Heaney as you have suggested in your third paragraph was a terrific translator, his finest translation being Beowulf of course.

The role of a translator is critical; translators must know more than the linguistic differences between the languages; they must be able to understand and convey the cultural similarities and differences between the source and the target languages. To do such translation requires more than technical language skills; it requires the ‘right’ awareness of the role of translation and translation issues as well.

In terms of the above passage, I think Heaney hits the right note when he tranlsates it, the conveyance of the poem using a slight re-wording may annoy especially if the original author had not intedended it this way but that is never Heany's focus. It is to tell the story from a new perspective.

To borrow his own words, Seamus Heaney, the man and his poetry, forever catches, 'the heart off guard, and blows it open'.

Heaney, as you have suggested in your third paragraph, was a terrific translator, his finest translation being Beowulf of course.

The role of a translator is critical; translators must know more than the linguistic differences between the languages; they must be able to understand and convey the cultural similarities and differences between the source and the target languages. To do such translation requires more than technical language skills; it requires the ‘right’ awareness of the role of translation and translation issues as well.

In terms of the above passage, I think Heaney hits the right note when he translates it, the conveyance of the poem using a slight re-wording may annoy especially if the original author had not intended it this way but that is never Heany's focus. It is to tell the story from a new perspective.

To borrow his own words, Seamus Heaney, the man and his poetry, forever catches, 'the heart off guard, and blows it open'.