Well, as I previously stated:
Try to find source material that is either in epub, docx, mobi, htm(l), azw3, or fb2. That way you can just convert it to docx, toss it into Google translate, and fix the few remaining translation errors, thereby retaining the original chapters, Footnotes, etc, all while not having the translation messed up due to page breaks, section breaks, hyphenations, page numbers, headers, Footnotes, etc. that will invariably result from using a pdf as your source.
Crap! I had so much text typed out on my crappy phone but I stayed on another tab for too long and poof; Page refreshed! Anyways, long-story short, and as much as I hate to say it, for modern language translations of an entire eBook, Google wins, (yes, even despite it's rare idiosyncrasies, Google still has far less of these occurrences than DeepL, and this is coming from someone who [formerly] paid a yearly subscription to DeepL!).
Truth be told, if you have the patience for it... ChatGPT4 all the way! But you've got to be really dedicated as it can only output approximately 5,000-7,500 words for each prompt.
For example, I'm working on both a prose and verse version of Konrads von Würzburg's "Trojanischer Krieg," one section at a time.
Google et al. can only translate modern languages, they cannot translate dead languages.
Here's just a random promt I gave it from The Rape of Helena (which as a side note was almost impossible to find in plain text!)
Me:
Translate the following text into rhymed English verse, ala Thomas Carlyle, trying your best to have your output's word count come as close to the input word count so as not to diverge too far from the original text's authenticity (within reason):
"Cassander dise rede treip.
ân alle fröude si beleip
und tet sich hôchgemüetes abe.
ir jâmer unde ir ungehabe
die wurden alsô bitter,
daz vrouwen unde ritter
mit ir beswæret wâren,
dâ von Prîant die clâren
hin ab dem wege füeren hiez.
in ein gaden er si stiez
und bat si drîn besliezen,
wan in begunde erdriezen
ir clegelîche swære.
man wânde, daz si wære
unsinnic worden bî der stunt,
dô wart in allen schiere kunt,
daz si vil schône sich versan,
wan ir rede sich began
bewæren in vil kurzen tagen.
ir lôzen unde ir wîssagen
erfüllet wurden ûf ein ort.
man spurte schiere, daz ir wort
belîben muosten ungelogen.
diu mære wâren dâ geflogen
über al der Kriechen lant,
daz mit gewalteclicher hant
Helêne was gezücket.
dâ von wart dâ verdrücket
fröud unde hôchgemüete."
ChatGPT4:
In wisdom's grip, Cassander saw
A future where joy fled in awe.
He stepped aside, with spirit high,
As grief and chaos filled the sky.
So bitter was their common fate,
That knights and ladies, once so great,
Were burdened with a weight immense,
Prompting Priam's wise defense.
From the path, he steered them clear,
Into a garden, drawing near.
There he bade them to remain enclosed,
For their lamenting had him opposed.
So heavy was their shared despair,
Some thought madness sparked the air.
Yet soon, to all, it was made known,
Their minds stood firm, like age-old stone.
In days but few, their foresight shown,
Their prophecies, in truth, had grown.
Proven right, their words took flight,
Echoing through the Grecian night.
Tales of Helen, forcefully taken,
Spread o'er lands, by grief awoken,
Dulling joy and pride once spoken.
