The Owl and the Babblefish by Learing Edward

Translated any poems lately? If so, then why not post them here?
Post Reply
User avatar
twoleftfeet
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 6761
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:02 pm
Location: Standing by a short pier, looking for a long run-up

Fri Aug 03, 2007 10:48 am

I fed the original into Babelfish, translating into French and then back again.
The only thing I've changed is Pussycat (which came out as "cat of cat") to Babblelfish



The owl and the Babblefish went to the sea in a beautiful boat pea-green,
they took honey, and the abundance of the money wrapped upwards
in a note of five-delivers.
The owl looked until holds the first role in top,
and sang with a small guitar,
"beautiful babblefish, my love,
what a beautiful fishy you are,
is to you, is to you! Which beautiful fishy you are!"

The Babblefish indicated to the owl, "you elegant poultry!
How with charm the candy sing you!
O let to us be married! too much long we have tarried:
But what we will be enough for a ring?"
They sailed far, during one year and a day,
with the ground where the Bong-tree develops
and there in a wood a Porcine-wig is held
with a ring at the end of its nose, its nose, its nose,
with a ring at the end of its nose.

"dear Pig, are you wanting to sell for one shilling your ring?"
With known as the porcine one, "I will."
Thus they removed it, and were married the day following by
Turkey which lives on the hill.
They diné chop above, and the quince sections,
which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And in concert, on the edge of sand,
they danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,
they danced by the light of the moon.
cameron
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2162
Joined: Thu May 27, 2004 6:45 pm
antispam: no
Location: Norfolk 'n' Good

Fri Aug 03, 2007 12:42 pm

Splendid.

I imagine Learing Edward will be rotating in the posthumous subsoil at a not insubstantial velocity.
"And I meet full face on dark mornings
The bestial visor, bent in
By the blows of what happened to happen."

Larkin
k-j
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 3004
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 10:37 pm
Location: Denver, CO

Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:23 pm

"With the ground where the bong-tree develops" - brilliant.

I've read this to my daughter 100 times; I think I'll hold off on your version for a few years though.

Just think, in 20 years time they'll have perfected automatic translation and we won't have this wonderful toy available anymore.
Lake
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 2294
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:55 pm
Location: Sky Blue Waters

Sat Aug 11, 2007 7:45 pm

Not bad if it is done by a translation machine. Still readable even though I stumbled at a few places. It is very funny and light-hearted. I wonder if the machine can do the trick for hieroglyph.
User avatar
twoleftfeet
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 6761
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:02 pm
Location: Standing by a short pier, looking for a long run-up

Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:34 am

The result you get depends on the language you choose, Lake. Try it - it's fun.
Lake
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 2294
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:55 pm
Location: Sky Blue Waters

Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:52 am

I tried Chinese to English, the result is nonsense. :wink:
Post Reply