Quenya
namárië, prose
Namárië, prose
Elements
Word Gloss ai! lassi lantar laurië súrinen “ah! leaves fall golden in [by means of] the wind” yéni únótimë ve aldaron rámar “long-years not-countable as trees’ wings” yéni avánier ve lintë yuldar “years have passed away like swift draughts” lissë miruvóreva mí oromardi “of sweet nectar in the high-halls” Andúnë pella Vardo nu luini tellumar “West beyond [the borders of] Varda’s under blue domes” yassen tintilar i eleni “in which twinkle the stars” ómaryo lírinen airetário “in [by means of] her voice’s song, of the holy-queen” sí man i yulma nin enquantuva? “now who the cup for me will refill?” an sí Varda, Tintallë, Elentári ortanë máryat Oiolossëo ve fanyar “for now Varda, Star-kindler, Star-queen [has] lifted up her (two) hands from Mount Everwhite like (white) clouds” ar lumbulë undulávë ilyë tier “and (heavy) shadow swallowed (lit. down-licked) all roads” ar sindanóriello mornië caita “and from a grey country darkness lies” i falmalinnar imbë met “upon the (many) foaming waves between us (two)” ar hísië untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë “and mist covers (lit. down-roofs) Calacirya’s jewels forever” sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar! “now lost is, [to one] from the East lost, Valimar!” namárië! nai hiruvalyë Valimar “farewell! be-it-that you will find Valimar” nai elyë hiruva. namárië! “be-it-that even you will find [it]. farewell!”
A prose version of the Namárië poem, written “in a clearer and more normal style” (RGEO/58). It is the longest non-poetic text in any of Tolkien’s languages. Supposedly this text uses ordinary Quenya syntax instead of poetic forms. Despite this “normal style”, a few of the sentences still have a peculiar word order.
This phrases presented below divides the prose version into phrases approximately matching the lines of the original poem. The exceptions are lines 5-6, 9-10 and 13-14 which are organized differently to facilitate discussion. In the text below, I’ve modified the (very literal) translations provided by Tolkien to something closer to natural English while still reflecting the Quenya word order. The original translations can be found in the entries for individual phrases.