Essay: Heaney’s and Purvis’s translations of Beowulf

In the words of Günter Grass, the German novelist, “Translation is that which transforms everything so that nothing changes.” Literary works over the ages have been subject to various translations, and perhaps one of the most renowned poems to have been translated multiple times is Beowulf. Written in Old English by scribes around 1000 AD, Beowulf stands as a timeless heroic, political and supernatural narrative, with its implications and interpretations valid till date. The two translations that will be focused on in this commentary are Seamus Heaney’s and Meghan Purvis’s adaptations.
Both Heaney’s and Purvis’s translations are one of the more popular versions of Beowulf. Although they follow the same narrative plot, there are major differences in the structure, voices, tone and more. While Heaney’s is a more literal translation, Purvis refrains from the conventional translation and instead creates a sequence of short scenes. There are many scenes in which the presentation of characters and values is different but the one in focus for this commentary is the first encounter between Beowulf and the coast guard, when the former first arrives at the Danish community. The ways in which Beowulf and the coast guard are characterized, through their attitude and language towards each other, expresses how each author focuses on addressing the social issues of communication, relationship and identity.
This scene can be split into three parts: the initial confrontation of the coast guard, Beowulf’s reply, and the coast guard’s final remarks. The fact that Heaney’s translation follows a more literal approach explains the difference in length of the scene; Heaney’s is nearly 50 lines longer. This provides Heaney the opportunity to focus more on the dialogue and statements made by both Beowulf and the coast guard, which brings up one of the biggest differences in both texts- the characterization.
The first part of this scene involves the coast guard confronting Beowulf and his army. The coast guard, in both translations, is presented as a strong-minded figure. Despite the history between Grendel and the Danes, the coast guard maintains the defenses of the Danish people. This shows us how the kingdom strives to be; even in times of despair and helplessness, the initial impression to foreigners is important to Hrothgar, the king, and the community overall. This brings us to the word outsiders, used in both translations but in a different context. Purvis mentions ‘we don’t trust outsiders,’ while Heaney uses ‘outsiders from across the water’ (Heaney 255) when the coast guard asks Beowulf his origin. In Purvis’s translation, the coast guard is relatively harsh and gives a negative connotation to Beowulf when he says he does not trust outsiders, and ‘fears strangers.’
Heaney, however, sheds light on the respectful and understanding nature of the coast guard. He acknowledges the presence of this outsider as ‘the mightiest man-at-arms on this earth’ (Heaney 248). In this way, the coast guard serves two purposes: to maintain the defenses of the Danes in light of recent events, and to appear hospitable to someone who seems worthy of entering the kingdom. This role is crucial, considering the overall theme of boundaries and threats and its failure with regard to Grendel. The coast guard assumes the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the Danish community and this initial confrontation with an outsider gives him the opportunity to rebuild the defenses.
Perhaps the major difference in this scene is found in the second part, Beowulf’s reply. Heaney’s translation of this scene includes dialogues that have not been dealt with in detail in Purvis’s adaptation, suggesting a difference in focus. For instance, Heaney’s translation includes a fair amount of dialogue about Ecgtheow, Beowulf’s father. This coincides with the notion of family and lineage, one of the focuses of Heaney’s translation overall. Beowulf first introduces himself as the son of Ecgtheow, establishing a son to son linkage with Hrothgar, son of Healfdane. Beowulf expresses his desire to further enhance this connection by saying ‘there should be nothing hidden or withheld between us’ (Heaney 272). Through these word choices, Heaney conveys that Beowulf is someone who respects family and the community and is a genuine symbol of support. On the other hand, Beowulf in Purvis’s translation is regarded as someone who seems apprehensive and anxious. There is a lot of uncertainty in Beowulf’s reply, as seen in ‘you may have heard of him,’ ‘if you want our help,’ and ‘you can guess.’
This brings us to the idea of a hero and what a hero stands for. Heaney mentions that Beowulf ‘unlocked his word-hoard,’ (Heaney 258) and this phrase carries a lot of significance. In a poem where strength defines the characteristics of a hero, speech has little to do with how successful the hero is. Heaney emphasizes the importance of words and communication, while at the same time, Purvis expresses a lot of ambiguity with words in the same scene. Heaney focuses on what Beowulf can do, with an assertive tone. ‘I can show’ (Heaney 279) and ‘I can calm’ (Heaney 282) show how Beowulf is certain of his abilities; a hallmark of a hero. It is not surprising, therefore, that Beowulf is called a hero in this scene by the coast guard in Heaney’s translation (‘bear this hero back to Geatland’ (Heaney 298)) but not in Purvis’s, which leads to the final remarks of the coast guard.
The script follows similar ideas expressed in the first part; Purvis still portrays the coast guard in a hostile manner, while Heaney makes the coast guard more welcoming. A point worth noting, however, is both authors’ translations of the Old English phrase ‘worda ond worca’ (words and deeds). In Heaney’s translation, the coast guard says a man like Beowulf ‘will take the measure of two things: what’s said and what’s done’ (Heaney 288-289). In Purvis’s translation, the coast guard says ‘Fine words, spoken well. I hope your works are as consistent.’ This is associated with the idea of certainty and ambiguity in both the texts; Heaney offers a more definite and certain perspective (will), while Purvis still keeps the situation vague and ambiguous (I hope). The final statement by the coast guard is a major point of distinction as well. In Purvis’s translation, the coast guard challenges Beowulf and the idea of coming back alive. ‘Time will tell who earns his passage’ carries a mysterious and skeptical connotation, while Heaney does the opposite. The coast guard hopes for the best outcome and is more positive and in praise of Beowulf, calling him ‘valiant and venturesome’ (Heaney 299).
The implications of these differences lie in the author’s intentions of the translation overall. The fact that Purvis’s is more modern explains her focus on the hostility. From a modern perspective, this scene can be compared to a fierce outsider showing up at the doorstep of someone wary of strangers and violence, given recent happenings. While the actual words would be different, the tone, body language and the attitude would be the same. She questions the idea of evaluating someone by either their words or deeds- something that is very relevant to society today. Her lack of portraying Beowulf as an all-powerful figure in this scene ties into her attempts to include a female voice in a largely male dominated narrative. The lack of discussing Beowulf’s lineage attempts to critique the fact that we value someone by their connections. This modern translation is not only translated to modern English, but also questions modern society through addressing these concerns in Beowulf.
Heaney’s translation, however, closely follows the Old English manuscript, and the political process of gaining entry in this scene. Heaney focuses more on the budding relationship between Beowulf and the Danes, and this episode offers the first insight to this relationship. Heaney maintains the narrative of the poem and is definitely more literal in his translation than Purvis, but his emphasis on dialogue and communication shows his views of society. He expresses how medieval society places importance on impressions and communication, and that modern society should follow the same.
Overall, it seems that both authors use their literature to voice their opinions on society. Their characterizations, especially in this scene of the coast guard and Beowulf, reflect their views on communication and modern society. The fact that the original Old English manuscript could give rise to two contextually different translations shows how timeless Beowulf really is.
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