Although Seamus Heaney and R.M. Liuzza both translated the literary work Beowulf from an Old English text, subtle differences appear in their works that reveal each author's unique perspectives. When comparing the different translations, it becomes apparent that, although Liuzza's and Heaney's translations look very similar, slight disparities exist that define each author's specific focus and purpose. The most obvious difference between the works of Liuzza and Heaney lies in their writing style. Heaney's translation is a slightly more modern approach to the story. While this makes the book more appealing to first-time readers, as it is easier to understand, translating the text into more contemporary language removes some of the richness of the plot. For example, lines 3069-3075 in Heaney's text are as follows: "The noble chiefs who had buried the treasure/ Declared it until the day of judgment so cursed/ That whoever robbed it would be guilty of wrong/ And cruelly punished for his transgression, / ran in hellish bonds in pagan sanctuaries. / Yet Beowulf's gaze towards the old treasure / when he first saw it had not been selfish.” The lines flow quite smoothly, and the meaning is clear enough, but Liuzza's version is much more full of thought: "for until the day of judgment mighty princes had deeply / pronounced, when they set him there, that the man who had having plundered that place he would have been / tormented by hostile demons, locked in infernal bonds, / severely tortured, guilty of sins, / unless the grace of the Master had first / more readily favored the greedy for gold." (3069-3075) Liuzza's translation offers the most colorful description of the punishment that awaits those who dare to plunder the dragon's treasure. Curiously, Heaney mentions that Beowulf had not been selfish when he laid his eyes on the gold, yet Liuzza makes no mention of Beowulf in the same passage. This appears to be a reckless error on Heaney's part, as the Old English text alongside his translation makes no mention of Biowulfe – the Old English word for Beowulf – in the corresponding section. This apparent oversight detracts from the authenticity of Heaney's work. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although the writer who composed Beowulf was supposedly a Christian, the warriors in the tale are not. Heaney's version seems to reflect more Christian elements than Liuzza's. For example, in line 3109, Heaney writes that Beowulf will "long abide under the care of the Almighty." Liuzza states that Beowulf will "long rest in the Sovereign's custody." The difference between the words "Almighty" and "Sovereign" may seem trivial, but this discrepancy reveals much about the Christian element involved in each translation. An omnipotent has “supreme power [and is] omnipotent” (Avis et al, 32), while a ruler is simply “a person who rules” (Avis et al, 982). In this context, the Almighty could easily be seen as the all-powerful Christian God, and the Sovereign could be seen as any of a multitude of lesser gods or deities. Another example of Christian overtones in Heaney's work appears in line 3123: "under the Roof cursed by God; one held up a lighted torch..." Liuzza translates the same passage as "under that evil roof, one of the brave warriors carried a flaming torch in his hands." Once again, the difference between “evil” and “cursed by God” appears negligible. However, an object, person, or place has the capacity to be evil without any divine intervention. It is not unlikely that ipagans have proclaimed something evil. Being cursed by God means that God had direct involvement in a situation. It is safe to assume that the God in Heaney's work is the Christian God, since the "g" is capitalized. If the cave were cursed by God, it could be cursed by any pagan god; Cursed of God implies that the Christian God had a direct role in the matter. The sense of Christianity in Heaney's work adds to its overall accuracy as a translation, since, as already mentioned, the warriors the original poet wrote about were not Christians, but the writer was. As a Christian, he would in fact think that the dragon's lair is not only "evil", but also "cursed by God". He would also think that after death, the soul resides in the care of an "Almighty" God, not in the presence of a mere "Sovereign". Liuzza's work takes the position of the warriors themselves and ignores the religious intentions of the original author. Another topic on which Liuzza and Heaney seem to differ is the theme of courage in Beowulf. Although courage is revered in both translations, for Liuzza it is of greater importance. In Beowulf's burial scene alone, he mentions courage in two instances, while the same references to courage are simply omitted in Heaney's version. According to Liuzza, Wiglaf was "one of the valiant warriors" (3124) who entered the dragon's cave. In Heaney's version, Wiglaf was simply "the eighth of their number" (3124). Later, Liuzza writes that the warriors "built the lighthouse / of that valiant fighter" (3159-3160), while Heaney writes that the lighthouse "was the memorial of their hero" (3160). It is clear that either Heaney does not value courage as much as Liuzza does, or he simply perceives that the original author did not place very significant emphasis on courage. Unless you study Old English, it is impossible to determine who translated Beowulf most accurately. Liuzza and Heaney's translations also differ on a more superficial level. Liuzza included many footnotes, placing them on most of his pages. Heaney, however, added only minimal marginal notes. Liuzza appears to have studied the subject more thoroughly than Heaney. This could be due to a number of reasons. Heaney may feel that he has done such a good job of translating the Old English text into a modern language that only minimal notes are necessary. It might be assumed that most readers are familiar with other translations of Beowulf, so no further explanation is necessary. Most likely, however, is that Heaney simply didn't have the same interest in Liuzza's story. Liuzza is a university professor and chose to translate Beowulf before securing a publisher. Heaney, however, translated Beowulf only because Norton Publishing commissioned him to do so, because they wanted to have a version of the story that could compete with other translations, and Heaney, a well-known Irish poet, would help them achieve this (Howe). This is not to say that Heaney's work is in any way inferior to Liuzza's; in fact, his work is very readable and the addition of the original Old English text will undoubtedly please many students and scholars. He simply didn't have the same personal interest or motivation as Liuzza in translating Beowulf. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Although these differences in translation and form exist, both Liuzza and Heaney convey the story of Beowulf quite similarly. The focus on warrior culture does not waver, and with the exception of minor changes in detail and diction, the events surrounding.: 2000. 147-150.