diff --git a/django/core/template/__init__.py b/django/core/template/__init__.py
index 0011cb2c9a..2f1caf657f 100644
--- a/django/core/template/__init__.py
+++ b/django/core/template/__init__.py
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ class FilterParser:
         self.current_filter_arg = None
         # First read the variable part - decide on wether we need
         # to parse a string or a variable by peeking into the stream
-        if self.peek_char() in ('"', "'"):
+        if self.peek_char() in ('_', '"', "'"):
             self.var = self.read_constant_string_token()
         else:
             self.var = self.read_alphanumeric_token()
@@ -382,7 +382,14 @@ class FilterParser:
         or ' characters. The string is returned with it's delimiters."""
         val = ''
         qchar = None
+        i18n = False
         self.next_char()
+        if self.current == '_':
+            i18n = True
+            self.next_char() 
+            if self.current != '(':
+                raise TemplateSyntaxError, "Bad character (expecting '(') '%s'" % self.current
+            self.next_char()
         if not self.current in ('"', "'"):
             raise TemplateSyntaxError, "Bad character (expecting '\"' or ''') '%s'" % self.current
         qchar = self.current
@@ -394,6 +401,11 @@ class FilterParser:
            val += self.current
         val += self.current
         self.next_char()
+        if i18n:
+            if self.current != ')':
+                raise TemplateSyntaxError, "Bad character (expecting ')') '%s'" % self.current
+            self.next_char()
+            val = qchar+_(val.strip(qchar))+qchar
         return val
 
     def read_alphanumeric_token(self):
diff --git a/tests/othertests/templates.py b/tests/othertests/templates.py
index c889f2c7cb..ec6c55fb05 100644
--- a/tests/othertests/templates.py
+++ b/tests/othertests/templates.py
@@ -252,6 +252,9 @@ TEMPLATE_TESTS = {
 
     # usage of the get_available_languages tag
     'i18n12': ('{% load i18n %}{% get_available_languages as langs %}{% for lang in langs %}{% ifequal lang.0 "de" %}{{ lang.0 }}{% endifequal %}{% endfor %}', {}, 'de'),
+
+    # translation of a constant string
+    'i18n13': ('{{ _("Page not found") }}', {'LANGUAGE_CODE': 'de'}, 'Seite nicht gefunden'),
 }
 
 def test_template_loader(template_name, template_dirs=None):