Baudelaire and Poe

Charles Baudelaire translated the Extraordinary Stories (Histoires Extraordinaires, ebook won from 00h00.com) of Edgar Poe.

Some works of Poe are: The Literati of New York, Ligeia (a woman character, astro content), Eleonora, The Domain of Arnheim, Annabel Lee, Eurêka, the Raven, the Relation of Arthur Gordon Pym (sf-ish), William Wilson, the Uncommon Adventure of a certain Hans Pfaall (sf-ish, astro content), The Mystery of Marie Roget, The Golden Beetle, (math-symbols and astro content), Manuscript found in a bottle (1831), A descent into the Maelstrom (Norway), The truth on the case of Mr. Valdemar, Magnetic revelation (astro content), Memories of Mr. Auguste Bedloe, Morella (woman character), Metzengerstein.

Quote from Ligeia (one of the Extraordinary Stories, back-translated):

I have spoken of the instruction of Ligeia; she was immense, of a nature that I have never seen similar in a woman. She knew deeply the classical languages, and, as far as extended my own knowledge in the modern languages of Europe, I have never faulted her. Truly, on any theme of academic erudition so praised, so admired, only because it is more abstruse, have I never found Ligeia at fault ? How much this unique trait in the nature of ths wif, only in this last period, had struck, subjugated my attention ! I have said that her instruction overtook that of any woman that I had known, - but where is the man who has crossed successfully the whole vast field of the moral, physical and mathematical sciences ? I did not then see what I now perceive clearly, that Ligeia's learning was gigantic, dizzying; however, I had a sufficient consciousness of its infinite superiority to resign myself, with the confidence of a schoolperson, to let myself be guided by her across the chaotic world of metaphysical investigations, with which I occupied myself with ardour in the first years of our marriage. With what vast triumph, with what vibrant delights, with what ethereal hope did I feel, - my Ligeia present in the midst of so little explored studies, so little known, - growing by degrees this admirable perspective, this long avenue, splendid and virgin, by which I would finally arrive through a wisdom too precious and too divine not to be forbidden !

Also, with what poignant suffering did I not see, after a few years, my hopes which were so well founded flee ! Without Ligeia, I was but a child exploring tentatively in the night. Her presence, her lessons, could alone enlighten with a living light the mysteries of transcendentalism in which we had engrossed ourselves. Deprived of the radiating luster of her eyes, all this literature, once flighty and golden, became cloudy, Saturnian and a bit heavy. And now, those nice eyes lit up more and more rarely the pages which I was working out. Ligeia became a bit tired ....