This is not a translation, or the homophonic fear
by E. Rowan
Remember, this is not a translation. So reads the ‘disclaimer’ on a number of phonetically translated music videos, part of a meme explained pretty well here at KnowYourMeme.com. These videos, which subtitle a non-English music video with English lyrics based on the sounds of the words, engage in the experimental literary practice homophonic translation, which translates a text based on sound relationships rather than meaning relationships, mapping a text by sound into a new language. Zukofsky’s Catullus is the oft-cited […]
Categories: Translation • Tags: exchanges, experimental translation, homophonic translation, meme, new media, phonetic translation, Silliman, translation, Zukofsky
E. Rowan Mena 