Computers don’t know when they’re confused, so sometimes artificial intelligence gives you utter nonsense and sometimes the brilliant ravings of a mad genius.

I’ve found Google Translate to be gold mine for poetic inspiration.

Working on the musical Water Between Us , I got to play with English translations of Armenian folk songs, fusing human translations with Google’s attempts. My aim was to craft not an exact translation, but a poetic interpretation faithful to the original.

Google crunched some numbers and popped out these gems–“flooded runaway fountains” and “look at my heartbeats.”

Even without a computer’s brilliant nonsense, translating idioms creates gorgeous eloquence. “The roads are crying awaiting your return.”

I didn’t end up using this song in the show, but it’s too beautiful not to share.

Here’s a line from “Kanchum Em Ari Ari:”

“The roses are wet with dew, my love…”

Google continues: “Circles are the cries of my heart.”

Humans say, “Those drops of dew are my hearts tears.”

I think Google gets the profound card here.

Grief can lend a certain kind of madness to one’s words. Like a vain attempt to express something beyond language.

So when a computer makes our language all topsy-turvy, it somehow sounds just right when everything feels all wrong.