AI Translations of Lyrics and Poetry - Danielle

I have decided to look at how AI translates creative writing, specifically poetry and music. The article I read, Lost in AI translation: growing reliance on language apps jeopardizes some asylum applications, discusses how cultural nuances and wordplay are often missed by translation apps. The article specifically mentioned how some languages, such as Japanese, have specific words for cooked, uncooked, and brown rice. English, on the other hand, does not have these specifications, so a translation app may miss this nuance and produce and odd or misleading sentence. I decided to see how AI treats wordplay and literary devices in poetry and music, two things which I believe to be rather difficult to translate. 

1. A poem I enjoy found in Chapter Two of the Tale of Genji: Hahakigi

帚木の　　　　　　ははきぎの

心を知らで　　　　こころをしらで

園原の　　　　　　さのはらの

道にあやなく　    　みちにあやなく

まどひぬるかな　　まどひぬるかな

Official Translation by Arthur Wayley: 

I knew not the nature of the strange tree that stands on Sono Plain, and when I sought the comfort of its shade, I did but lose my road

Official Translation by Edward Seidensticker: 

I wonder lost in the Sonohara moorlands, 

For I did not know the deceiving ways of the broom tree. 

Google Translate - Without knowing the heart of the broom tree, I am confused on the path of the garden.

DeepL -  Not knowing the heart of the broom tree, I wandered the path of Sonohara by chance.

Chat GPT - 

Natural English Translation: 

"Not knowing your heart, like wandering lost on the path through Sonohara, I have gone astray without reason."

Or a more poetic rendering:

"Unknowing of your heart, like the misted paths of Sonohara, I wander in vain, bewildered and lost."

 

2. Lyrics from the song TOMBI by Kvi Baba

Lyrics:

今僕にでも一つできるのなら　　

この命が燃えつきるまでの間　　

誰かの暗闇の中

小さな灯火となりたい

Translation by translation.com translator PrometeiAsuraLokiSatan:

If I could do one thing right now,

I would like to become a little light

In someone’s darkness and shine,

Until my life burns out to the end. 

Translation by translation.com translator Octoberer:

If I can do even a little thing now

I want to be a small light

In someone’s darkness

Until my life burns out

Translation by translation.com translator P Wik:

If I could do one thing right now

I'd wanna set myself aflame

If in someone's darkness,

I could be a spark

Google Translate: If there's one thing I can do now, until this life burns out, I want to be a small light in someone's darkness.

DeepL - 

If there's one thing I can do now

Before this life burns out

In someone's darkness

I want to be a small light

ChatGPT - 

If there's even one thing I can do now,

Then for as long as this life burns on,

I want to be a small light

In someone else's darkness.

 

3. A set of lyrics from the song Mukanjyo by Survive Said the Prophet 

Lyrics:

 

          ねぇ、どう描いてたんだろう？

          

          どの景色を見ても

           何も感じなくなったよ

           ねぇ、考え直しても

           あの景色を求めていた

            僕は無感情なの？

           強いと言われるものには

           責任という名の鎖をつけ

           What went wrong?

           弱いといわれてきた人たちは

           ただ踏み潰されて行く世の中

           What went wrong?

            

           Translation by translation.com translator sazanami99:

           How did I used to imagine it?

           No matter what scenery I see, 

           I don't feel anything anymore

           Even if I rethink it, 

           Am I emotionless

           For yearning for that scenery?

           Around those we call strong, 

           We put chains called responsibility

           What went wrong?

           The people who've always been told they're weak 

           Just get trampled on in this world 

           What went wrong?

           Translation by translation.com translator stickykeys99:

Say, how did I used to picture it? 

 

No matter which scenery I look at now

 

I end up feeling nothing.

          Say, even if I try to rethink it through

          Isn't the me that used to wish for that view

          Now but an empty husk?

          Those who are said to be strong

          Are attached with chains called liabilities

What went wrong?

          Those who are said to be weak

          Are just trampled on by society

          What went wrong?

Google Translate:

Hey, what was I painting?

No matter what scenery I look at

I feel nothing

Hey, even when I think about it

I was longing for that scenery

Am I emotionless?

Those who are considered strong 

 

are bound by chains of responsibility

What went wrong?

In this world, those who are considered weak

are simply trampled on

What went wrong?

           DeepL: 

          Hey, how did I draw it?

No matter what scenery I see

I feel nothing anymore

Hey, even after rethinking it

I was still seeking that view

 

Am I emotionless?

For what's called strong

We chain them with responsibility

What went wrong?

For those called weak

This world just tramples them down

What went wrong? 

ChatGPT: 

Hey, how did I used to picture it?

No matter what scenery I look at now,

I don’t feel anything anymore.

Hey, even if I rethink it all,

I was still chasing after that scene.

Am I emotionless?

 

To those called "strong,"

We attach chains named "responsibility."

What went wrong?

And those who’ve always been called "weak"

Are simply trampled by the world.

What went wrong?

Overall, the AI often failed to capture the nuance of words and the tone of the verses. I was a little surprised with some of the music translations, such as ChatGPT's translation "Hey, even if I rethink it all, I was still chasing after that scene." This section I felt ChatGPT did a good job making flow in a more musical way that the other AI translations did. The AI translations were exceptionally lacking with their interpretations of the Hahakigi poem, as they not only fail to address the metaphorical significance of the poem, but also use exceptionally odd word choice. Their translations are not only inaccurate and culturally unaware, but also nonsensical in English.