L'albatros (the Albatross) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABAB BBBB CDCD BEBE B FBGB HDBB BBIF JKBL F B BMBM BBBB NBNB BDBD C B FDFD BDBD NDND DBDB K B KBKB OBOB DFDF DBDB P B FBCB HDBQ RBSF BFCL F

Souvent pour s'amuser les hommes d' quipageA
Prennent des albatros vastes oiseaux des mersB
Qui suivent indolents compagnons de voyageA
Le navire glissant sur les gouffres amersB
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peine les ont ils d pos s sur les planchesB
Que ces rois de l'azur maladroits et honteuxB
Laissent piteusement leurs grandes ailes blanchesB
Comme des avirons tra ner c t d'euxB
-
Ce voyageur ail comme il est gauche et veuleC
Lui nagu re si beau qu'il est comique et laidD
L'un agace son bec avec un br le gueuleC
L'autre mime en boitant l'infirme qui volaitD
-
Le Po te est semblable au prince des nu esB
Qui hante la temp te et se rit de l'archerE
Exil sur le sol au milieu des hu esB
Ses ailes de g ant l'emp chent de marcherE
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The AlbatrossB
-
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Often to amuse themselves the men of a crewF
Catch albatrosses those vast sea birdsB
That indolently follow a shipG
As it glides over the deep briny seaB
-
Scarcely have they placed them on the deckH
Than these kings of the sky clumsy ashamedD
Pathetically let their great white wingsB
Drag beside them like oarsB
-
That winged voyager how weak and gauche he isB
So beautiful before now comic and uglyB
One man worries his beak with a stubby clay pipeI
Another limps mimics the cripple who once flewF
-
The poet resembles this prince of cloud and skyJ
Who frequents the tempest and laughs at the bowmanK
When exiled on the earth the butt of hoots and jeersB
His giant wings prevent him from walkingL
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Translated by William AggelerF
-
The AlbatrossB
-
Sometimes for sport the men of loafing crewsB
Snare the great albatrosses of the deepM
The indolent companions of their cruiseB
As through the bitter vastitudes they sweepM
-
Scarce have they fished aboard these airy kingsB
When helpless on such unaccustomed floorsB
They piteously droop their huge white wingsB
And trail them at their sides like drifting oarsB
-
How comical how ugly and how meekN
Appears this soarer of celestial snowsB
One with his pipe teases the golden beakN
One limping mocks the cripple as he goesB
-
The Poet like this monarch of the cloudsB
Despising archers rides the storm elateD
But stranded on the earth to jeering crowdsB
The great wings of the giant baulk his gaitD
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Translated by Roy CampbellC
-
The AlbatrossB
-
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Sometimes to entertain themselves the men of the crewF
Lure upon deck an unlucky albatross one of those vastD
Birds of the sea that follow unwearied the voyage throughF
Flying in slow and elegant circles above the mastD
-
No sooner have they disentangled him from their netsB
Than this aerial colossus shorn of his prideD
Goes hobbling pitiably across the planks and letsB
His great wings hang like heavy useless oars at his sideD
-
How droll is the poor floundering creature how limp and weakN
He but a moment past so lordly flying in stateD
They tease him One of them tries to stick a pipe in his beakN
Another mimics with laughter his odd lurching gaitD
-
The Poet is like that wild inheritor of the cloudD
A rider of storms above the range of arrows and slingsB
Exiled on earth at bay amid the jeering crowdD
He cannot walk for his unmanageable wingsB
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Translated by George DillonK
-
AlbatrossesB
-
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Often our sailors for an hour of funK
Catch albatrosses on the after breezeB
Through which these trail the ship from sun to sunK
As it skims down the deep and briny seasB
-
Scarce have these birds been set upon the poopO
Than awkward now they the sky's emperorsB
Piteous and shamed let their great white wings droopO
Beside them like a pair of idle oarsB
-
These wing d voyagers how gauche their gaitD
Once noble now how ludicrous to viewF
One sailor bums them with his pipe his mateD
Limps mimicking these cripples who once flewF
-
Poets are like these lords of sky and cloudD
Who ride the storm and mock the bow's taut stringsB
Exiled on earth amid a jeering crowdD
Prisoned and palsied by their giant wingsB
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Translated by Jacques LeClercqP
-
The AlbatrossB
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Often to amuse themselves the men of the crewF
Catch those great birds of the seas the albatrossesB
lazy companions of the voyage who followC
The ship that slips through bitter gulfsB
-
Hardly have they put them on the deckH
Than these kings of the skies awkward and ashamedD
Piteously let their great white wingsB
Draggle like oars beside themQ
-
This winged traveler how weak he becomes and slackR
He who of late was so beautiful how comical and uglyB
Someone teases his beak with a branding ironS
Another mimics limping the crippled flyerF
-
The Poet is like the prince of the cloudsB
Haunting the tempest and laughing at the archerF
Exiled on earth amongst the shouting peopleC
His giant's wings hinder him from walkingL
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Translated by Geoffrey WagnerF

Charles Baudelaire



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