I sense that this translation is not a particularly good one. I would like to post the rest of the book, if it is not terrificly long. A funny thing happened on my way to writing this. I Stumbled onto a site called Lost in Translation. (Using Stumble Upon, a program that finds what you like by choosing a site and letting you rate it thumbs up and thumbs down.) Anyway, it let you write something in English and translate it in and out of different language. Eventually you get something truly weird going on. Like the children's game of Telephone, from the days when phones worked badly. You pick a phrase, and whisper it into the next childs ear. After five or ten kids, none of them able to decifer the phrase well, have tried this you come out with something truly weird.
So here are the versions of Google's English sentences:
One
On a icy, sleety night, on a desolate, convoluted road,
I saw a pilgrim walking, far from any town. "Do you
need some help," I asked the mendicant. "God is my help."he answered. "God doesn't drive," I said, "and he doesn't have a car, I pointed out."
Two
One night, which, on a sad and difficult road icy and sleety is, I sawpélerin going, far of each possible city. "Do you need thesupport, " I asked mendicant over for it, which is help.""God the mine; it did not answer "God controls, " I said, "and that it does not have an auto, I referred out."
Three
One night icy and sleety, on a sorry and complicated road, I saw a pélerin walking, far from any city. "Do you need the assistance," I asked mendicant it. "God is my help." it answered. the "God does not control, " I said, "andthat it does not have a car, I directed out."
Four
A night, of that, in the ghiacciata a difficult road sad and and sleety is, saw pélerin to leave, distant of each possible city."Do you have the necessity of the sustentation, " I askedfor that mendicant in excess it, that one it is "God ofhelp." the mine; he did not answer to the commandos of "God, " I said, "and that he does not have an automobile, me that
I made the reference out."
FIVE
Una noche, de eso, en el ghiacciata un camino difícil triste y ysleety debe, vio pélerin irse, distante de cada ciudad posible."Do usted tiene la necesidad de la sustentación, " Lo pedíése mendicant en exceso, aquél que es "God de help." lamina; él no contestó a los comandos del "God, " Dije,"and que él no tiene un automóvil, yo que hice la referencia.
Six
One night, of that, in the ghiacciata a sad difficult way and and sleety must, saw pélerin go away, distant of each possible city."Do you have the necessity of the sustenation, " I requested that one mendicant in excess, that one that is "God of help." the mine;
he did not answer the commandos of "God, " I said,
"and that it does not have an automobile, I that I made the reference out."
So let me try one more translation, and I'll try to forget that I ever wrote the first version.
Seven:
As the mendicant rose to go, I said "You ought not go out on such a night, it is icy and wet, the rain half snow, and any village one might mention is far from here. You might accept my hospitality, or I could give you a lift.
Eight
Ah, he says, but God can raise me to the Highest Heaven, to his garden of roses. There I will be warm without a cloak. As for the matter of conveyance--this is of no importance when from the City of Oneness beckons. Thence I go.
The man looked at me kindly, accepted a loaf and fish wrapt in paper, and a skin of wine. You need not give me so much--God is my sustanence. Then the light from my fire, shining on the sleet, revealed the ragged man, parting a curtain of falling Gold.
I think that the weird letters were just because I don't have Hindi in my computer settings.
Much of this happened on the Tagore site, and perhaps someone can post a Hindi page for Tagore so I can include a Hindi version.
He was completely bilingual and wrote first in Hindi, then translated his work into English himself, so we need not "Babelize" it with poor translation.
Brian Ino used a technique called oblique strategies when writing music. He made up flash cards and wrote a word on each card which would form the motif for the next passage. I think Babalization (after the Biblical confusion of tongues at the tower of Babel) a great lot of fun, and a good way of challenging your creativity with an oblique strategy.
I hate the war and would apologize for our stupidity in electing Bush--this, I know, could make no restitution
for such a loss. May God be our peace. I welcom any sacred poetry posted here. I would like to keep the Standards quite high, so post a very fine poet if you are only a good one.
K. of Criech
So here are the versions of Google's English sentences:
One
On a icy, sleety night, on a desolate, convoluted road,
I saw a pilgrim walking, far from any town. "Do you
need some help," I asked the mendicant. "God is my help."he answered. "God doesn't drive," I said, "and he doesn't have a car, I pointed out."
Two
One night, which, on a sad and difficult road icy and sleety is, I sawpélerin going, far of each possible city. "Do you need thesupport, " I asked mendicant over for it, which is help.""God the mine; it did not answer "God controls, " I said, "and that it does not have an auto, I referred out."
Three
One night icy and sleety, on a sorry and complicated road, I saw a pélerin walking, far from any city. "Do you need the assistance," I asked mendicant it. "God is my help." it answered. the "God does not control, " I said, "andthat it does not have a car, I directed out."
Four
A night, of that, in the ghiacciata a difficult road sad and and sleety is, saw pélerin to leave, distant of each possible city."Do you have the necessity of the sustentation, " I askedfor that mendicant in excess it, that one it is "God ofhelp." the mine; he did not answer to the commandos of "God, " I said, "and that he does not have an automobile, me that
I made the reference out."
FIVE
Una noche, de eso, en el ghiacciata un camino difícil triste y ysleety debe, vio pélerin irse, distante de cada ciudad posible."Do usted tiene la necesidad de la sustentación, " Lo pedíése mendicant en exceso, aquél que es "God de help." lamina; él no contestó a los comandos del "God, " Dije,"and que él no tiene un automóvil, yo que hice la referencia.
Six
One night, of that, in the ghiacciata a sad difficult way and and sleety must, saw pélerin go away, distant of each possible city."Do you have the necessity of the sustenation, " I requested that one mendicant in excess, that one that is "God of help." the mine;
he did not answer the commandos of "God, " I said,
"and that it does not have an automobile, I that I made the reference out."
So let me try one more translation, and I'll try to forget that I ever wrote the first version.
Seven:
As the mendicant rose to go, I said "You ought not go out on such a night, it is icy and wet, the rain half snow, and any village one might mention is far from here. You might accept my hospitality, or I could give you a lift.
Eight
Ah, he says, but God can raise me to the Highest Heaven, to his garden of roses. There I will be warm without a cloak. As for the matter of conveyance--this is of no importance when from the City of Oneness beckons. Thence I go.
The man looked at me kindly, accepted a loaf and fish wrapt in paper, and a skin of wine. You need not give me so much--God is my sustanence. Then the light from my fire, shining on the sleet, revealed the ragged man, parting a curtain of falling Gold.
I think that the weird letters were just because I don't have Hindi in my computer settings.
Much of this happened on the Tagore site, and perhaps someone can post a Hindi page for Tagore so I can include a Hindi version.
He was completely bilingual and wrote first in Hindi, then translated his work into English himself, so we need not "Babelize" it with poor translation.
Brian Ino used a technique called oblique strategies when writing music. He made up flash cards and wrote a word on each card which would form the motif for the next passage. I think Babalization (after the Biblical confusion of tongues at the tower of Babel) a great lot of fun, and a good way of challenging your creativity with an oblique strategy.
I hate the war and would apologize for our stupidity in electing Bush--this, I know, could make no restitution
for such a loss. May God be our peace. I welcom any sacred poetry posted here. I would like to keep the Standards quite high, so post a very fine poet if you are only a good one.
K. of Criech
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