diff --git a/django/core/template/defaultfilters.py b/django/core/template/defaultfilters.py
index 9fa6f4526f..de6da35cbb 100644
--- a/django/core/template/defaultfilters.py
+++ b/django/core/template/defaultfilters.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 from django.core.template import resolve_variable, Library
 from django.conf.settings import DATE_FORMAT, TIME_FORMAT
+from django.utils.translation import gettext
 import re
 import random as random_module
 
@@ -351,7 +352,7 @@ def divisibleby(value, arg):
     "Returns true if the value is devisible by the argument"
     return int(value) % int(arg) == 0
 
-def yesno(value, arg=_("yes,no,maybe")):
+def yesno(value, arg=None):
     """
     Given a string mapping values for true, false and (optionally) None,
     returns one of those strings accoding to the value:
@@ -365,7 +366,9 @@ def yesno(value, arg=_("yes,no,maybe")):
     ``None``    ``"yeah,no"``           ``"no"`` (converts None to False
                                         if no mapping for None is given.
     ==========  ======================  ==================================
-   """
+    """
+    if arg is None:
+        arg = gettext('yes,no,maybe')
     bits = arg.split(',')
     if len(bits) < 2:
         return value # Invalid arg.
@@ -470,4 +473,4 @@ register.filter(urlize)
 register.filter(urlizetrunc)
 register.filter(wordcount)
 register.filter(wordwrap)
-register.filter(yesno)
\ No newline at end of file
+register.filter(yesno)