Programmatically create a placeholder node with translations and localized main menu links.

localized_placeholder_node_and_menu_item.php

<?php

// The following code snippet is used to add a placeholder page and companion
// localized menu items to a site with i18n_menu and entity_translation enabled.

/**
 * Create an About page.
 */
function mymodule_create_about_page() {
  // Config data.
  $type = 'article';
  $title = array(
    'en' => 'About',
    'ar' => 'حول',
    'he' => 'אודות',
    'fa' => 'درباره',
  );
  $body = array(
    'en' => 'Placeholder for about page.',
    'ar' => 'نائب لصفحة حول هذا الموقع.',
    'he' => 'מציין מיקום של דף על אתר זה.',
    'fa' => 'مکان نگه دار برای یک صفحه در مورد این وب سایت.',
  );

  // Prepare objects with defaults.
  $node = new stdClass();
  $node->nid = NULL;
  $node->type = $type;
  $node->uid = 1;
  node_object_prepare($node);

  // Create the node in the site's default language.
  $lang_default = language_default('language');
  $node->language = $lang_default;

  // Set title and body fields.
  $node->title = isset($title[$lang_default]) ? $title[$lang_default] : $title['en'] . " [$lang]";
  $node->body[$lang_default][]['value'] = isset($body[$lang_default]) ? $body[$lang_default] : $body['en'] . " [$lang]";

  // Create a menu entry.
  $link = array(
    'enabled' => TRUE,
    'link_title' => $node->title,
    'description' => '',
    'menu_name' => 'main-menu',
    'language' => $lang_default,
  );
  $node->menu = $link;

  // Save node.
  node_save($node);

  // Stop here unless there's more than one language enabled.
  if (count(language_list()) == 1) {
    return;
  }

  // Enable menu translation and dependencies, if not already enabled.
  // Note: ensure the menu is set to "Translate and Localize", otherwise
  // all links will appear in all languages!
  if (!module_exists('i18n_menu')) {
    module_enable(array('i18n_menu'), TRUE);
  }

  // Create a translation set to link the original menu items created above
  // to the menu translations that we will create further below.
  $menu_translation_set = i18n_translation_set_create('menu_link');
  $default_menu_item = menu_link_load($node->menu['mlid']);
  $default_menu_item['i18n_tsid'] = $menu_translation_set->tsid;
  $default_menu_item['customized'] = 1;
  menu_link_save($default_menu_item);

  // Add a translation for each enabled language on the site.
  foreach (language_list() as $lang => $language) {
    // Skip the default language.
    if ($lang == $lang_default) {
      continue;
    }
    // Add translated title field (assumes title module is present).
    $node->title_field[$lang][]['value'] = isset($title[$lang]) ? $title[$lang] : $title['en'] . " [$lang]";

    // Add translated body field.
    $node->body[$lang][]['value'] = isset($body[$lang]) ? $body[$lang] : $body['en'] . " [$lang]";

    // Add node translation.
    $node->translations->data[$lang]['entity_type'] = 'node';
    $node->translations->data[$lang]['entity_id'] = $node->nid;
    $node->translations->data[$lang]['language'] = $lang;
    $node->translations->data[$lang]['source'] = $node->language;
    $node->translations->data[$lang]['uid'] = $node->uid;
    $node->translations->data[$lang]['status'] = $node->status;
    $node->translations->data[$lang]['translate'] = 0;
    $node->translations->data[$lang]['created'] = $node->created;
    $node->translations->data[$lang]['changed'] = $node->changed;

    // Save node translation.
    node_save($node);

    // Create a translated menu item grouping it with the translation set id
    // created above.
    $translated_menu_item = array(
      'enabled' => TRUE,
      'link_title' => $node->title_field[$lang][0]['value'],
      'menu_name'  => 'main-menu',
      'customized' => 1,
      'link_path'  => 'node/' . $node->nid,
      'language'  => $lang,
      'i18n_tsid' => $menu_translation_set->tsid,
    );
    menu_link_save($translated_menu_item);
  }
}