Could someone translate this poem for me? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Galadriel · 07-31-2010, 02:23 AM

And that I said my limbs were old;
And that I said my blood was cold,
And that my kindly fire was fled,
And that my withered heart was dead,
And that I might not sing of love? -
How could I to the dearest theme
That ever warmed a minstrel's dream,
So foul, so false, a recreant prove!
How could I name my love's very name,
Nor wake my harp to notes of flame!

Yes, I know I have posted this somewhere else, but I really need the translation in Quenya. Thank you!

ETA, 2014: My goodness, I can't believe I actually made this sort of request. Either way, I apologise.

Estelyn Telcontar · 07-31-2010, 05:39 AM

Just a note to explain - it may take awhile for someone to react to your request, Galadriel. We don't have many members who know Quenya at all, and no experts in translation of whom I am aware. You may want to contact someone at Ardalambion, the Tolkien language site.

Galin · 07-31-2010, 07:24 AM

Also, especially for such a long request (relative to a name or a short phrase) even someone very familiar with Quenya will arguably be giving his or her opinion of a translation in Neo-Quenya. Below is a citation from...

http://www.elvish.org/FAQ.html

Quote:

(...) This is not to say that it is impossible or meaningless to compose sentences that so far as anyone now can tell conform to the exemplars and statements that Tolkien did make to a very high degree (for example, by relying only upon attested elements and derivational mechanisms, attested grammatical devices, and attested syntactic patterns that can reasonably be thought to belong to the same conceptual phase), but that is a far cry from being able to speak these languages, and cannot even justify a claim of "authenticity", since for any but the most trivial compositions it will remain exceedingly unlikely that Tolkien himself would have produced or countenanced the result himself.'

Ardalambion is mentioned in the full FAQ, which I highly recommend reading ( though maybe you're already aware of these distinctions, I don't know).

spirit_of_fire · 08-01-2010, 01:52 PM

ar' nai ni eque hroanya wanwie enwina;
ar' nai ni eque coinenya wanwie helca,
ar' nai naurnya seasu wanwie oante,
ar' nai hon-maren hessa wanwie qualin,
ar' nai ni notuile ulinde melme
sut notuile ni an i yelme lin? -
nai oi istata urna lindar olos,
saura, raika, furin wanwie yernandor
sut notuile ni esta melnya anwa esse,
ilar koiva nandenya a' lin en' naare

You will definately need to check this, I am by no means an expert.....

07-31-2010, 02:23 AM	#1
Galadriel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion Posts: 551	Could someone translate this poem for me? And that I said my limbs were old; And that I said my blood was cold, And that my kindly fire was fled, And that my withered heart was dead, And that I might not sing of love? - How could I to the dearest theme That ever warmed a minstrel's dream, So foul, so false, a recreant prove! How could I name my love's very name, Nor wake my harp to notes of flame! Yes, I know I have posted this somewhere else, but I really need the translation in Quenya. Thank you! ETA, 2014: My goodness, I can't believe I actually made this sort of request. Either way, I apologise. __________________ "Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil Last edited by Galadriel; 10-14-2014 at 01:20 PM.

07-31-2010, 05:39 AM	#2
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Just a note to explain - it may take awhile for someone to react to your request, Galadriel. We don't have many members who know Quenya at all, and no experts in translation of whom I am aware. You may want to contact someone at Ardalambion, the Tolkien language site. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

08-01-2010, 01:52 PM	#4
spirit_of_fire Pile O'Bones Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 13	ar' nai ni eque hroanya wanwie enwina; ar' nai ni eque coinenya wanwie helca, ar' nai naurnya seasu wanwie oante, ar' nai hon-maren hessa wanwie qualin, ar' nai ni notuile ulinde melme sut notuile ni an i yelme lin? - nai oi istata urna lindar olos, saura, raika, furin wanwie yernandor sut notuile ni esta melnya anwa esse, ilar koiva nandenya a' lin en' naare You will definately need to check this, I am by no means an expert.....