Steampunk inspiration -The Vampire by Charles Baudelaire

I am keen to make some kind of brocade dress right now. I was looking for brocade dresses or photos or ideally paintings of brocade dresses for inspiration for a Steampunk dress on pinterest.

I found this picture of Dracula byArantzazu Martinez (2011) and the first translation of The Vampire by Charles Baudelaire on the Vampires Wife site,
and further down the page a different version of the poem by Baudelaire found on YouTube.


Great dress in the picture too! Very inspiring.

 This inspired me to look up Dracula and vampires only to find two slightly different translations of Baudelaire's poem:

The Vampire - Poem by Charles Baudelaire

You, who like a dagger ploughed

Into my heart with deadly thrill:

You who, stronger than a crowd

Of demons, mad, and dressed to kill,

Of my dejected soul have made

Your bed, your lodging, and domain:

To whom I'm linked (Unseemly jade!)

As is a convict to his chain,

Or as the gamester to his dice,

Or as the drunkard to his dram,

Or as the carrion to its lice —

I curse you. Would my curse could damn!

I have besought the sudden blade

To win for me my freedom back.

Perfidious poison I have prayed

To help my cowardice. Alack!

Both poison and the sword disdained

My cowardice, and seemed to say

"You are not fit to be unchained

From your damned servitude. Away,

You imbecile! since if from her empire

We were to liberate the slave,

You'd raise the carrion of your vampire,

By your own kisses, from the grave."

By Charles Baudelaire 

Translated by Roy Campbell - found on The Vampires Wife site

The Vampire - Poem by Charles Baudelaire

You that, like a dagger’s thrust,

Have entered my complaining heart,

You that, stronger than a host

Of demons, came, wild yet prepared;

Within my mind’s humility

You made your bed and your domain;

- Infamous one who’s bound to me

Like any felon by his chain,

Like a gambler by his games,

Like the bottle and the sot,

Like the worms in one’s remains,

- Damm you! Damnation be your lot!

I’ve begged the merciful, swift sword

To overcome my liberty -

To poison I have said the word:

Save me from poltroonery.

Alas the sword! Alas the poison!

Contemptuous, they spoke to m:

"You never can deserve remission

Of your accursed slavery,

"Imbecile! - If our deadly empire

Freed you from your present fate,

Your kiss would soon resuscitate

The cold cadaver of your vampire!"

I still have to decide on the dress I am going to make, but never mind. I found the poem very inspiring and worth recording here. Its not all about sewing after all!

Bracken