I used Google Language Tools to translate the first verse of The Star Spangled Banner (the only one most people know) into Spanish, then back into English. It’s a total laugh, especially in light of the much-unheralded, newly-released Spanish version, AKA Nuestro Himno.

English (original):

O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming!
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there:
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Spanish:

¿Opinión de O, puede usted ver, por la luz temprana del amanecer,
qué nosotros granizó tan orgulloso en destellar pasado del crepúsculo?
¡De quién amplias rayas y estrellas brillantes, con la lucha peligrosa,
O’er los terraplenes nosotros miraron, tan gallantly fluían!
Y el fulgor rojo de los cohetes, las bombas que estallaban en aire,
dio la prueba con la noche que nuestra bandera todavía estaba allí:
¿Opinión de O, esa bandera estrella-star-spangled todavía agita
O’er la tierra del libre y del hogar del valiente?

English (retranslated):

Opinion of Or, can you see, by the early light of the dawn,
what we hailed so proud in flashing last of the twilight?
Of whom ample rays and shining stars, with the dangerous fight,
Óer the embankments we watched, so gallantly flowed!
And the red fulgor of the rockets, the pumps that exploded in air,
gave the test with the night that our flag still was alli ‘:
Opinion of Or, that flag still stars-star-spangled shakes
Óer the Earth of the free one and the home of the brave one?

—————————

Note: This translation was performed by professionals. Do not try this at home unless you are a character in the late Philip. K. Dick’s book, Galactic Pot Healer.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 28th, 2006 at 9:18 am and is filed under Humor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.