NaPoWriMo PROMPT: Find a poem in a language that you don’t know, and perform a “homophonic translation” on it. What does that mean? Well, it means to try to translate the poem simply based on how it sounds.
Here's my phonic translation of Heimliche Stunde by Joachim Ringelnatz--as far as I can tell it has something to do with ghostly dreams.
Choked and Stunned
I’m inclined to skip church or die from dampness.
Kind of a war against geezers.
It’s a zoo for gibbon muttering.
Come out, dash. Shoot back or get flogged.
He’s going to bloomin’ blow my face off!
Meet door songs with a squeak.
Each labor’s got a mean fruit,
Mean whining and mean ducks.
Here's the real poem in German
Heimliche Stunde
Ein kleiner Spuk durch due Dampfheizung ging.
Keine Uhr war aufgezogen.
Ein zu fruh geborener Schmetterling
Kam auf das Schachbrett geflogen.
Es ging ein Blumenvasenblau
Mit der Sonne wie eine Schnecke.
Ich liebe Gott und meine Frau,
Meine Wohnung und meine Decke.
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