There are two general types of translation, one of which is called literary translation. In literary translation, a copy of the original text is needed. Besides this, mastery of foreign language is also required to conduct a literary translation. Some may think that translating a piece of literature from one language to another is not that difficult as long as the translator is an expert in both languages. They may have a point but literary translation does not end with the mastery of language especially if we are talking about poetry.
French poetry translation is a complicated task. Yes, the language is important but when it comes to poetry the translator must also bear in mind the poet’s ideas. After all, literary translation is not just the literal translation from one language to another.
Let’s say you have a poem by Victor Hugo in French. Using free language translators which are rampant in the Internet may give you an English version but how sure are you that the result is indeed what the poem means? A one word difference in the arrangement of the sentence can turn the whole text into something else. It is understandable if there are people who fear that the meaning of the piece will lose impact once translated.
For French poetry translation, you should rely on an expert not only in the French language but also a master in poetry.