omnes semitas,
Apparuisti, Deitas,
Velut stella salutaris
In naufragiis amaris.....
Suspendam cor tuis aris!
Piscina plena virtutis,
Fons æternæ juventutis
Labris vocem redde mutis!
Quod erat spurcum, cremasti;
Quod rudius, exaequasti;
Quod debile, confirmasti.
In fame mea taberna
In nocte mea lucerna,
Recte me semper guberna.
Adde nunc vires viribus,
Dulce balneum suavibus
Unguentatum odoribus!
Meos circa lumbos mica,
O castitatis lorica,
Aqua tincta seraphica;
Patera gemmis corusca,
Panis salsus, mollis esca,
Divinum vinum, Francisca!
In Praise of My Frances
I'll sing to you on a new note,
O young hind that gambols gaily
In the solitude of my heart.
Be adorned with wreaths of flowers,
O delightful woman
By whom our sins are washed away!
As from a benign Lethe,
I shall drink kisses from you,
Who were given a magnet's strength.
When a tempest of vices
Was sweeping down on every path,
You appeared, O divinity!
Like the star of salvation
Above a disastrous shipwreck...
I shall place my heart on your altar!
Reservoir full of virtue,
Fountain of eternal youth,
Restore the voice to my mute lips!
You have burned that which was filthy,
Made smooth that which was rough,
Strengthened that which was weak.
In my hunger you are the inn,
In the darkness my lamp,
Lead me always on virtue's path.
Add your strength now to my strength,
Sweet bath scented
With pleasant perfumes!
Shine forth from my loins,
O cuirass of chastity,
That was dipped in seraphic water,
Cup glittering with precious stones,
Bread seasoned with salt, delectable dish,
Heavenly wine — My Frances.
— Translated by William Aggeler
Praises of My Francesca
(Verses to a learned and devout Milliner)
Upon new chords of you I sing.
And the new-born bud you bring
From solitude, the pure heart's Spring.
Your brows should be with garlands twined
Woman of delightful mind,
Who our trespasses unbind.
As the wondrous balm of Lethe,
Through thy kisses, I will breathe thee.
All are magnetised who see thee.
When my vices, wild and stormy,
From my wonted courses bore me
It was You appeared before me,
Star of Oceans! you that alter
Courses, when the pilots falter —
Take my heart upon your altar.
Cistern full of virtuous ruth,
Fountain of eternal youth,
Give to dumbness speech and truth!
What was dirty, you cremated,
What uneven — you equated,
What was weak you re-created.
Inn, on the hungry roads I tramp,
And, in the dark, a guiding lamp
To steer the lost one back to camp.
To my strength add strength, O sweet
Bath, where scents and unguents meet!
Anoint me for some peerless feat!
Holy water most seraphic,
On the lusts in which I traffic
Flash your chastity ecstatic.
Bowl of gems where radiance dances.
Salt that the holy bread enhances,
And sacred wine — your name is Frances!
— Translated by Roy Campbell
Francescae Meae Laudes
I shall sing new chords, O hind,
As you gambol unconfined
Through my solitary mind.
Rest, adorned with wreaths of flowers,
Comely woman whose vast powers
Wash away these sins of ours
As from Lethe's stream I shall
Drink your kisses, one and all,
Magnet-like and magical.
When our vices stormily
Swept down every path with glee,
You approved, O Deity!
Like the bright star of salvation
Amid shipwreck's desolation —
Take my heart in rapt oblation.
Source of every good and store
Of eternal youth, restore
Song to my mute lips once more.
What was foul you calcinated
What was rough you Ievigated,
What was weak you stimulated.
In my hunger, you the inn,
In my dark, the lamp; and in
Your pale hands, an end to sin.
Add your strength to mine, new-sent,
Sweet bath ever redolent
Of the suaver perfumes blent.
From my loins, gleam radiantly
O cuirass of chastity
Steeped in balm seraphically.
Cup with precious gems ash
Scheme | aaa bbb cbb aaa aaa aaa bbb ddd aaa eee eee a bfb adx cxc acb dxg bCa cxx dhc cba aBg axa g e g iii bbb ccc fff ggg cCc bbb hhh bbb ejj aaa k a bbb aaa xxk ffb ddd lll bbb ddd bbb fBf x |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1111 1111 0110 111 1001 1111 111 1111 1111 111 111 11 1101 01100 11101 111 111 1111 1111 111 111 0111 0111 1111 1111 111 11 110110 111 1011 01011 1111 111 011110 11111011 1111110 0010111 10111110 101010 111011101 110011 1111011 10100101 1010110 110111001 10110100 1011010 01001010 111111110 101110 1010101 01011111 11111110 111111 101111 01101101 001011 111111 1111111 1110 11001 11111 111100 1110110 11001101 1101101001 1001110 0101101 1011010 10101001100 01111111 0011111 1100111 1111111 1010101 11011 1010111 11101111 111111 11101010 1111011 11101011 11101110 10101010 11101110 10111001 1010101 111101 11101100 10101010 11111010 11010111 00010101 11011111 1111111 111011 01111101 101011 10101110 11100010 111110010 110101010 010111110 0101110 111 1111111 11101 111001 10111110 10101110 10111110 111111 1110101 1010100 110101 11100111 1011100 10111010 011010 111011 11100101 1010101 1111111 11111 11111 1111100 0110101 0110100 1111111 1111111 1110100 101011 11111 111100 1011 111011 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 4,090 |
Words | 683 |
Sentences | 46 |
Stanzas | 50 |
Stanza Lengths | 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 1, 1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 1 |
Lines Amount | 136 |
Letters per line (avg) | 23 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 63 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 14 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 25, 2023
- 3:26 min read
- 72 Views
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"Franciscae Meae Laudes (Praises of My Francesca)" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/4924/franciscae-meae-laudes-%28praises-of-my-francesca%29>.
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