Lost in Translation

If you're stuck (doesn't always work), or you want to write a unique poem, or you want something fun to do, I've found this, quite-possibly-nerdily-fun activity. So, here's what you do. You can copy and paste your favorite lyrics, a poem of your own or even your synopsis into Google Translate. Now, translate it to different languages, not turning it back to English, for maybe eight languages. Example: I began with translating it from English to Latin to Spanish to Hebrew to Arabic to French to German to Greek to Norwegian to Swedish and then back to English. Then I just started doing random languages.

Here's an example of what happens from the first stanza of my poem Tasting Stars:

Original Poem:

Where silence has a sound
Where you can feel the world spinning
Where darkness has a heavy touch
There's nothing in the universe but me
And I'm tasting stars

Lost in Translation Poem:

When silence is a sound

Where can you find the world has known

Handling heavy dark

I have, and I

Try stars

Sometimes it's not as cool as that (from my poem Whole Again):

Original Poem:

Please come
Someone come
And make me
Whole again

Lost in Translation Poem:

fiber

human

USA

egg

Don't even ask how it got to that point.

I even tried my synopsis. If you haven't read it, click here. It's the second paragraph where I talk about Ray's problems:

In fact, the beam, the sins of his brother, Chris aura service is free. The success is not possible. It is important to get rid of this disease is, it was not murder. They begin to deal with this problem, and suicide is a sin, I do not think so.

There is some gibberish in here, but somethings are kind of inspiring.

Try it! It's a great exercise for when you're bored, stuck or just want some fun. Sometimes it can inspire whole poems. And if you like the descriptive language of some songs (especially Owl City songs) see what comes out and you could possibly use it for your own song.