The Guardian Unlimited book blog has an interesting post about translating poetry. Really, I think it pertains to translating most writing that is not soley instructional or informational.

Some people would disagree, saying poetry in translation is the wrong side of the tapestry – it just can’t be done. But they are talking about replication, not translation. It is perfectly true that you will never get a replica of the original – nor would you wish to. The way it works, when translator and original are in tune, is that a third poem is created. It is the child of two parents and simply couldn’t exist without them.