diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Backend/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Variable/WysiwygPlugin.php b/app/code/Magento/Backend/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Variable/WysiwygPlugin.php
index 31dd38503634a..54342e907d21e 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Backend/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Variable/WysiwygPlugin.php
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Backend/Controller/Adminhtml/System/Variable/WysiwygPlugin.php
@@ -14,14 +14,16 @@ class WysiwygPlugin extends \Magento\Backend\Controller\Adminhtml\System\Variabl
      */
     public function execute()
     {
-        $customVariables = $this->_objectManager->create('Magento\Core\Model\Variable')->getVariablesOptionArray(true);
+        $objectManager = $this->_objectManager->create('Magento\Core\Model\Variable');
+        $customVariables = $objectManager->getVariablesOptionArray(true);
         $storeContactVariabls = $this->_objectManager->create(
             'Magento\Email\Model\Source\Variables'
         )->toOptionArray(
             true
         );
+        $translateVariables = $objectManager->getTranslateVariablesOptionArray(true);
         /** @var \Magento\Framework\Controller\Result\JSON $resultJson */
         $resultJson = $this->resultJsonFactory->create();
-        return $resultJson->setData([$storeContactVariabls, $customVariables]);
+        return $resultJson->setData([$storeContactVariabls, $customVariables, $translateVariables]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Core/Model/Variable.php b/app/code/Magento/Core/Model/Variable.php
index 725d458de080a..67c491da12df2 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Core/Model/Variable.php
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Core/Model/Variable.php
@@ -136,6 +136,26 @@ public function validate()
         return __('Validation has failed.');
     }
 
+    /** 
+     * Retrieve translation option
+     * @param bool $withGroup
+     * @return array
+     */
+    public function getTranslateVariablesOptionArray($withGroup = false)
+    {
+        $optionArray[] = [
+            'value' => '{{translate text=""}}',
+            'label' => "Translate string"
+        ];
+        if ($withGroup && $optionArray) {
+            $optionArray = [
+                'label' => __('Translation'),
+                'value' => $optionArray
+            ];
+        }
+        return $optionArray;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Retrieve variables option array
      * @todo: extract method as separate class
diff --git a/app/code/Magento/Widget/Model/Template/Filter.php b/app/code/Magento/Widget/Model/Template/Filter.php
index e5c7aa30374b2..72ef2985bb9c3 100644
--- a/app/code/Magento/Widget/Model/Template/Filter.php
+++ b/app/code/Magento/Widget/Model/Template/Filter.php
@@ -107,4 +107,17 @@ public function widgetDirective($construction)
 
         return $widget->toHtml();
     }
+
+    /**
+    * Generate translatable text
+    *
+    * @param array $construction
+    * @return string
+    */
+    public function translateDirective($construction)
+    {
+        $params = $this->_getIncludeParameters($construction[2]);
+        $text = $params['text'];
+        return __($text);
+    }
 }