diff --git a/lib/server/generate.js b/lib/server/generate.js
index 95d0cb061e..9eed3661fc 100644
--- a/lib/server/generate.js
+++ b/lib/server/generate.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
   const glob = require('glob');
   const Site = require('../core/Site.js');
   const siteConfig = require(CWD + '/siteConfig.js');
+  const translate = require('./translate.js');
   let languages;
   if (fs.existsSync(CWD + '/languages.js')) {
     languages = require(CWD + '/languages.js');
@@ -224,26 +225,47 @@
   files = glob.sync(CWD + '/pages/**');
   files.forEach(file => {
     if (file.match(/\.js$/)) {
-      let parts = file.split('pages');
-      let tempFile = __dirname +'/../pages' + parts[1];
+      /* make temp file for sake of require paths */
+      const parts = file.split('pages');
+      let tempFile = __dirname + '/../pages' + parts[1];
       tempFile = tempFile.replace(path.basename(file), 'temp' + path.basename(file));
       mkdirp.sync(tempFile.replace(new RegExp('/[^/]*$'), ''));
       fs.copySync(file, tempFile);
 
-      let language = 'en';
+      const ReactComp = require(tempFile);
+
+      let targetFile = __dirname + '/../../build/' + siteConfig.projectName + '/' + parts[1];
+      targetFile = targetFile.replace(/\.js$/, '.html');
+
       const regexLang = /\/pages\/(.*)\//;
       const match = regexLang.exec(file);
-      let langParts = match[1].split('/');
-      for (let i = 0; i < langParts.length; i++) {
-        if (enabledLanguages.indexOf(langParts[i]) !== -1) {
-          language = langParts[i];
+      const langParts = match[1].split('/');
+      if (langParts.indexOf('en') !== -1) {
+        /* copy and compile a page for each enabled language from the English file */
+        for (let i = 0; i < enabledLanguages.length; i++) {
+          let language = enabledLanguages[i];
+          /* skip conversion from english file if a file exists for this language */
+          if (language !== 'en' && fs.existsSync(file.replace('/en/', '/' + language + '/'))) {
+            continue;
+          }
+          translate.setLanguage(language);
+          const str = renderToStaticMarkup(<Site language={language} config={siteConfig}><ReactComp language={language}/></Site>);
+          writeFileAndCreateFolder(targetFile.replace('/en/', '/' + language + '/'), str);
         }
+
+      }
+      /* allow for rendering of other files not in pages/en folder */
+      else {
+        let language = 'en';
+        for (let i = 0; i < langParts.length; i++) {
+          if (enabledLanguages.indexOf(langParts[i]) !== -1) {
+            language = langParts[i];
+          }
+        }
+        translate.setLanguage(language);
+        const str = renderToStaticMarkup(<Site language={language} config={siteConfig}><ReactComp language={language}/></Site>);
+        writeFileAndCreateFolder(targetFile, str);
       }
-      let targetFile = __dirname + '/../../build' + '/' + siteConfig.projectName + '/' + parts[1];
-      targetFile = targetFile.replace(/\.js$/, '.html');
-      const ReactComp = require(tempFile);
-      const str = renderToStaticMarkup(<Site language={language} config={siteConfig}><ReactComp language={language}/></Site>);
-      writeFileAndCreateFolder(targetFile, str);
 
       fs.removeSync(tempFile);
     }
diff --git a/lib/server/translate-plugin.js b/lib/server/translate-plugin.js
index 845d079dbc..cfadac8ca1 100644
--- a/lib/server/translate-plugin.js
+++ b/lib/server/translate-plugin.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ module.exports = function translatePlugin(babel) {
         }
         /* assume translate element only has one child which is the text */
         const text = path.node.children[0].value.trim();
-        let description;
+        let description = "no description given";
         const attributes = path.node.openingElement.attributes;
         for (let i = 0; i < attributes.length; i++) {
           if (attributes[i].name.name === "desc") {
diff --git a/lib/server/translate.js b/lib/server/translate.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..44dfed7602
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/server/translate.js
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2017-present, Facebook, Inc.
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the BSD-style license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree. An additional grant
+ * of patent rights can be found in the PATENTS file in the same directory.
+ */
+
+const siteConfig = require(CWD + "/siteConfig.js");
+
+let language = "en";
+
+function setLanguage(lang) {
+  language = lang;
+}
+
+function translate(str) {
+  return siteConfig[language]["pages-strings"][str];
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  setLanguage: setLanguage,
+  translate: translate
+};
diff --git a/lib/write-translations.js b/lib/write-translations.js
index 463b916b55..7dff6ff650 100644
--- a/lib/write-translations.js
+++ b/lib/write-translations.js
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ function execute() {
             path.node.openingElement.name.name === "translate"
           ) {
             const text = path.node.children[0].value.trim();
-            let description;
+            let description = "no description given";
             const attributes = path.node.openingElement.attributes;
             for (let i = 0; i < attributes.length; i++) {
               if (attributes[i].name.name === "desc") {