Speaking in Tongue Twisters = Lost in Translation

Graphic courtesy of A Pale Pink Proud Peacock

IMUNURI posted an interesting idea - Do something different...with your poetry that's unlike anything you'd normally do.  For reasons that I cannot entirely explain (other than the fact that this was - well, different), the idea of getting lost in translation came to mind.

So...I chose a poem I'd written last month which was more or less a Free Verse-ish sort of poem.  I chose that one because 1.) rhyme and metrics can really get messed up in a scary way when you use online translators such as BabelFish, which is what I used, and
2.) the thought of a tongue twister theme in another language seemed cool.  Here's what happened:

My original poem, as written in English:

Tongue Twister

I split a sheet…
Isn’t that how the tongue twister starts?
Then, you’re sup­posed to say some­thing
which sounds kind of like naughty words,
but in a way
isn’t
but which largely exists
just to embar­rass you.

From there, as translated into French:

Tornade de langue

J'ai dédoublé une feuille… N'est pas que comment la tornade de langue démarre ? Puis, vous êtes censé dire quelque chose qui ressemble un peu à des mots vilains, mais d'une certaine manière n'est pas mais qui existe en grande partie vous embarrasser juste.

Then, into Spanish:

Tornado de lengua

J' duplicaron una hoja… N' ¿no es que cómo el tornado de lengua empieza? Luego, es supuestos declaración algo que se asemeja un poco a palabras desagradables, pero d' una determinada manera n' no es pero que existe en gran parte desconcertarle exactamente.

And finally, back to English:

Tornado of J' language;

they duplicated a leaf… N' it is not that how the language tornado begins? Then, declaration is supposed something that resembles a little disagreeable words, but d' a certain way n' it is not but that exists to a large extent to disturb to him exactly.

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