diff --git a/translator/helpers.go b/translator/helpers.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aff6b4f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/translator/helpers.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Red Hat, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//	http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package translator
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+)
+
+// ParseVariantVersion extracts the variant and version from Butane config bytes.
+//
+// This function only parses the minimal metadata needed to identify which
+// translator to use. It does not validate the full config structure.
+//
+// Returns an error if the variant or version fields are missing or invalid.
+func ParseVariantVersion(input []byte) (variant, version string, err error) {
+	var cf commonFields
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(input, &cf); err != nil {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("failed to parse config: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if cf.Variant == "" {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("missing 'variant' field in config")
+	}
+
+	return cf.Variant, cf.Version.String(), nil
+}
diff --git a/translator/interface.go b/translator/interface.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..00e8369b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/translator/interface.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Red Hat, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//	http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package translator
+
+import (
+	"github.com/coreos/vcontext/report"
+)
+
+// Translator translates Butane configuration to Ignition configuration.
+//
+// Each Butane variant (fcos, flatcar, r4e, openshift, etc.) should implement this
+// interface for each supported version.
+type Translator interface {
+	// Metadata the variant, version, and target Ignition version.
+	Metadata() Metadata
+	// Parse yml into schema struct, basically a yaml.Unmarshal wrapper?
+	Parse(input []byte /*opts?*/) (interface{}, error)
+	// From inner schema struct to Ignition struct
+	Translate(input interface{}, options Options) (interface{}, report.Report, error)
+	// Validates yml inner struct
+	Validate(in interface{}) (report.Report, error)
+}
diff --git a/translator/metadata.go b/translator/metadata.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cfc7546a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/translator/metadata.go
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Red Hat, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//	http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+package translator
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/coreos/go-semver/semver"
+)
+
+type commonFields struct {
+	Variant string         `yaml:"variant"`
+	Version semver.Version `yaml:"version"`
+}
+
+type Metadata struct {
+	commonFields
+	Description     string
+	Experimental    bool
+	IgnitionVersion semver.Version
+}
+
+func (c *commonFields) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
+	type plain commonFields
+	var raw plain
+
+	if err := unmarshal(&raw); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if raw.Variant == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("variant cannot be empty")
+	}
+
+	*c = commonFields(raw)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *commonFields) asKey() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s+%s", c.Variant, c.Version.String())
+}
+
+func newCF(variant, version string) (commonFields, error) {
+	if variant == "" {
+		return commonFields{}, fmt.Errorf("variant cannot be empty")
+	}
+
+	v, err := semver.NewVersion(version)
+	if err != nil {
+		return commonFields{}, fmt.Errorf("invalid version: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return commonFields{
+		Variant: variant,
+		Version: *v,
+	}, nil
+}
diff --git a/translator/options.go b/translator/options.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5405d63f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/translator/options.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Red Hat, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//	http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package translator
+
+type Options struct {
+	FilesDir                  string
+	NoResourceAutoCompression bool
+	DebugPrintTranslations    bool
+	Pretty                    bool
+	Raw                       bool
+}
diff --git a/translator/registry.go b/translator/registry.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1c88d4cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/translator/registry.go
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Red Hat, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//	http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package translator
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+// Global registry for all translators.
+// Variants register in init() functions.
+var Global = NewRegistry()
+
+type Registry struct {
+	translators map[string]Translator
+}
+
+func NewRegistry() *Registry {
+	return &Registry{
+		translators: make(map[string]Translator),
+	}
+}
+
+// Register adds a translator. Panics if already registered.
+func (r *Registry) Register(t Translator) {
+	meta := t.Metadata()
+	key := meta.commonFields.asKey()
+
+	if _, exists := r.translators[key]; exists {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("translator already registered: %s version %s",
+			meta.Variant, meta.Version.String()))
+	}
+
+	r.translators[key] = t
+}
+
+// Get retrieves a translator by variant and version.
+func (r *Registry) Get(variant, version string) (Translator, error) {
+	cf, err := newCF(variant, version)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid variant/version: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	key := cf.asKey()
+	t, ok := r.translators[key]
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no translator registered for %s version %s", variant, version)
+	}
+
+	return t, nil
+}
+
+func (r *Registry) IsRegistered(variant, version string) bool {
+	cf, err := newCF(variant, version)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	_, ok := r.translators[cf.asKey()]
+	return ok
+}
+
+// List returns all registered translator metadata.
+func (r *Registry) List() []Metadata {
+	result := make([]Metadata, 0, len(r.translators))
+	for _, t := range r.translators {
+		result = append(result, t.Metadata())
+	}
+	return result
+}
+
+// Translate auto-detects variant/version and translates the input.
+func (r *Registry) Translate(ctx context.Context, input []byte, opts Options) (Result, error) {
+	res := Result{}
+	variant, version, err := ParseVariantVersion(input)
+	if err != nil {
+		return res, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse variant/version: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	t, err := r.Get(variant, version)
+	if err != nil {
+		return res, err
+	}
+
+	parsed, err := t.Parse(input)
+	if err != nil {
+		return res, err
+	}
+
+	report, err := t.Validate(parsed)
+	res.Report = report
+	if err != nil {
+		return res, err
+	}
+
+	translated, report, err := t.Translate(parsed, opts)
+	res.Report.Merge(report)
+	if err != nil {
+		return res, err
+	}
+
+	out, err := marshal(translated, opts.Pretty)
+	if err != nil {
+		return res, err
+	}
+	res.Output = out
+
+	return res, nil
+}
+
+func marshal(from interface{}, pretty bool) ([]byte, error) {
+	if pretty {
+		return json.MarshalIndent(from, "", "  ")
+	}
+	return json.Marshal(from)
+}
diff --git a/translator/result.go b/translator/result.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9b40b26e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/translator/result.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Red Hat, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//	http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package translator
+
+import (
+	"github.com/coreos/butane/translate"
+	"github.com/coreos/vcontext/report"
+)
+
+// Result contains the output of a translation operation.
+//
+// This matches the existing return pattern from ToIgnXXBytes functions
+// but wraps them in a struct for better extensibility.
+type Result struct {
+	// Output is the translated Ignition configuration as JSON bytes.
+	Output []byte
+
+	// Report contains warnings and errors from the translation process.
+	// Use Report.IsFatal() to check if translation failed.
+	Report report.Report
+
+	// TranslationSet tracks how source paths in the Butane config map to
+	// output paths in the Ignition config. Used for debugging and tooling.
+	TranslationSet translate.TranslationSet
+}