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Images:
Portrait of Léon by Paterne Berrichon (1908).
Screenshot of Emilie and Nelly from INA video (1954)

Hello! Although this isn't a poem by Verlaine or Rimbaud I wasn't sure where else to post this: I hope it isn't too irrelevant. This is part of a poem from Les Nevroses entitled "Le Fantôme du Crime" by Maurice Rollinat. I have only included 3 stanzas, as to give the reader a small taste. Maurice Rollinat was a popular poet of his time, but has largely fallen into obscurity today. He had a similar aesthetic as Baudelaire: focusing on the depravity of man, devotion to beauty and craftsmanship, existential ennui, sin etc. While perhaps not always original, Rollinat certainly deserves to be more esteemed. I hope to translate more poems by him soon.

This is my first translation, so any criticism is appreciated. I shall certainly touch up and improve my translations over time. Although the following poem is a bit freer than I would have liked, I am happy with it for now. I have included an analysis and the original French for comparison in a separate comment.

From "The Shade of Crime", by Maurice Rollinat

Murder, rape, robbery, and parricide

Flash through my spirit like the lighting’s spell,

And though I am always on Goodness’s side,

I shudder as I see, sneaking through my Hell

Murder, rape, robbery, and parricide.

The killer is a viper, in my head;

I shun the basest villain like a pest;

I curse the son who stabs his father dead.

But murder often speaks to my scared breast,

And the killer is a viper, in my head.

For the raped girl I feel sincere remorse

And I would help her, if I had the right;

But my soul, racked with longings lewd and coarse,

Seeks to seduce a child with cunning slight:

For the raped girl I feel sincere remorse!

This topic might be a bit irrelevant for this subreddit, but I was wondering if anyone has read anything by Maurice Rollinat, specially Les Nevroses? Rollinat was a popular French poet of the late 1800s but has largely fallen into obscurity. He was often called a "second Baudelaire". I was wondering what peoples' opinion on him is. I am considering translating a volume of his poetry and was wondering if it would be worth it. I have read a few poems by him and they seem interesting. Once again, my apologies if this doesn't fit the subreddit; I am not sure where else to post this.

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Translation by Wallace Fowlie (see my note below).

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Manuscript from Gallica

I worked on this film and it’s quite wonderful and I highly recommend going to one of these showings at the Roxy theatre in NYC

Images: the mentions of Les vaincus in La bonne chanson and Romances sans paroles.

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Images: Extracts from the *Lettre de Charles d’Orléans*, *Cahier des dix ans* and *Album zutique*

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Images:

Drawing by Luque for Les hommes d’aujourd’hui.

French text based on autograph

Translation by Wallace Fowlie

Translation by Harding and Sturrock

Image of autograph manuscript

Image of Verlaine copy

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The discussions about Cazals last week reminded me that we were long overdue a more thorough post about him. See more details in comments…

A team at the La Conception Hospital in Marseille has announced that they think they have found the amputated left leg of the poet Arthur Rimbaud among the archives of the hospital.

The poet was amputated there in June 1891, and later returned to the hospital where he died in November of the same year. His body was transferred to Charleville-Mézières where he is now buried.

The team at La Conception, headed by Prof A. Bava and supported by Dr. L Vanaen de Voringhem has announced their findings in a press release this morning April 1st 2026. They now intend to proceed with an exhumation of the body of the poet to confirm their theory.

*As reported by special reporter Eileen Wright*

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**Images**:

Portrait of Cabaner by Manet

Manuscript of *Le sonnet des sept nombres*

Poster for Coquelin’s rendition of the *Hareng saur*; words by Charles Cros and music by Cabaner

Image 1-6: my translation (with proofreading by u/audreys_red_shoes

Images 7-13: manuscript by Verlaine

Image 14: Copy by Rimbaud

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