Language: French (Français)
Our translations: ENG SPA
...
— De sa fourrure blonde et brune
Sort au parfum si doux qu’un soir
J’en fus embaumé, pour l’avoir
Caressée une fois, rien qu’une.
C’est l’esprit familier du lieu ;
Il juge, il préside, il inspire
Toutes choses dans son empire ;
Peut-être est-il fée, est-il dieu ?
Quand mes yeux vers ce chat que j’aime,
Tirés comme par un aimant,
Se retournent docilement,
Et que je regarde en moi-même,
Je vois avec étonnement
Le feu de ses prunelles pâles,
Clairs fanaux, vivantes opales,
Qui me contemplent fixement.
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 7-10 of the original text.
Note for stanza 7: In the 1861 and 1868 editions, the poem is split into two sections. The heading I precedes the first stanza of the poem, and the heading II appears before this stanza.
Composition:
Text Authorship:
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Haasz) , "Kot", Prague, J. Otto, first published 1919
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Juan Henríquez Concepción) , "El gato", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Grant Hicks
[Guest Editor] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 226
Language: Spanish (Español)  after the French (Français)
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 7-10 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
Based on:
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2008-09-03
Line count: 24
Word count: 133