mystran babelfish

Again, courtesy of Andy James.

AltaVista has a little area that performs translations using the Systran translation engine which, even its creators admit, ain't too bright. At any rate, you can feed it text to translate into a target language, and then you can translate the result back into English. You can repeat this as long as you like.

So anyway, I thought I'd take some favorite snatches of popular verse. First, the spare poetry of country legend Hank Williams, Sr.:

Lost Highway (English)

I'm a rollin' stone all alone and lost
For a life of sin I have paid the cost
When I pass by all the people say
Just another guy on the lost highway

Just a deck of cards and a jug of wine
And a woman's lies makes a life like mine
O the day we met,  I went astray
I started rolling down that lost highway

I was just a lad, nearly 22
Neither good nor bad, just a kid like you
And now I'm lost, too late to pray
Lord I take a cost, on the lost highway

Now boy's don't start to rambling round
On this road of sin are you sorrow bound
Take my advice or you'll curse the day
You started rolling down that lost highway


Lost Slow train (English-French-English version)

I all alone am a stone of bearing and destroyed
during a life of sin I paid the cost
when I pass through all the people say
just another type on the lost slow train

Just a package of the cards and a jug of wine
lies and of a woman makes with a life as mine
O the day when we met, I was mislaid
I started to roll in bottom of that the destroyed slow train

I was right a young man, almost 22
neither goods nor bad, just a kid as you
and now I am destroyed, to request too late
the catch of lord ' a cost, on the lost slow train

Maintaining the boy do not start with the round crawling
on this road of sin are you taken attached
pain my consulting or you maudirez the day
when you started to roll in bottom of that destroyed the slow train


Lost data course (English-German-English version)

I am a rolling rollenstein quite alone and lost
for one life span of Sin I the costs paid,
if I cross even another cord
on the lost data course along all people legend

Even one forms a Kartenstapeles and a jug lies of the wine
and a woman one life span such as pit
O the day, which we met, I went lost
I began to roll down the lost data course

I was neither good a young man straight, almost 22,
nor falsely, an even kid like you now and am I,
around taking lost the lord I to pray too late
costs, on the lost data course

Now do not begin the boy to deviating circulation
on this road from Sin are you ensure blocked
taking my advice, or you verfluchen the day,
which you began, down the lost data course to roll


The poignant query of the folk-era Bob Dylan still rings true, even through
many languages:

Blowin' in the Wind (English version)

How many roads must a man walk down
Before they call him a man
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand
How many times must the cannonballs fly
Before they are forever banned
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind

How many years must a mountain exist
Before it is washed to the sea
How many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free
How many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just don't see
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky
How many years must one man have
Before he can hear people cry
How many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind


Burn Through in D Wind (English-French-English-German-English)

How much road owe a way of man to d lower surface
Before it call it a man
How much sea owe white a sail of pigeon
Before it sleep in sand
How much time must d cannonballs fly
Before it its to forbid
D response, my friend, impact in d wind
The d response always burn through in d wind

How much year function a mountain to exist
Beforehand to wash sea
How much year to set from box any person to exist beforehand
To leave for freely
How much time to set from box a man revolution its heading
And to pretend even not to see
Response, my friend, to burn through in wind
Response to burn through in wind

How much time a man search procedure must,
Before it can see the sky,
How much years a man must have,
Before he can hear people, to cry
How much death it requires taken,
Until it knows that too many people
The response died, my friend, impacts in the wind,
That the response burns through in the wind

And now, all rise:


The Flag Star-Decorated With Spangles (English-French-English)

Oh for example can you see yourselves, by the first light of the paddle,
which so much proudly hailed us with the last to shine of the twilight?
With which broad lines and luminous stars, thro the perilous combat O'er
the ramparts observed us, ran gallantly so much. And the red gleam of
rockets, the breakdowns bursting in air, provided evidence by the night
that our indicator was always there. Does Oh for example this flag
star-decorated with spangles still undulate O' er the ground of free and
the house of the courageous one?


The Marking Sign Down, Which With Spangles
(English-French-English-German-English)

OH can see itself you, for example by the first light of the paddle, which
hailed as much us proudly with the latter to the Shine of the Twilight?
With which expanded lines and lighting up asterisks observed, thro perilous
the fight O'er the RAM parts us, ran gallantly as much. And the red glow of
the rockets, which collapses, which burst in an air, presupposed to proof
up to the night that our display was always there. Does OH calm this
marking sign down, which with Spangles undulate O ' he asterisk verziert
the soil of free and of the house of the courageous becomes for example?

Note that the last makes exactly as much sense in the new versions as it
does in the original.

Lucky one weekend to them require,

Andy