TransbliterationsShakespeare's Sonnets, rewritten

Part I. Sensing

Love is Closer than it Appears

Shakespeare's Sonnet CXLVIII → Transbliterated (015)

Shakespeare

O me! what eyes hath Love put in my head,
Which have no correspondence with true sight;
Or, if they have, where is my judgement fled,
That censures falsely what they see aright?
If that be fair whereon my false eyes dote,
What means the world to say it is not so?
If it be not, then love doth well denote
Love’s eye is not so true as all men’s: no,
How can it? O! how can Love’s eye be true,
That is so vexed with watching and with tears?
No marvel then, though I mistake my view;
The sun itself sees not, till heaven clears.
    O cunning Love! with tears thou keep’st me blind,
    Lest eyes well-seeing thy foul faults should find.

Transbliteration

Such eyes fill my own

It can't be true
	This world in an iris

I can think only in hues
	Is it wrong to see only this?
	Would it be wrong to dote upon colored contacts?

Your eyes fill my own
	The world in an iris
		A world of hues

Does love mean anything?

I know your eyes are not as sure as mine
	How could it be otherwise?
	Love's eyes are true
		Even when they blink and weep

	It is no marvel
You're surprised by the sun's warmth
	Despite the troubled sky

Love is perceptive
	Seeing through the tears as one might through the rain

Love is closer than it appears
Measured against the sonnet and its Spanish

How this poem's lines relate to Shakespeare's Sonnet CXLVIII and to the Google Translate Spanish it was written from. Counts are made by script, and each line's label comes from an AI judge. Sentences in italics are Claude's reading, not the poet's. How it was measured →

From the English
  • Restated
  • Inverted
  • Transbliterated
  • Original
From the Spanish
  • Faithful
  • Noise
  • Untouched

The poem walks through the sonnet's questions about love's eyes in order but answers them the other way: love's eyes are true, see through tears, and love is perceptive rather than blinding. The Spanish contributes little beyond huyeron heard as hues, which seeds the poem's iris-and-colour refrain.

The sonnet
Love has given the speaker false eyes, blurred by watching and tears, and cunning Love keeps him blind so he will not see the beloved's faults.
Argument kept
1 of 4
Feeling
love's sight −1 → love's sight +1 (reversed)
Spoken to
the speaker himself, then Love → the beloved
Translation
adequacy 2.3 · fluency 1.5 · chrF 51. The opening lament and the sun that cannot see until the sky clears come through clearly. The reasoning about fair and false eyes and the couplet's accusation are garbled.
Judge
medium confidence · free-standing

lift 0.26 aligned 64% (chance 10%) order 0.53 verbatim 0% Spanish look-alikes 2% (chance 2%)left in English 3%

Sonnet CXLVIII, with its Spanish

  1. S1O me! what eyes hath Love put in my head, Ay, qué ojos ha puesto amor en mi cabeza, adequacy 4 · fluency 3
  2. S2Which have no correspondence with true sight; Que no tiene correspondencia con la vista verdad! adequacy 3 · fluency 2 · grammar
  3. S3Or, if they have, where is my judgement fled, O, si lo hubiera sido, en mi opinión es huyeron, adequacy 1 · fluency 0 · wrong sense · omission · grammar
  4. S4That censures falsely what they see aright? Esa censura falsamente lo que ven bien? adequacy 3 · fluency 2 · grammar
  5. S5If that be fair whereon my false eyes dote, Si eso es justo mi dote whereon ojos falsos, adequacy 1 · fluency 0 · untranslated · wrong sense · grammar
  6. S6What means the world to say it is not so? ¿Qué significa el mundo para decir que no es así? adequacy 3 · fluency 3 · wrong sense
  7. S7If it be not, then love doth well denote Si no se, entonces el amor ¿Acaso así denotan adequacy 1 · fluency 0 · archaic misread · wrong sense · grammar
  8. S8Love's eye is not so true as all men's: no, los ojos del amor no es tan cierto como todos los hombres »« No. » adequacy 2 · fluency 1 · omission · grammar
  9. S9How can it? O! how can Love's eye be true, ¿Cómo es? O, ¿cómo pueden los ojos del amor es verdad, adequacy 2 · fluency 1 · wrong sense · grammar
  10. S10That is so vexed with watching and with tears? Eso es tan vex'd con ver y con lágrimas? adequacy 2 · fluency 1 · untranslated · wrong sense · grammar
  11. S11No marvel then, though I mistake my view; No hay maravilla entonces, aunque me engaño a mi juicio; adequacy 2 · fluency 2 · wrong sense · grammar
  12. S12The sun itself sees not, till heaven clears. El mismo sol no ve hasta que el cielo se despeja. adequacy 4 · fluency 4
  13. S13O cunning Love! with tears thou keep'st me blind, O astucia Amor! con lágrimas me has keep'st ciego, adequacy 2 · fluency 1 · untranslated · grammar
  14. S14Lest eyes well-seeing thy foul faults should find. Para que no los ojos bien ver tus defectos debe encontrar mal. adequacy 2 · fluency 1 · wrong sense · grammar

Transbliteration

  1. P1Such eyes fill my own S1 · transformed
  2. P2It can't be true S2 · transformed
  3. P3This world in an iris S1 · transformed
  4. P4I can think only in hues S3 · spanish-echo · via sound «en mi opinión es huyeron» — huyeron (fled) heard as hues
  5. P5Is it wrong to see only this? S4 · transformed
  6. P6Would it be wrong to dote upon colored contacts? S5 · transformed — false eyes taken literally as contact lenses
  7. P7Your eyes fill my own S1 · transformed
  8. P8The world in an iris S1 · transformed
  9. P9A world of hues no source · original — refrain elaboration
  10. P10Does love mean anything? S6,7 · transformed
  11. P11I know your eyes are not as sure as mine S8 · transformed — the unreliable eyes are now the addressee's
  12. P12How could it be otherwise? S9 · modernized
  13. P13Love's eyes are true S9 · inverted
  14. P14Even when they blink and weep S10 · inverted
  15. P15It is no marvel S11 · modernized
  16. P16You're surprised by the sun's warmth S12 · transformed
  17. P17Despite the troubled sky S12 · inverted — sun reaches through clouds instead of waiting
  18. P18Love is perceptive S13 · inverted
  19. P19Seeing through the tears as one might through the rain S13 · inverted
  20. P20Love is closer than it appears no source · original — mirror-warning joke

Inversions

  • affirmation-negationS9,10 → P13,14brighter “how can Love's eye be true, / That is so vexed with watching and with tears?” “Love's eyes are true / Even when they blink and weep”
  • affirmation-negationS12 → P17brighter “The sun itself sees not, till heaven clears.” “Despite the troubled sky”
  • affirmation-negationS13 → P18,19brighter “with tears thou keep'st me blind” “Love is perceptive / Seeing through the tears”

Through the Spanish

  • soundT3 → P4 «en mi opinión es huyeron» “I can think only in hues”

Where the translation failed

  • T5 “If that be fair whereon my false eyes dote” → «Si eso es justo mi dote whereon ojos falsos» The premise that what the eyes dote on may be beautiful becomes a just dowry with English left in.
  • T3 “where is my judgement fled” → «en mi opinión es huyeron» The question of where judgement has fled becomes a broken 'in my opinion'.
  • T13 “with tears thou keep'st me blind” → «con lágrimas me has keep'st ciego» The couplet's accusation that Love keeps the speaker blind is left half in English.

See it in the garden →

Hear it read, and watch it turn

The reading, over an interpolation walk through this rendering's own images: each sculpture arrives on the last word of the lines it answers.

The poem, line by line

Such eyes fill my own
It can't be true
	This world in an iris
Sculpture for: Such eyes fill my own / It can't be true / This world in an iris
How this image was made
Triggering line
Such minimalist eyes Fill my own It can't be true This world in an minimalist eye's iris
Seed
1878897266 · 4 steps
Run
20250512052728_1878897266
Drift
  • symbolizing prompt adds "minimalist"
  • substantive prompt adds "minimalist eye's"
CLIP the short prompt T5 the long prompt
Art period samikshavad Pop Art
Material hardstone polystyrene
Adjectives defies logic, handsome, distinctive theurgic, curved pattern, spacey, ethereal, dreamy, folk, hyper, energetic, sparse, color distortions
Background Olympic Sculpture Park Great Dividing Range in the distance
Time of day late afternoon mid-day
Adverbs sufficiently long trajectory, dramatically, amid the wreckage, Juxtaposition of staccato isolations against legato full-body waves affectionately, hadrons, multiverse, blessed tableau of spirits, Dreamscapes manifested through physical poetry, shimmering, rings with the songs of joyful spirits, robust states, metric tensor, quark-gluon plasma
Image qualities ultra detailed OM-D E-M5 Mark III, cartridge-loaded, dreamlike aura, deep depth of field, ISO64, vivid color, beautiful gradient, contest winner, glossy, Matte, Agfa Vista 400
Shape sculpture garden sculpture garden 
I can think only in hues
	Is it wrong to see only this?
Sculpture for: I can think only in hues / Is it wrong to see only this?
How this image was made
Triggering line
I can think only in hues Is it wrong to see only this?
Seed
1878897266 · 4 steps
Run
20250512052728_1878897266
CLIP the short prompt T5 the long prompt
Art period samikshavad Pop Art
Material hardstone polystyrene
Adjectives defies logic, handsome, distinctive theurgic, curved pattern, spacey, ethereal, dreamy, folk, hyper, energetic, sparse, color distortions
Background Olympic Sculpture Park Great Dividing Range in the distance
Time of day late afternoon mid-day
Adverbs sufficiently long trajectory, dramatically, amid the wreckage, Juxtaposition of staccato isolations against legato full-body waves affectionately, hadrons, multiverse, blessed tableau of spirits, Dreamscapes manifested through physical poetry, shimmering, rings with the songs of joyful spirits, robust states, metric tensor, quark-gluon plasma
Image qualities ultra detailed OM-D E-M5 Mark III, cartridge-loaded, dreamlike aura, deep depth of field, ISO64, vivid color, beautiful gradient, contest winner, glossy, Matte, Agfa Vista 400
Shape sculpture garden sculpture garden 
	Would it be wrong to dote upon colored contacts?
Sculpture for: Would it be wrong to dote upon colored contacts?
How this image was made
Triggering line
Would it be wrong to dote upon colored contacts?
Seed
1878897266 · 4 steps
Run
20250512052728_1878897266
CLIP the short prompt T5 the long prompt
Art period samikshavad Pop Art
Material hardstone polystyrene
Adjectives defies logic, handsome, distinctive theurgic, curved pattern, spacey, ethereal, dreamy, folk, hyper, energetic, sparse, color distortions
Background Olympic Sculpture Park Great Dividing Range in the distance
Time of day late afternoon mid-day
Adverbs sufficiently long trajectory, dramatically, amid the wreckage, Juxtaposition of staccato isolations against legato full-body waves affectionately, hadrons, multiverse, blessed tableau of spirits, Dreamscapes manifested through physical poetry, shimmering, rings with the songs of joyful spirits, robust states, metric tensor, quark-gluon plasma
Image qualities ultra detailed OM-D E-M5 Mark III, cartridge-loaded, dreamlike aura, deep depth of field, ISO64, vivid color, beautiful gradient, contest winner, glossy, Matte, Agfa Vista 400
Shape sculpture garden sculpture garden 
Your eyes fill my own
	The world in an iris
		A world of hues
Sculpture for: Your eyes fill my own / The world in an iris / A world of hues
How this image was made
Triggering line
Your stylized eyes Fill my own The world in an virtual iris A world of hues
Seed
1878897266 · 4 steps
Run
20250512052728_1878897266
Drift
  • symbolizing prompt adds "stylized"
  • symbolizing prompt adds "virtual"
CLIP the short prompt T5 the long prompt
Art period samikshavad Pop Art
Material hardstone polystyrene
Adjectives defies logic, handsome, distinctive theurgic, curved pattern, spacey, ethereal, dreamy, folk, hyper, energetic, sparse, color distortions
Background Olympic Sculpture Park Great Dividing Range in the distance
Time of day late afternoon mid-day
Adverbs sufficiently long trajectory, dramatically, amid the wreckage, Juxtaposition of staccato isolations against legato full-body waves affectionately, hadrons, multiverse, blessed tableau of spirits, Dreamscapes manifested through physical poetry, shimmering, rings with the songs of joyful spirits, robust states, metric tensor, quark-gluon plasma
Image qualities ultra detailed OM-D E-M5 Mark III, cartridge-loaded, dreamlike aura, deep depth of field, ISO64, vivid color, beautiful gradient, contest winner, glossy, Matte, Agfa Vista 400
Shape sculpture garden sculpture garden 
Does love mean anything?

Written, not yet carved.

I know your eyes are not as sure as mine
	How could it be otherwise?
Sculpture for: I know your eyes are not as sure as mine / How could it be otherwise?
How this image was made
Triggering line
I know your symoblic eyes are not as sure as mine How could it be otherwise?
Seed
1878897266 · 4 steps
Run
20250512052728_1878897266
Drift
  • symbolizing prompt adds "symoblic"
CLIP the short prompt T5 the long prompt
Art period samikshavad Pop Art
Material hardstone polystyrene
Adjectives defies logic, handsome, distinctive theurgic, curved pattern, spacey, ethereal, dreamy, folk, hyper, energetic, sparse, color distortions
Background Olympic Sculpture Park Great Dividing Range in the distance
Time of day late afternoon mid-day
Adverbs sufficiently long trajectory, dramatically, amid the wreckage, Juxtaposition of staccato isolations against legato full-body waves affectionately, hadrons, multiverse, blessed tableau of spirits, Dreamscapes manifested through physical poetry, shimmering, rings with the songs of joyful spirits, robust states, metric tensor, quark-gluon plasma
Image qualities ultra detailed OM-D E-M5 Mark III, cartridge-loaded, dreamlike aura, deep depth of field, ISO64, vivid color, beautiful gradient, contest winner, glossy, Matte, Agfa Vista 400
Shape sculpture garden sculpture garden 
	Love's eyes are true
		Even when they blink and weep
	It is no marvel
Sculpture for: Love's eyes are true / Even when they blink and weep / It is no marvel
How this image was made
Triggering line
Love's symoblic eyes are true Even when they blink and weep It is no marvel
Seed
1878897266 · 4 steps
Run
20250512052728_1878897266
Drift
  • symbolizing prompt adds "symoblic"
CLIP the short prompt T5 the long prompt
Art period samikshavad Pop Art
Material hardstone polystyrene
Adjectives defies logic, handsome, distinctive theurgic, curved pattern, spacey, ethereal, dreamy, folk, hyper, energetic, sparse, color distortions
Background Olympic Sculpture Park Great Dividing Range in the distance
Time of day late afternoon mid-day
Adverbs sufficiently long trajectory, dramatically, amid the wreckage, Juxtaposition of staccato isolations against legato full-body waves affectionately, hadrons, multiverse, blessed tableau of spirits, Dreamscapes manifested through physical poetry, shimmering, rings with the songs of joyful spirits, robust states, metric tensor, quark-gluon plasma
Image qualities ultra detailed OM-D E-M5 Mark III, cartridge-loaded, dreamlike aura, deep depth of field, ISO64, vivid color, beautiful gradient, contest winner, glossy, Matte, Agfa Vista 400
Shape sculpture garden sculpture garden 
You're surprised by the sun's warmth
	Despite the troubled sky
Sculpture for: You're surprised by the sun's warmth / Despite the troubled sky
How this image was made
Triggering line
You're surprised by the stylized sun's warmth Despite the troubled stylized sky
Seed
1878897266 · 4 steps
Run
20250512052728_1878897266
Drift
  • symbolizing prompt adds "stylized"
  • symbolizing prompt adds "stylized"
CLIP the short prompt T5 the long prompt
Art period samikshavad Pop Art
Material hardstone polystyrene
Adjectives defies logic, handsome, distinctive theurgic, curved pattern, spacey, ethereal, dreamy, folk, hyper, energetic, sparse, color distortions
Background Olympic Sculpture Park Great Dividing Range in the distance
Time of day late afternoon mid-day
Adverbs sufficiently long trajectory, dramatically, amid the wreckage, Juxtaposition of staccato isolations against legato full-body waves affectionately, hadrons, multiverse, blessed tableau of spirits, Dreamscapes manifested through physical poetry, shimmering, rings with the songs of joyful spirits, robust states, metric tensor, quark-gluon plasma
Image qualities ultra detailed OM-D E-M5 Mark III, cartridge-loaded, dreamlike aura, deep depth of field, ISO64, vivid color, beautiful gradient, contest winner, glossy, Matte, Agfa Vista 400
Shape sculpture garden sculpture garden 
Love is perceptive
	Seeing through the tears as one might through the rain
Sculpture for: Love is perceptive / Seeing through the tears as one might through the rain
How this image was made
Triggering line
Love is perceptive Seeing through the tears as one might through the rain
Seed
1878897266 · 4 steps
Run
20250512052728_1878897266
CLIP the short prompt T5 the long prompt
Art period samikshavad Pop Art
Material hardstone polystyrene
Adjectives defies logic, handsome, distinctive theurgic, curved pattern, spacey, ethereal, dreamy, folk, hyper, energetic, sparse, color distortions
Background Olympic Sculpture Park Great Dividing Range in the distance
Time of day late afternoon mid-day
Adverbs sufficiently long trajectory, dramatically, amid the wreckage, Juxtaposition of staccato isolations against legato full-body waves affectionately, hadrons, multiverse, blessed tableau of spirits, Dreamscapes manifested through physical poetry, shimmering, rings with the songs of joyful spirits, robust states, metric tensor, quark-gluon plasma
Image qualities ultra detailed OM-D E-M5 Mark III, cartridge-loaded, dreamlike aura, deep depth of field, ISO64, vivid color, beautiful gradient, contest winner, glossy, Matte, Agfa Vista 400
Shape sculpture garden sculpture garden 
Love is closer than it appears
Sculpture for: Love is closer than it appears
How this image was made
Triggering line
Love is closer than it appears
Seed
1878897266 · 4 steps
Run
20250512052728_1878897266
CLIP the short prompt T5 the long prompt
Art period samikshavad Pop Art
Material hardstone polystyrene
Adjectives defies logic, handsome, distinctive theurgic, curved pattern, spacey, ethereal, dreamy, folk, hyper, energetic, sparse, color distortions
Background Olympic Sculpture Park Great Dividing Range in the distance
Time of day late afternoon mid-day
Adverbs sufficiently long trajectory, dramatically, amid the wreckage, Juxtaposition of staccato isolations against legato full-body waves affectionately, hadrons, multiverse, blessed tableau of spirits, Dreamscapes manifested through physical poetry, shimmering, rings with the songs of joyful spirits, robust states, metric tensor, quark-gluon plasma
Image qualities ultra detailed OM-D E-M5 Mark III, cartridge-loaded, dreamlike aura, deep depth of field, ISO64, vivid color, beautiful gradient, contest winner, glossy, Matte, Agfa Vista 400
Shape sculpture garden sculpture garden

Sculptures

From line 1: “Such minimalist eyes Fill my own It can't be true This world in an minimalist eye's iris”
From line 2: “I can think only in hues Is it wrong to see only this?”
From line 3: “Would it be wrong to dote upon colored contacts?”
From line 4: “Your stylized eyes Fill my own The world in an virtual iris A world of hues”
From line 6: “I know your symoblic eyes are not as sure as mine How could it be otherwise?”
From line 7: “Love's symoblic eyes are true Even when they blink and weep It is no marvel”
From line 8: “You're surprised by the stylized sun's warmth Despite the troubled stylized sky”
From line 9: “Love is perceptive Seeing through the tears as one might through the rain”
From line 10: “Love is closer than it appears”