My process for translation

First post of the year, let's go!

Some people have asked me about my process for translating pieces or manuscripts. The truth is, there are many ways to translate! For me, it depends on the length of the piece.

Poems/Songs:

The process for translating songs and poems is actually the easiest one of the bunch in my opinion. I like to use Excel for this (yes, Excel in 2025. Fascinating). I use one cell per line and create 3 rows:

• The original row: This row is for the piece as it is. English or Spanish, the original goes first as a reference of the original meaning/feeling of the piece.

• The literal row: This row is for the literal translation. In this row the wordplay, rhymes, structure, etc. do not matter. If there's a hidden meaning in the poem or song, I will add notes about it here. For example, I will write the literal translation and add "(wordplay with X)" or something similar.

• The stylized row: This row is where the original and the literal row combine forces to form the official version! I take the style, wordplay, and intention from the original and combine it with the translation from the first translation. After this row is complete, it goes through the classic editing round.

All the rows are parallel to each other so no details escape from me.

Prose:

The process here it's more straightforward but also more complex. I have 2 LibreOffice documents (the original and the new document) next to each other and translate while reading the original copy. If there are any special bits I need to take care of (wordplay, localization, sayings, etc) I add them as a note in the new document for later. That way I can see in if the bit comes later in the piece and if it the context changes! After the whole translation is done, it goes through the regular round of edits.

And that's my current method for translating different pieces. Nothing too fancy. How you do translate your pieces? Have you worked with a translator before? I would love to know!