by Charles Baudelaire

Translated by Louis Simpson

You have to be always drunk. That’s all there is to it——it’s theonly way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaksyour back and bends you to the earth， you have to be continuallydrunk.

But on what?Wine， poetry or virtue， as you wish. But bedrunk.

And if sometimes， on the steps of a palace or the green grass ofa ditch， in the mournful solitude of your room， you wake again，drunkenness already diminishing or gone， ask the wind， the wave，the star， the bird， the clock， everything that is flying， everythingthat is groaning， everything that is rolling， everything that issinging， everything that is speaking. . .ask what time it is andwind， wave， star， bird， clock will answer you："It is time to be drunk! So as not to be the martyred slaves of time， be drunk， be continually drunk! On wine， on poetry or on virtue as you wish."