The three translations of lines 1506-1517 of Beowulf are all translated from the same source, and tell basically the same story, yet they are worded considerably differently. First of all, the first translation has altered the line structure, offsetting the original by half of a line. However, both starting and ending in mid-line, the same text is covered. The first translation, all-in-all, seems to be more casual, probably most enjoyable for the everyday reader. The second translation seems to be aimed at a more in-depth reader, and gives a better sense of the poem, giving it a deeper mood. The last translation is more scholarly than the other two, with more kennings and use of caesurae. In addition, the last translation is from a book that contains both the original and translated versions of the text, obviously intended for the Beowulf connoisseur.

In line 1506 of the translation, versions 2 and 3 both describe Grendel�s mother as some sort of wolf, however, it is absent from the first version. Furthermore, the first does not describe Beowulf in the next line, while the other two call him a �ring-mailed prince� and �the lord of those rings.� The first changes the meaning of the text in order to make the story more enjoyable for some readers. It often describes what the text means rather than using complicated jargon and letting the reader figure out the meaning.

The following line describes how Beowulf could not draw his sword as Grendel�s mother drags him to the bottom of the mere. The first version simply said that he failed, however the other two describe that �he might not draw his sword, / �no matter how brave�,� showing that his courage was no match for the beast�s strength. The next few lines have no major differences besides simple diction choices, and describe how monsters attacked Beowulf as he was dragged to the bottom of the lake.

In line 1513, Beowulf finally arrives in the underwater cave where the final battle with Grendel�s mother takes place. The first and third versions of the text seem to depict a hall created by someone or something, but the second gives the impression of something natural at the bottom of the lake. Then, the text describes how the water is kept out by the arched roof of the hall; however, the water is described in different ways. In the first translation, the water appears to be �evil,� because of the demonic inhabitants of the lake. The text makes it seem as if the water alone would harm him by touch. The other two versions only describe the absence of the water in the chamber, and the roof holding off the current that would come down if it did not hold fast. The first version also makes it seem that the creatures that had been attacking Beowulf on his descent could not tear at him any longer, which seems to make sense because Beowulf is no longer attacked while in the chamber, and also the other demons do not appear on land at any other time in the poem, giving way to the fact that they are solely water-dwelling creatures. This shows that the first version uses a good deal of interpretation in the translation, which may or may not be accurate to the intent of the original poet.

Finally, Beowulf sees a light in the cavern. The source of this light is not directly mentioned, however, the first version describes ��the lake / Itself like a fiery flame.� This is consistent with the idea that the water is harmful, showing that the liquid in the mere is not ordinary water, but fiery fluid that is capable of destroying most things that touch it. The other two versions simply mention firelight, giving the impression that the demons somehow started a fire themselves. Because only one manuscript of Beowulf exists, there are no other versions to clarify the meaning with, leaving the text open to the reader�s (or translator�s) interpretation.

Comparing and contrasting even these few lines shows a lot about the different translations of the original text of Beowulf. By doing so, one could easily determine that the first version interprets the text more so than the others. This is probably to facilitate the comprehension and enjoyability for most readers, while the other two require more thought as they are read. Depending on the reader, different versions of the story are better for different people.