Divine Comedy

Today's actual post is underneath this. I just want you all to at least look at Divine Comedy some time. I think I've made my position on poetry clear, but this is one of my favourite works of all time.

Look at that. A thousand words a day I write, and never have I touched mine own heart as much.

Google translate

I wrote earlier in the year about translations and poetry and the relationship between them and all that. Evan wrote something similar with a deeper understanding of the languages involved.

This post is not as clever as either of them. This post is me taking the piss a bit and running a few of my favourite English poems through translation software to Japanese and back again.

Robert Frost's "Fire and Ice":

Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice
Is also great And would suffice.

becomes

Some , I say the world will end in fire

Some , I say in ice .

From what I 've tasted of desire ,

I hold and those who prefer the fire .

However , if it had to die two degrees ,

I think I know enough of hate

To say it destruction ice

Moreover, it is great

Then , it may be sufficient .

becomes

Some , I say the world will end in fire

Some , I say in ice .

From I tasted of desire ' those of VE,

Those who prefer the fire I hold .

However , if it had to die twice ,

I think I know enough of hate

In order to say it the destruction ice

In addition , it is a great

And , it is sufficient.

This poem comes out largely intact. Let us try something else. From The Divine Comedy, Canto XVIII:

At the sweet sounds of comfort straight I turn'd;
And, in the saintly eyes what love was seen,
I leave in silence here: nor through distrust
Of my words only, but that to such bliss
The mind remounts not without aid.  Thus much
Yet may I speak; that, as I gaz'd on her,
Affection found no room for other wish.
While the everlasting pleasure, that did full
On Beatrice shine, with second view
From her fair countenance my gladden'd soul
Contented; vanquishing me with a beam
Of her soft smile, she spake: "Turn thee, and list.
These eyes are not thy only Paradise." 

becomes

Straight I turn'd the sweet sound of comfort .

And , love like how the eyes were seen as saint

I leave in silence here : even through distrust

My only words , that it is in such bliss

Heart of re- mount is not without assistance . In this way , many

However , speaking I do. It , I as gaz'd her ,

Affection was not seen the room of other wishes .

The other camera shake doing it was eternal joy ,

Beatrice , in the second of view and shine ,

Her fair face from my gladden'd soul

Satisfaction . I beat me with a beam

In her soft smile , she said: " Turn on your list .

These eye is not your paradise . "

In many ways the poems stay the same, but they change each time in small ways. Are there any changes that strike you as interesting or significant?