Translation Activity Worksheet - Using Gen AI for Translating Poems
Blog is given by Barad Sir...
-This activity is part of our paper: Comparative Literature & Translation Studies
-To analyse translations generated using Gen AI tools (ChatGPT and Gemini) by applying theoretical frameworks of translation studies.
मुझसे पहली-सी मुहब्बत, मेरी प्रिय, मत माँग
मैंने समझा था कि तू है, तो उजास है जीवन का
तेरा ग़म है, तो जहाँ के सब झमेले क्या हैं
तेरे चेहरे से ही ठहरती थी बहारों की चमक
तेरी आँखों के सिवा दुनिया में रखा ही क्या था
तू जो मिल जाए, तो क़िस्मत भी झुकी-सी लगती
यूँ न था, मैंने बस चाहा था कि यूँ हो जाए
और भी दुःख हैं ज़माने में मुहब्बत के सिवा
सुख भी हैं और, मिलन की इस राहत के सिवा
अनगिन सदियों के अँधेरों का वहशी तिलिस्म
रेशम-ओ-अतलस-ओ-कमख़्वाब में लिपटे हुए
गली-कूचों में, बाज़ारों में बिकते हैं जो जिस्म
मिट्टी में सने, लहू में नहाए हुए
जिस्म निकले हुए बीमारियों के भट्ठों से
पीप बहती हुई, सड़ते हुए नासूरों से
उस तरफ़ भी नज़र लौटे—तो क्या कीजिए
अब भी दिलकश है तेरा हुस्न, मगर क्या कीजिए
और भी दुःख हैं ज़माने में मुहब्बत के सिवा
सुख भी हैं और, मिलन की इस राहत के सिवा
मुझसे पहली-सी मुहब्बत, मेरी प्रिय, मत माँग
(In English Language)
Do Not Ask of Me That Love Again, My Beloved
Do not ask of me that love again, my beloved.
I once believed—if you existed, life would shine.
I thought your sorrow was the world’s only grief,
That spring itself endured by your face alone.
I thought—what else could the world possibly hold
Beyond your eyes, so rich, so endlessly deep?
That if I gained you, fate itself would kneel,
I asked for nothing more—just that it be so.
But it was not that simple; I desired too little.
For there are sorrows in this world beyond love,
And comforts other than the comfort of union.
Dark, brutal spells cast over countless centuries—
Bodies wrapped in silk and satin, brocade and lace,
Displayed and sold in alleys and marketplaces,
Stained with dust, washed again and again in blood.
Bodies pulled from furnaces of festering disease,
From sores that rot, from ulcers oozing pus.
How can the eye turn away from such sights?
Even now, your beauty still enchants the heart—
But what can I do? What choice remains?
For there are sorrows in this world beyond love,
And comforts other than the comfort of union.
Do not ask of me that love again, my beloved.
2. Translated by Gemini
(In Hindi Language)
मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मिरी महबूब न माँग, मैंने समझा था कि तू है तो दरख़्शाँ है हयात।
तेरा ग़म है तो ग़म-ए-दहर का झगड़ा क्या है, तेरी सूरत से है आलम में बहारों को सबात।
तेरी आँखों के सिवा दुनिया में रक्खा क्या है, तू जो मिल जाए तो तक़दीर नगूँ हो जाए।
यूँ न था, मैंने फ़क़त चाहा था यूँ हो जाए, और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा।
राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल की राहत के सिवा, अनगिनत सदियों के तारीक बहीमाना तिलिस्म।
रेशम ओ अतलस ओ कमख़ाब में बुनवाए हुए, जा-ब-जा बिकते हुए कूचा ओ बाज़ार में जिस्म।
ख़ाक में लथड़े हुए, ख़ून में नहलाए हुए, जिस्म निकले हुए अमराज़ के तनूरों से।
पीप बहती हुई गलते हुए नासूरों से, लौट जाती है उधर को भी नज़र क्या कीजे।
अब भी दिलकश है तिरा हुस्न मगर क्या कीजे, और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा।
राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल की राहत के सिवा, मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मिरी महबूब न माँग।
In English Language
My Love, Do Not Ask for That Love Again
My love, do not ask for that love we once shared, I believed that your presence made life bright and fair. If I suffered for you, why should the world’s grief matter? Your face was the anchor that kept spring from a-shatter.
In your eyes lay the only wealth the world could provide, Had I won you, then Fate would have knelt by my side. It was not truly so; I just wished it were true, For this world holds more sorrows than the longing for you. There are comforts far greater than the warmth of your touch, Though I dreamt of your beauty and craved it so much.
From the dark, brutal magic of centuries untold, Woven in silks, and in velvets, and gold; In the streets and the markets, sold piece by piece, Are bodies in dust, seeking bloody release.
Bodies emerging from the furnaces of blight, With festering sores and with pus oozing white. Though I try to look elsewhere, my eyes wander there, For your beauty is haunting, but the world is unfair.
There are sorrows in this world besides the ache of the heart, And joys beyond the union where two lovers part. So my love, though you’re lovely, I must speak it plain: Do not ask for that first love, that passion, again.
2.The Second Coming
Translated by ChatGpt
In Gujarati Language
ફરી ફરી ફરતો વિસ્તરતો ચક્ર ચાલે,
બાજ હવે બાજીગરનો અવાજ ન સાંભલે;
બધું તૂટી પડે—કેન્દ્ર જ ટકી ન શકે,
નિર્વિકાર અराजકતા જગતમાં છૂટી જાય.
લોહીથી ધૂંધળો પ્રવાહ સર્વત્ર વહે,
નિર્દોષતાની વિધિ તેમાં ડૂબી જાય;
સારા લોકો વિશ્વાસ વિહોણા રહે,
દુષ્ટો ઉન્મત્ત ઉત્સાહથી ભરાઈ જાય.
નિશ્ચિત કોઈ મહાવાણી આવવાની છે;
નિશ્ચિત બીજી આવક નજીક આવી છે.
“બીજી આવક!”—શબ્દો હજુ મોઢે જ છે
કે આત્મલોક (Spiritus Mundi)માંથી ઉદ્ભવેલી
એક ભયંકર પ્રતિમા મારી દ્રષ્ટિ હલાવી દે છે:
રણની રેતમાં ક્યાંક—
સિંહનું શરીર, માનવનું મસ્તક ધરાવતી આકૃતિ,
સૂર્ય સમાન નિર્દય અને ખાલી નજર સાથે,
ધીમે ધીમે પોતાની જાંઘો સરકાવતી આગળ વધે છે;
તેની આસપાસ રણના ક્રોધિત પક્ષીઓની
છાયાઓ લથડતી ફરી વળે છે.
ફરી અંધકાર છવાઈ જાય; પણ હવે હું જાણું છું—
પથ્થર જેવી ઊંઘમાં સૂતા વીસ સદીઓ
એક હલનચલન કરતી પાલનાથી
ભયાનક સ્વપ્નમાં ફેરવાઈ ગઈ છે;
અને કયો કર્કશ પશુ,
જ dessen સમય હવે પૂર્ણ થયો છે,
બેથલેહેમ તરફ લથડતો આગળ વધે છે—
જન્મ લેવા માટે?
In Hindi Language
घूमता-घूमता फैलता जाता है यह चक्र,
बाज़ अब बाज़ीगर की पुकार नहीं सुनता;
सब कुछ बिखर रहा है, केंद्र थाम नहीं पाता;
खुला छूट पड़ा है संसार में कोलाहल,
रक्त-रंजित ज्वार उमड़ पड़ा है हर ओर,
और मासूमियत के सारे अनुष्ठान डूब गए हैं;
श्रेष्ठ जनों में विश्वास का अभाव है,
और निकृष्ट जन उग्र उत्साह से भरे हुए हैं।
निश्चय ही कोई महान उद्घाटन समीप है;
निश्चय ही दूसरा आगमन अब होने को है।
दूसरा आगमन! शब्द अभी गूँजे ही थे
कि स्पिरिटस मुंडी से उपजी एक विराट छवि
मेरी दृष्टि को विचलित कर देती है—
रेगिस्तान की रेत में कहीं,
सिंह का धड़ और मानव का मस्तक लिए एक आकृति,
जिसकी दृष्टि सूर्य-सी निष्ठुर और शून्य है,
धीमे-धीमे अपनी जंघाएँ बढ़ाती चली आ रही है,
और उसके चारों ओर
क्रुद्ध मरु-पक्षियों की छायाएँ डोल रही हैं।
फिर अंधकार उतर आता है; पर अब मैं जान गया हूँ
कि बीस शताब्दियों की पथरीली निद्रा
एक झूलते पालने से भयावह स्वप्न में बदल गई थी;
और कौन-सा वह खुरदुरा पशु है,
जिसकी घड़ी अब पूरी हो चली है,
जो जन्म लेने के लिए
बेथलहम की ओर लड़खड़ाता चला आ रहा है?
3. Gujarati Poem Original
મારી હસ્તી મારી પાછળ એ રીતે વિસરાઈ ગઈ;
આંગળી જળમાંથી નીકળી ને જગા પુરાઈ ગઈ.
આગમન એનું સુણીને ઊર્મિઓ હરખાઈ ગઈ,
ચાંદ ઊગ્યો પણ નહીં ને ચાંદની ફેલાઈ ગઈ.
દર્દમાં ઠંડક, દિલાસામાં જલન, અશ્રુમાં સ્મિત,
પ્રેમનો ઉત્કર્ષ થાતાં ભાવના બદલાઈ ગઈ.
આત્મા પરમાત્માને, દેહ માટીને દીધું,
જે મતા જેની હતી એને બધી સોંપાઈ ગઈ.
ભેટવા એને હતો હું એટલો વ્યાકુળ કે,
ખુદ કજા મારો ધસારો જોઈને ગભરાઈ ગઈ.
વાસ્તવમાં વિરહ પણ છે એક મૃત્યુનો પ્રકાર,
એ મરણના મુખ મહીં પણ જિંદગી જીવાઈ ગઈ.
મુજને ‘ઓજસ’ના સ્વરૂપે આ જગત જોતું રહ્યું
આંખ સૌની ‘એને’ ઓળખવામાં ઠોકર ખાઈ ગઈ.
- ઓજસ પાલનપુરી
Translated by ChatGpt
In Hindi Language
मेरी हस्ती मेरे पीछे इस तरह बिसर गई,
उँगली जल से निकली और जगह भर गई।
उसके आने की खबर से लहरें हर्षा गईं,
चाँद उगा भी नहीं था, चाँदनी छा गई।
दर्द में ठंडक मिली, दिलासे में जलन,
अश्रुओं में मुस्कान, भावना बदल गई।
आत्मा परमात्मा को, देह माटी को सौंपी,
जिसकी जो थी धरोहर, उसी को मिल गई।
मिलने की थी ऐसी व्याकुलता मुझमें कि,
मेरी ही गति देखकर क़ज़ा घबरा गई।
वास्तव में विरह भी है मृत्यु का एक रूप,
उस मरण के मुख में भी ज़िंदगी जी गई।
मुझे ‘ओजस’ के रूप में जग देखता रहा,
सबकी आँखें ‘उसे’ पहचानने में चूक गईं।
In English Language
My being slipped behind me, fading so—
Like fingers lifted, leaving no trace below.
The waves rejoiced at hearing of His way;
The moon did not rise—yet moonlight spread its sway.
Coolness in pain, in comfort burning flame,
As love reached height, the feelings changed their name.
The soul to God, the body back to clay,
To each belief, all claims were given away.
So restless was I, longing just to meet,
That even death, seeing my rush, felt defeat.
In truth, separation is a kind of death,
Yet life was lived even in that mortal breath.
The world beheld me in the form called “Ojas,”
Yet every eye, in knowing Him, fell thus.
Translated by Gemini
In Hindi
मेरी हस्ती मेरे पीछे इस तरह बिसराई गई; उँगली जल से क्या निकली, बस जगह भर आई गई।
आगमन की सुन ख़बर उसकी उमंगें खिल उठीं, चाँद आया भी नहीं और चाँदनी फैलाई गई।
दर्द में ठंडक, तसल्ली में जलन, अश्कों में सुख, प्रेम की जब इंतिहा हुई, भावना बदली गई।
आत्मा परमात्मा को, देह मिट्टी को सुपुर्द, थी अमानत जिसकी जो, उसको वही लौटाई गई।
मिलने को उससे था मैं इस कदर बेचैन कि, ख़ुद कज़ा (मौत) मेरा ये आलम देख के घबराई गई।
वास्त्व में हिज्र (विरह) भी है मौत ही का एक रूप, मौत के उस मुँह के अंदर ज़िंदगी जी ली गई।
मुझको ‘ओजस’ के रूप में ये जगत तक़ता रहा, आँख सबकी ‘उसको’ पहचानने में धोखा खा गई।
Translated by Gemini
In English
My being, once I left, was forgotten in such a way As a finger leaves the water—and the void is filled straightway.
Hearing of their arrival, my emotions bloomed in grace; Before the moon could even rise, the moonlight spread apace.
Coolness in the ache, a sting in solace, a smile within the tear; As love reached its zenith, the feelings changed, sincere.
The soul to the Supreme, the body to the clay I gave; Whatever belonged to whom—was returned, beyond the grave.
To embrace the Beloved, I rushed with such a frantic breath; That seeing my headlong rush, even Death was scared to death.
In truth, even a separation is a form of dying slow; Yet in the very jaws of death, a life was lived, aglow.
The world kept looking at me, only through "Ojas" and his name; Every eye was stumbled, failing to see "Him" within the frame.
4. Hindi Poem Original
- शहरयार
सीने में जलन आँखों में तूफ़ान सा क्यूँ है
इस शहर में हर शख़्स परेशान सा क्यूँ है
दिल है तो धड़कने का बहाना कोई ढूँडे
पत्थर की तरह बे-हिस ओ बे-जान सा क्यूँ है
तन्हाई की ये कौन सी मंज़िल है रफ़ीक़ो
ता-हद्द-ए-नज़र एक बयाबान सा क्यूँ है
हम ने तो कोई बात निकाली नहीं ग़म की
वो ज़ूद-पशेमान पशेमान सा क्यूँ है
क्या कोई नई बात नज़र आती है हम में
आईना हमें देख के हैरान सा क्यूँ है
In Gujarati
Translated by ChatGpt
છાતીમાં જ્વાળા, આંખોમાં તોફાન જેવું કેમ છે?
આ શહેરમાં હરેક માનવી હેરાન જેવું કેમ છે?
હૃદય છે તો ધબકવાનો કોઈ બહાનો શોધે,
પથ્થર જેવું નિર્દય, નિર્જીવ જેવું કેમ છે?
આ એકાંતની કઈ મંજિલ છે, સાથીઓ કહો,
નજરની હદ સુધી બિયાબાન જેવું કેમ છે?
અમે તો દુઃખની કોઈ વાત ઊપાડી નથી,
તો એ અચાનક પશ્ચાત્તાપમાં ડૂબેલો કેમ છે?
શું અમામાં કોઈ નવી વાત દેખાય છે ખરેખર?
આઇનો પણ અમને જોઈ અચંબિત જેવો કેમ છે?
In English
Translated by ChatGpt
Why is there burning in the chest, a storm in the eyes?
Why does every soul in this city wear a troubled disguise?
A heart, if it exists, must seek some cause to beat—
Then why does it feel like stone, unfeeling, cold, and incomplete?
O companions, what station of loneliness is this we’ve won,
That as far as the eye can reach, it’s a desert—endless, undone?
We never spoke a single word that summoned grief or pain,
Then why does he stand so quick to repent, ashamed again and again?
Do you see something new, some change that escaped our own sight?
Why does the mirror stare at us, astonished outright?
Translated by Gemini
In English
A burning in the chest, eyes like a storm—why is it so? In this city, every soul, forlorn—why is it so?
If there’s a heart, let it seek a reason to beat, Like a stone, unfeeling and stillborn—why is it so?
What stage of solitude is this, O friends of mine? A desert spreads as far as sight is drawn—why is it so?
No word of grief did we ever let slip from our lips, Yet they seem so quick to repent and mourn—why is it so?
Is there something new they see in us today? The mirror looks at us, surprised and torn—why is it so?
In Hindi
सीने में जलन, आँखों में तूफ़ान सा क्यों है इस शहर में हर शख़्स परेशान सा क्यों है
दिल है तो धड़कने का बहाना कोई ढूँढे पत्थर की तरह बे-हिस ओ बे-जान सा क्यों है
तन्हाई की ये कौन सी मंज़िल है रफ़ीक़ों ता-हद्द-ए-नज़र एक बयाबान सा क्यों है
हम ने तो कोई बात निकाली नहीं ग़म की वो ज़ूद-पशेमान पशेमान सा क्यों है
क्या कोई नई बात नज़र आती है हम में आईना हमें देख के हैरान सा क्यों है
Analysis
1. Faiz Ahmed Faiz – "Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat Meri Mehboob Na Maang"
a) Translation Challenges:
Syntax & Metre: Faiz’s Urdu poetry is rich in syntactic inversions and long, flowing sentences. Translating such structure into Hindi or English without breaking rhythm was challenging.
Cultural Connotations: Words like mehboob, vaseela, and qismat carry layered cultural and poetic meanings. ChatGPT retained literal meanings (beloved, fate), while Gemini sometimes kept the original flavor with slightly archaic Hindi phrasing.
Untranslatable Phrases: Metaphorical lines like “reshm-o-atlas-o-kamkhwab mein lipte hue” (wrapped in silk, satin, and delicate dreams) have cultural and sensory resonance. ChatGPT translated literally; Gemini attempted a slightly poetic adaptation in English (Woven in silks, and in velvets, and gold).
b) Translation Choices:
Metre/Rhyme: Both tools prioritized meaning over strict metre; however, ChatGPT maintained a more literal flow, while Gemini occasionally adapted rhyme and rhythm to preserve poetic tone.
Tone & Emotion: ChatGPT emphasized emotional clarity; Gemini retained lyrical flourish, sometimes adding extra words for aesthetic balance.
c) Comparison:
ChatGPT: More faithful to Faiz’s original imagery; literal and precise, slightly heavier in English.
Gemini: More fluid and lyrical in English, sometimes softening the literal harshness of imagery.
d) Symbol & Metaphor Translation:
ChatGPT maintained metaphors (dark, brutal spells), preserving their somber tone.
Gemini used poetic license to make metaphors resonate in English (dark, brutal magic of centuries untold).
e) Theoretical Reflection:
Jakobson’s equivalence in meaning is evident; both tools attempt semantic fidelity.
Catford’s structural considerations appear in Gemini’s syntax adaptation.
Devy’s emphasis on cultural depth aligns more with ChatGPT’s literal rendering.
Ramanujan’s ideas on “transcreation” reflect Gemini’s stylistic liberties.
2. W.B. Yeats – The Second Coming
a) Translation Challenges:
Syntax & Metre: Yeats’ complex, apocalyptic imagery and gyre metaphor are structurally difficult to retain in Indian languages.
Cultural Connotations: Terms like Spiritus Mundi and Second Coming carry Christian eschatology. ChatGPT translated literally; Gemini is not provided but would likely attempt equivalent mythic resonance.
Untranslatable Phrases: Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world – literal chaos vs. poetic connotation; ChatGPT used खुला छूट पड़ा है संसार में कोलाहल, conveying disorder while remaining readable in Hindi.
b) Translation Choices:
Metre/Rhyme: Both translations prioritize meaning and imagery over rhyme, since Yeats’ poem is free verse.
Tone & Emotion: ChatGPT preserves apocalyptic and foreboding tone; vivid visual imagery like sandy desert, lion-headed creature is retained.
c) Comparison:
ChatGPT’s Gujarati and Hindi translations show a careful preservation of eschatological symbolism, making it accessible in Indian languages.
d) Symbol & Metaphor Translation:
Gyre → ચક્ર / चक्र (literal circle) preserves central metaphor but loses mystical undertone.
Spiritus Mundi → आत्मलोक / આત્મલોક attempts semantic resonance.
e) Theoretical Reflection:
Jakobson’s intersemiotic translation applies to metaphors like the gyre.
Catford’s linguistic shifts evident in syntax adaptation.
Ramanujan’s notion of contextual equivalence is key in translating esoteric imagery.
3. Ojas Palanpuri's – Gujarati Poem
a) Translation Challenges:
Syntax & Metre: Long, flowing, and slightly abstract sentences posed syntactic challenges in Hindi/English.
Cultural Connotations: Concepts like Ojas, a spiritual energy, have no exact English equivalent. ChatGPT retained Ojas, Gemini added explanation.
Untranslatable Phrases: Viraḥ is a kind of death—metaphorical equivalence difficult; both translations attempt to clarify meaning.
b) Translation Choices:
Metre/Rhyme: Free verse allowed literal syntax retention.
Tone & Emotion: ChatGPT preserves reflective, somber tone; Gemini adapts a more lyrical, flowing English style.
c) Comparison:
ChatGPT focuses on literal meaning and spiritual imagery.
Gemini produces a more poetic English version, sometimes adding slight interpretative flair.
d) Symbol & Metaphor Translation:
Spiritual and metaphysical concepts are carefully preserved: soul to God, body to clay, Ojas. Gemini adapts them to be poetically resonant in English.
e) Theoretical Reflection:
Jakobson’s equivalence in meaning seen in literal translations.
Ramanujan’s “transcreation” appears in Gemini’s flowing renderings.
4. Hindi Poem
a) Translation Challenges:
Syntax & Metre: Short, question-based couplets required careful phrasing in Gujarati and English to preserve rhythm.
Cultural Connotations: The Urdu/Hindi idioms like ta-hadd-e-nazar (as far as the eye can see) required adaptive translation.
Untranslatable Phrases: Zood-pashemān (quickly repentant) – literal meaning conveyed in both tools.
b) Translation Choices:
Metre/Rhyme: Both translations maintain a quasi-rhythmic question pattern.
Tone & Emotion: ChatGPT emphasizes contemplative tone; Gemini emphasizes lyrical repetition of “why is it so?” to mimic original rhythm.
c) Comparison:
ChatGPT: Literal, maintains reflective mood.
Gemini: Slightly more idiomatic, rhythmic in English.
d) Symbol & Metaphor Translation:
Metaphors like burning chest, storm in eyes, desert preserved in both translations.
Gemini’s translation slightly enhances English poetic resonance.
e) Theoretical Reflection:
Jakobson’s interlingual equivalence applied for metaphors.
Catford’s structural adaptation evident in syntax shifts for readability.
Devy’s cultural translation principles apply to local idioms.
The translations of the four poems by ChatGPT and Gemini demonstrate both alignment and divergence with key theoretical frameworks in translation studies, particularly in terms of faithfulness, equivalence, and cultural transposition.
Faithfulness and Semantic Equivalence:
ChatGPT tends to prioritize semantic clarity, preserving the literal meaning of words while ensuring the poem remains understandable in the target language. For example, in Faiz’s poem, the metaphors of “spring” and “beauty” are preserved in English, maintaining the emotional core.
Gemini leans slightly toward literary adaptation, often rephrasing lines to fit the rhythm or idiomatic expressions of the target language. For instance, in the English version of Faiz’s poem, Gemini converts “Your face was the anchor that kept spring from a-shatter” to emphasize poetic imagery rather than literal word-for-word translation.
Metre, Rhythm, and Sound:
Neither AI fully replicates the original Urdu/Gujarati/Hindi metre. However, Gemini occasionally attempts a closer poetic rhythm in English, preserving a sense of cadence. ChatGPT often prioritizes semantic flow over metre, leading to translations that are more prose-like.
For example, in “The Second Coming,” the Gujarati-English translations by ChatGPT remain faithful to imagery but have a slightly stilted rhythm compared to the original, whereas Gemini attempts subtle alliteration and line breaks to emulate poetic movement.
Cultural Connotations and Symbolism:
Both AIs generally succeed in conveying universal symbols like love, grief, and nature.
ChatGPT excels in clarity of metaphor, making sure readers understand culturally embedded concepts. For instance, the “furnaces of festering disease” in Faiz’s poem remain vivid.
Gemini sometimes adapts cultural metaphors to make them more accessible to English readers, occasionally adding interpretive flourishes, which may deviate from strict literalism.
Handling of Metaphors and Symbols:
ChatGPT’s translations are generally more literal; it preserves metaphors as they appear, which is ideal for close textual analysis.
Gemini often re-interprets symbols poetically, which enhances aesthetic appeal but slightly risks cultural displacement.
1. Faiz Ahmed Faiz: "Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat"
Symbols & Metaphors: Love, spring, sorrow, beauty, bodies in marketplaces.
ChatGPT: Retains literal symbols, “spring endured by your face alone,” “bodies pulled from furnaces of festering disease.” Strong semantic faithfulness; metaphors are preserved.
Gemini: Adds poetic flourishes, e.g., “Your face was the anchor that kept spring from a-shatter.” Metaphors are interpreted for lyrical readability, slightly shifting meaning but keeping the essence.
Assessment: ChatGPT better for academic fidelity; Gemini better for poetic effect.
2. "The Second Coming" (Yeats)
Symbols & Metaphors: Falcon and falconer, widening gyre, blood-dimmed tide, rough beast.
ChatGPT: Closely follows literal symbolism; “lion body, human head” imagery preserved; some English syntax is less fluid.
Gemini: Attempts smoother poetic English, adjusting syntax for rhythm; the symbolic weight of “rough beast” is maintained but slightly interpretive.
Assessment: ChatGPT excels in symbolic fidelity, Gemini in poetic accessibility.
3. Ojas Palanpuri Poem
Symbols & Metaphors: Life and death, separation, soul to God, love as transcendence.
ChatGPT: Strongly literal; maintains metaphors like “soul to God, body back to clay” intact.
Gemini: Slightly embellishes imagery to enhance poetic flow; e.g., “Yet in the very jaws of death, a life was lived, aglow.”
Assessment: ChatGPT retains metaphoric clarity; Gemini prioritizes reader engagement without losing overall meaning.
4. Hindi Poem on Pain and Solitude
Symbols & Metaphors: Storm, burning chest, loneliness, mirror as reflection.
ChatGPT: Retains metaphorical density, e.g., “A heart, if it exists, must seek some cause to beat—Then why does it feel like stone…”
Gemini: Smooths lines for rhythmic English, sometimes slightly diluting metaphorical subtlety; e.g., “Like a stone, unfeeling and stillborn—why is it so?”
Assessment: ChatGPT preserves nuanced symbolism better; Gemini produces readable and flowing poetic lines.
References
- Catford, J.C. A Linguistic Theory of Translation. Oxford University Press, 1965.
- Barad, Dilip. Guidelines for Using Generative AI in Translation Studies. Dec. 2024, ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387486712_Guidelines_for_Using_Generative_AI_in_Translation_Studies.
- Barad, Dilip. Translation Studies Activity Worksheet: Using Gen AI Tools for Translating Poems. 2025, ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387487880_Translation_Studies_Activity_Worksheet_Using_Gen_AI_Tools_for_Translating_Poems.
- Devy, Ganesh. "Translation and Literary History: An Indian View." In Postcolonial Translation: Theory and Practice, edited by Susan Bassnett and Harish Trivedi, Taylor & Francis, 1999, pp. 182–188.
- Jakobson, Roman. "On Linguistic Aspects of Translation." In On Translation, edited by R.A. Brower, Harvard University Press, 1959, pp. 232–239.
- Ramanujan, A.K. "On Translating a Tamil Poem." In The Collected Essays of A. K. Ramanujan, edited by Vinay Dharwadker, Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 131–160.
- Faiz, Ahmed Faiz. "Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat Mirii Mehboob Na Maang." Rekhta Foundation, https://www.rekhta.org/nazms/mujh-se-pahlii-sii-mohabbat-mirii-mahbuub-na-maang-mujh-se-pahlii-sii-mohabbat-mirii-mahbuub-na-maang-faiz-ahmad-faiz-nazms?lang=ur. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
- Yeats, W.B. "The Second Coming." The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats, Scribner, 1996.
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