write a poem of any kind. it doesnt even specifically need to be poetic. you could take a paragraph of something if you wanted. take each line separately and translate them into another language using Babelfish below or any online translator. then take the line that was given to you in the foreign language, and using the same translator, translate it back into english, and using those phrases, reform your poem.
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Looks good, Russ. Let's just make this Etude 3.
ReplyDeletei love this idea
ReplyDeleteIn celebration of the the Chinese New Year I looked up the Chinese zodiacs of my fiancé and myself. I am year of the Tiger, and he is year of the Rat. The zodiac additionally classifies certain years as belonging to one of the five traditional Chinese elements; metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. Based on our personality descriptions I made a short poem.
ReplyDeleteFindings:
Final Product
---
Lucky tiger Did not have to deal with the heart and Forever. burns.
Consumption in tiger rats That is what they propose.
In bright glory. the survey.
Always consider, and always consider All of which are left; Are necessary,
However, this is slow wood combustion,
And mouse rats have been of a Fire nature.
Ashes love purpose and The law of echoes.
Chinese
---
消防老虎愛木鼠
幸運老虎燒傷。
消耗大鼠
在明亮的光彩。
那正是他們提出。
始終考慮，始終考慮，
但是，這是自然法則。
和大鼠得到緩慢燃燒，
正需要，
調查的目的。
所有這一切都是左;
骨灰和呼應。
沒有心臟和必須處理的永遠。
Original
---
Fire Tiger Loves Wood Rat
Lucky tiger burns.
consumes Rat
in bright glory.
That is what they are made for.
Always taking, always taking,
but that is the nature of the beast.
And Rat enjoys the slow burning,
being needed,
finding purpose.
All that is left;
ashes and echoes.
And neither heart must deal with forever.
i have been considering creating a series of poems using this method
ReplyDeletehere is my poem. this is a translation into and out of german of a poem that i am writing for the collection that i am currently working on.
ReplyDeleteDecisive a man,
that was tried
ice cream and three day vacations
too much interference
carrier heat over cold
the loss to bruise
tipping over trashily:
"10 sinking of
led too
after, with
under and
man weapons"
the key extradition was!
quietly must be
treason
best interests
if you to know seen
become by the forest
by that
because we are soldiers
think you nothing of it
smaller than a friend
unsanctioned encouragement
two -
In the moving:
you press go finger together.
you further.
i very much enjoyed how this turned out.
capital idea, old sport.
ReplyDeletesrsly BITCHIN
So I used a draft of a short poem about migration/homesickness. It seemed appropriate to translate it into Spanish and back since most migration, both for birds and for people in the Americas, takes place along the English-Spanish linguistic line.
ReplyDeleteThe original:
Poised perching staring wide-eyed glare
Through night, blank-faced emptiness
Watching baiting down-fringed pinions lift
Face wide mangrove leaved petals spiced
Now peering staring through darkness
Foreign chill bare withered sycamore
Inhale, sigh, wail across deciduous
Full moon rounded syllable beak and breath
Calling over home lamenting left
The Spanish translation:
Fulgor con los ojos abiertos contrapesado el mirar fijamente que se encarama
Con noche, vacío en blanco-hecho frente
Elevación abajo-franjada de hostigamiento de observación de los piñones
Pétalos con hojas del mangle ancho de la cara condimentados
El mirar fijamente ahora de mirada con oscuridad
Desapasibles extranjeros descubren el sicómoro marchitado
Inhale, suspire, laméntese a través de de hojas caducas
Pico y respiración redondeados de la sílaba de la Luna Llena
Llamada sobre el hogar que se lamenta a la izquierda
Re-translated and re-shaped:
open eyes offset
watching fixedly
emptiness
down-bordered elevation
cautious with dark
foreign discovers
sicómoro marchitado
inhales, laments
through expired leaves
cleared breathing
of syllable Full Moon
lamented left
call on home
This made me laugh a lot, actually. Ludicrous, though I found it interesting that Spanish words were left in the English translation. My re-shaping of the English-Spanish translation takes out a couple of the Spanish words that were left in by the translation as well as a lot of the English words.
I wrote about a character in the narrative of my Greek textbook. He went blind, and I tried to recast parts of the narrative in terms of gender, borrowing an idea from Hemingway at the very end. Writing about people and things that don't quite fit should complement my project.
ReplyDelete[original]
one day a boy went blind because he didn't mind his own business.
taking care of him is woman's work.
look at him, going with his sister and mother to the women's quarters.
he should have minded his own business.
this is what he gets, for interfering in that fight.
did he want to play at being a good samaritan?
how dare he be concerned?
but he just wanted them to stop fighting.
that is none of his business.
he can't tell them what to do.
now look where he's going, with the women.
he should be learning his father's trade.
go yell at the slave to get back to work,
and scorn your sister for dropping the water jar.
scary stories make her burst into tears,
but she still asks you to finish,
because suspense overcame fear.
he can't be a man, too useless now even to be a slave.
he walks the thin line behind tiresias,
although not privy to quite the same unusual education.
he may not ever be a man but he's still our son.
when a man grows up, there's a certain change.
confidence. fearlessness. and a woman can tell.
so let her be the one to decide.
I translated it into modern Greek, which is significantly different from the ancient Greek I'm learning, but uses the same alphabet and still looks pretty cool:
μια ημέρα ένα αγόρι πήγε τυφλό επειδή αυτός didn' μυαλό τ η επιχείρησή του. η φροντίδα τον είναι woman' εργασία του s. εξετάστε τον, που πηγαίνει με την αδελφή και τη μητέρα του στο women' τέταρτα του s. πρέπει να έχει απασχολήσει την επιχείρησή του. αυτό είναι αυτό που παίρνει, για την παρέμβαση σε εκείνη την πάλη. θέλησε να παίξει στην ύπαρξη καλό samaritan; πώς τολμήστε αυτός είναι ενδιαφερόμενος; αλλά τους θέλησε ακριβώς για να σταματήσει. αυτή δεν είναι καμία από την επιχείρησή του. αυτός can' το τ τους λέει τι για να κάνει. τώρα φανείτε όπου he' s που πηγαίνει, με τις γυναίκες. πρέπει father' του εμπόριο του s. πηγαίνετε φωνάζει στο σκλάβο για να επιστρέψει να εργαστεί, και περιφρονήστε την αδελφή σας για τη ρίψη του βάζου νερού. οι scary ιστορίες κάνουν την έκρηξή της στα δάκρυα, αλλά σας ζητά ακόμα για να τελειώσει, επειδή η αγωνία υπερνίκησε το φόβο. αυτός can' το τ είναι ένα άτομο, πάρα πολύ άχρηστο τώρα ακόμα και να είναι σκλάβος. περπατά τη λεπτή γραμμή πίσω από τα tiresias, αν και μη μυημένος αρκετά στην ίδια ασυνήθιστη εκπαίδευση. δεν μπορεί να είναι πάντα άτομο αλλά he' s ακόμα ο γιος μας. όταν ένα άτομο μεγαλώνει, there' Α.Ε. ορισμένη αλλαγή. εμπιστοσύνη. fearlessness. και μια γυναίκα μπορεί να πει. έτσι την αφήστε να είναι αυτός για να αποφασίσει.
here are my edited results:
one day did a boy go blind because this didn't brain his enterprise?
it should it has occupied his enterprise.
this is what it takes, for the intervention in that fight.
it wanted it plays in the existence.
but it wanted them precisely in order to it.
this is not no one from his enterprise.
now you appear where he goes, with the women.
it should father his trades. go.
it shouts in the slave in order to it returns it works,
and will despize your brother for the cast of vase of water.
the scary histories make her explosion in the teardrops,
but ask you still in order to it finishes,
because the distress overcame the fear.
individual, too much useless now even he is slave.
walk the thin line behind tiresias, even if not initiated enough into the same extraordinary education.
when an individual does grow, HM certain change.
confidence. fearlessness. and a woman can say.
thus you leave him to be this in order to it decides.
--
Most of this is pretty amusing, but there are a couple of phrases in the twice-translated version that I like better than anything in my original text.
I loved this. I went to the Wiki page for snow and chose random phrases I liked and ordered them into a sort of half-sense. I translated into Spanish and back again, and I like the Spanish version and 2nd English version way better than the 1st English version, which I thought was kind of boring. The 2nd version is unedited; for some reason, I'm not quite sure how to touch it.
ReplyDelete1st English:
crystalline water ice
open and therefore soft structure
silver iodide and dry ice
liquid water is supersaturated with respect to ice
corresponding depletion
the sticking mechanism remains controversial
clear, scattering of light
crystal facets and hollows
imperfections
thin and flat
produced by unstable growth
needles or hollow columns or prisms
denser maritime climates
nearly glaciated
slowing human activity
a sudden change of temperature
clump into spheres for fun
generally a symbol
levels amplify the light
storm with intense
whiteout
rime forms
poorly or completely
tall blades
the textures of a snowdrift
cold, clear, calm
wind slab
unbounded
Español:
sorbete de cristal
abra y estructura por lo tanto suave
yoduro de plata y hielo seco
el agua líquida es supersaturada con respeto al hielo
correspondiente agotamiento
el mecanismo que atasca se queda polemico
claro, la dispersión de la luz
las facetas del cristal y ahueca
las imperfecciones
delgadas y planas
producidas por el crecimiento inestable
agujas huecas o columnas o prismas
los climas marítimos más densos
casi glasearon
ralentización actividad humana
un cambio brusco de temperatura
macizo en las esferas de la diversion
en general, un símbolo
ampliar los niveles de la luz
asalte con formas intensas de escarcha de resplandor
mal o completamente
las hojas altas
las texturas de un ventisquero
frío, claro, la calma
viento losa
sin límites
2nd English:
sherbet of crystal
open and structure therefore smooth
silver iodide and dry ice
the water liquid is supersaturada with respect to the ice
corresponding exhaustion
the mechanism that stalls remains polemico
clearly, the dispersion of the light
facets of glass and hollow
the imperfections
thin and flat
they produced by the unstable growth
hollow needles or columns or prisms
the densest maritime climates
almost they glazed
slowing human activity
an abrupt change of temperature
solid in the spheres of the diversion
in general, a symbol
expanding the levels of the light
assault with intensive forms of frost glow
badly or completely
the high leaves
the textures of a snowstorm
cold, clear, the calm
wind slab
unlimited
The original:
ReplyDeleteWhat's in a face?
Plastic prosthesis
titanium hinge
Something so real
Something so created
metal pins
teeth screwed in
is this what you are now?
bionic woman.
The real is dead
the false will allow you to live.
Is my face still your face?
Sleep, now - wait.
The suspense is killing me
What's in her face?
Translated to and from Portuguese and reworked.
What's in a face?
prosthese of plastic
hinges of titanium
Something created thus,
something so real.
Metal bolts- the teeth screwed inside.
He is this.
What you are now, bionic woman.
The real is inoperative
The false with allow that you are alive.
Is my face still it's face?
Sleep, now - it waits.
The suspense is slaughtering me.
What is in it's face?
First, let me say that there are no African languages on Babelfish or hardly any other online translator. Second, I like my results much better than Elizabeth Alexander
ReplyDeleteSong compliment for today.
Each day where we go about our businesses,
walking after L one L another one,
and panhandle each another
one observes not to mention about speaking.
Much the respect denied is the racket. Much the respect Denós is the racket and the blackberry,
Spine and vacarme, each one of our ancestors
On our languages. Some it pricks for top of an edge,
Amending a hole in a uniform, connecting a tire, repairing the things that need to repair.
Some woodpile tries to make music in some place
with a pair on one bidáo to the oil with a cello, box of pole,
harmonica, voices. A woman and son waits l' autocarro.
An agriculturist considers the changeable sky;
A sad professor says, “leaves are your pencils. They start. ”
We meet the words, in prickly words or stingers,
ciciadas or exclamations;
The words to be considered, reconsider. We cross land
Ways and roads mark the will of someone and then
Of others that they had indicated, “I must see what it is of l”
Another side; I know avalance has something better
Down the road. ” We must find a place where we are certain;
We enter in what we cannot still see.
Said it cements, these had died this very day. They sing
The names of the deaths that had lead them here,
That they had extended the convoy away, raised the bridges,
Solicited the cotton and the lettuce, brick constructed
For the brick the undisputed buildings then
They would keep clean and they function to l'interior.
They congratulate the song for the fight;
They congratulate the song for the day.
They congratulate the song for each signal hand in letters;
Appearing, it has left the kitchen tables. Certain
Stage the side of “neighboring love thy as thy individual.”
Of another one for
made by boarding none badly or
They take step more than voices need;
What if more powerful word is love, love
Far beyond marriage, Branch office, citizen. They like that
It shapes piscine widening of light. Love without
The necessity to acquire the accusation.
In point spark
Today, this air of winter, something can be fact,
And it imports that which started as a phrase. On the edge,
On the edge, the wire they congratulate
The song to walk ahead in this light.
Seemed a little obvious for me to do French. So ima do Russian instead.
ReplyDeleteDid another vocab poem as the original.
Orig: Are none of us so much as two elbows touching just touching burning white through shirt-sleeves, never closer than perfect square inch of infinite skin-on-skin in bunkers where OUR BOYS on the frontline are driving back the Nazi war-machine in Europe through to airfields on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania
Sleek new destroyers named to avenge the loss of Mother Sullivan’s five sons in the battle for the Solomon Islands crumbled into a bowl so the lady gets first greens to kick over a space-heater in dank dens of god-knows-how, we know all the words of raids calculated to smash at the heart of the Nazi war industry, bursting wide open an area of 10 city blocks.
Have known that people never really touch, atoms don’t ever touch, always an impossibility of shirt-sleeves furiously pressed into the bow-legged abomination at the core of marrow of mother who swallows her children whole in meat pies.
How could you, OUR HEROINE wants to know. Her heart is just now breaking, OUR HERO is nowhere but driving back the Nazi war-machine and says, let it break, baby, it will come back together again. They are sprinkled on the insides of joints and blunts and sucked desperately into the yellow lungs of a rootless Oklahoma, a warm place so warm the cockroaches crawl into human ears seeking cool, secret respite and they can’t back up the railroad bridge 45 miles west of Budapest, Hungary where we swing on a black cord over Texas.
Russian:
Никакие из нас так много как 2 локтя касатьясь как раз касатьться горя белым сквозным shirt-sleeves, никогда более близко дюйму чем совершенного квадрата инфинитной кож-на-кожи в дзотах куда НАШИ МАЛЬЧИКИ на центрфорварде управляют назад войн-машиной Nazi в европе до конца к авиаполям на окраинах Бухарест, Румыния Холеные новые разорители названные avenge потеря сынков Sullivan мати 5 в сражении для Соломон Исланд покрошили в шар поэтому получают, что первые зеленые цвета пинает повелительница над космос-подогревателем в промозглых вертепах бог-знать-как, мы знаем все слова рейдов высчитанные, что поломали в основе оборонной промышленности Nazi, разрывая широко раскрывает зону 10 блоков города. Знайте что люди никогда действительно касатьются, атомы всегда не касатьйтесь, всегда невозможность shirt-sleeves злюще отжатых в bow-legged abomination на сердечнике сердцевины мати которая заглатывает ее детей всех в расстегаях мяса. Как смогли вы, НАША ГЕРОИНЯ хочет знать. Ее сердце как раз теперь ломает, НАШ ГЕРОЙ нигде но управлять назад войн-машиной Nazi и говорит, препятствовало ей для того чтобы сломать, младенец, оно будет возврат совместно снова. Они взбрызнуты на внутренностях соединений и притупляют и всосали отчаянно в желтые легкй rootless Оклахома, теплое место поэтому грейте тараканов вползите в людские уши изыскивая холодную, втихомолку передышку и они не могут давали задний ход мост железной дороги 45 миль к западу от Будапешт, Венгрия где мы отбрасываем на черном шнуре над Техас.
Tried to reshape it a little more in the second translation. Think I could change a lot more around though.
Final:
None of us so much as 2 elbows exactly to grief by the white through of shirt-sleeves, more closely to the inch than of the perfect square of infinite
sleek new destroyers named of avenge the loss of the sons Of sullivan 5
in the battle for Solomon Island crumbled into the sphere therefore they obtain,
skin-on- skin in the bunkers where OUR BOYS govern never back the war-machine Of nazi in Europe to the end to the airfields in the outskirts Bucharest, Rumania
that the first green colors kicks the lady above Kosmos in the dank dens god-know- as, we know all words of raids calculated that they broke at the basis of the defense industry Of nazi.
As you were able, OUR HEROINE wants to know. Its heart exactly now breaks, OUR HERO nowhere but to govern back the war- machine Of nazi and he speaks, it prevented to it in order to break, baby, tearing up it widely reveals the zone of 10 blocks of city. Know that people actually they never--atoms always not--always the impossibility of shirt-sleeves of furiously pulled into bow-legged abomination on the core of core which swallows its children of all in the pies of meat.
They are sprinkled on connections and dull and they sucked desperately into yellow of rootless Oklahoma, warm place therefore heat cockroaches crawl into the human ears searching for cold, secretly respite and they do not can they gave backward motion the bridge of the railroad of 45 miles to the West from Budapest, Hungary where we reject on the black cord above Texas.
for this etude, i chose a dramatic, high-intensity nighttime eye makeup look out of one of my makeup artist manuals and translated the text descriptions that accompanied the photos and diagrams for the look, "electric blue eyes" into dutch. once i translated it back into english i tried to extract the formal, technical format inherent in an artist's guide (which i find a little ironic...i mean, it's a book for artists; shouldn't it be a little more "artsy"?) =]i played around quite a bit with the sentence structure, capitalization and punctuation. my final result is something like an old chinese wisdom acid trip. here it goes.
ReplyDeleteElectric blue eyes
Prep treads the eyes and gentle was of transparent powder.
Medium Brush, just a gentle, making iridescent blue eye shade on the whole.
Eyelid and Mixture to the...
Small Brush, just same the colour already.
manner the floor of the eye.
care very light--Very uses you--
this smoothly, even result will guarantee.
it helps Omhoog to see,
whereas doing this, it, the skin, stretches himself and undesirable lines of appearing stops.
Just Middernacht-Blauwe: a shade to achieve depth.
The mixture lifts under the Browbeen and applies one-third of the manner according to the whip line.
This, the darkest point of the eye must be.
Care to avoid gaps of naked skin and does not put surplus very on the brush, since you create fine.
LINES.
Just Middernacht-Blauw: an eye pencil, or room.
heavily on the Binnenrand of the eye, and on the outside angle of the lid, Heft makes up the eye to the younger and more like "also".
Frame works the eye, to which it gives more definition.
Finite by applying mascara.