Skip to content
Skip to main content

About this free course

Author

Share this free course

Machine translation in language learning and teaching
Machine translation in language learning and teaching

Start this free course now. Just create an account and sign in. Enrol and complete the course for a free statement of participation or digital badge if available.

Session 2, Activity 5 (Spanish)

Activity 5 – understanding a Spanish poem

Timing: Allow approximately one hour.

Writing activities such as this one in Spanish support vocabulary building and deepen understanding of language structures. In addition to exploring Antonio Machado’s poem using machine translation, in this activity you will practise writing your own short poem in Spanish, translating it, and reflecting on the challenges of conveying meaning across languages.

Now follow the steps below

Step 1

Read the well-known Spanish poem copied below and identify the poetic devices used.

Caminante, no hay camino by Antonio Machado

Caminante, son tus huellas
el camino y nada más;
caminante, no hay camino,
se hace camino al andar.
Al andar se hace el camino,
y al volver la vista atrás
se ve la senda que nunca
se ha de volver a pisar.
Caminante, no hay camino,
sino estelas en la mar.

Step 2

Input the Spanish poem into your chosen OMT and translate into English.

Step 3

  • Is the translation poetic or literal?
  • Does the OMT pick up on the fact that the text is intended as a poem?
  • How does OMT translate the metaphor ‘se hace camino al andar’?
  • Does the translation lose any poetic qualities, such as rhythm or repetition?
To use this interactive functionality a free OU account is required. Sign in or register.
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Step 4

Analyse how well the poetic devices used in the original Spanish poem above, such as rhyme, meter, and imagery, are conveyed in the machine translation.

To use this interactive functionality a free OU account is required. Sign in or register.
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Step 5

  1. Often OMT provides a literal translation, which doesn’t capture the poetic qualities of the original text. This is particularly the case when a poem is less well-known. Using the translation from Step 2, consider how you could make it more poetic while preserving the meaning.

  2. Consider how rhyme can be recreated in a translated text

  3. In Spanish, write a new version of the poem, changing the flower or setting being referred to.

    Examples:

    • Write about a journey you have taken (literal or metaphorical).
    • Describe a moment of change in your life.
    • Reflect on something important to you, using imagery from nature.
To use this interactive functionality a free OU account is required. Sign in or register.
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Reflection

Using the questions below, reflect on the overall effectiveness of machine translation for poetic texts. You may conclude that while machine translation can provide a basic understanding, human translation is essential for capturing the full depth and beauty of poetry.

  • How well does the machine translation capture the literal meaning of the original text?
  • Are there any significant misinterpretations or inaccuracies in the translation?
  • Are there any phrases that lose their meaning or impact when translated literally?
  • How effective is the machine translation in conveying the emotional tone and aesthetic qualities of the original poem?
  • How important is context in understanding and translating poetry?
  • Does the machine translation consider the historical, cultural, and biographical context of the poem and its author?
  • How might a human translator incorporate these factors into their work?
  • How does translating a poem impact on the translator? Will it have any emotional effect? Will it change the way they are viewing the target language?
  • Despite its limitations, in what practical situations can machine translation be useful for poetry?
To use this interactive functionality a free OU account is required. Sign in or register.
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Discussion

Reflecting on the overall effectiveness of machine translation for poetic texts reveals both its strengths and limitations. Machine translation is often capable of capturing the literal meaning of the original text to some extent, but it cannot cope with the nuances that are essential to poetry. Misinterpretations or inaccuracies commonly arise, particularly when translating phrases that lose their impact when taken literally. Poetic language is inherently layered with emotional tone, aesthetic qualities, and cultural significance, and machine translation rarely succeeds in conveying these subtleties effectively.

Context is vital in poetry translation—whether historical, cultural, or biographical—and machine translation lacks the ability to grasp these deeper connections. A human translator, by contrast, can incorporate these elements through a more intuitive understanding of both the poem and its author, as well as through their own emotional connection to the text. The act of translating poetry can have a profound emotional effect on the translator, as it forces them to engage deeply with the original language and its many layers of meaning. This engagement may also alter their perception of the target language, as they attempt to recreate the emotional resonance of the original in a new linguistic context.

In light of these challenges, translation can serve a more effective purpose, such as fostering cultural understanding or sensitivity. Despite the limitations of machine translation, it can be useful in practical situations, such as providing a quick, rough overview of a poem or aiding translators as a starting point. However, for capturing the full beauty and depth of poetry, human translation remains essential.

Hopefully this activity has enhanced your appreciation of poetic form and demonstrated the challenges of preserving these elements in OMT translation.

It might have also encouraged you to think about poetry as a culturally relevant form of language use or even to play with language in a poetic format.

Return to Session 2 [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .