How do you turn poetry in English (or just metaphors) into something that makes sense in Spanish?

Question

How do you turn poetry in English (or just metaphors) into something that makes sense in Spanish?

For example, how do you translate this sentence:

The cold temperatures hurt my my face, as if my face was pressed against a giant ice cube.

Otherwise, do you have any words of advice?

Answer 1

Your example could be translated easily enough, but as I suspect you already know, many elements of poetic writing are dependent on the language that they are written in and do not translate well. Reading a LOT of poetry and literature in Spanish could help you to familiarize yourself with some of the literary elements of the language, but you will often find yourself without a translation that makes sense. This is one of the downsides of translating - you can usually carry the meaning from one language to another with a little work, but often lose the artistic quality of the words.

My best stab at your sentence:
El frio me dolia la cara, como si estuviera apretada la cara contra un cubito de hielo muy grande.

Answer 2

i'm able to understand your want to apply a metaphor, even with the very shown actuality that your wordage is more suitable of a simile, and your determination isn't a foul one. although your wording is a touch clumsy. Why no longer attempt:- 'Like a lengthy flow, winding from it is beginnings till it finally meets the sea, the source of cultural change between both countries must be traced far lower back into the previous appropriate as a lot because the present. '

Answer 3

mitch's translation is very good. Just remember, more often than not, poetry expresses thoughts. So, that's what you want to translate. As it is, there's always a litttle bit of loss in translation, and if you translate literally, then your reader will be at a loss.

Answer 4

i go on espanlishchat.com a lot (a spanish-english chatroom to ask for translations).