Namárië | MG Blog

Sir John Ronald Reuel Tolkien reads an elvish poetry from his work The Lord of the Rings.

The text is known as Namárië: Galadriel’s Lament In Lorien, also wrongly (?) called Song of the Elves beyond the Sea.

The elvish language is another fictional idiom, a common use in fantasy and SF literature (e.g.: klingon). Tolkien created more languages and dialects for elvish people. The first and more ancient is Quenya that evolved to the Quenya of high-elven and is one of the two most complete of Tolkien’s languages (the other being Sindarin, or Grey-elven). The phonology, vocabulary and grammar of Quenya and Sindarin are strongly influenced by Finnish and Welsh, respectively. In addition to these two, he also created several other (partially derived) languages.

You’ll find a great discussion about this text, with a word-by-word analysis, here.

J.R.R. Tolkien reads

Ai! laurie lantar lassi surinen,
yeni unotime ve ramar aldaron!
Yeni ve linte yuldar avanier
mi oromardi lisse-miruvoreva
Andune pella, Vardo tellumar
nu luini yassen tintillar i eleni
omaryo airetari-lirinen.Si man i yulma nin enquantuva?

An si Tintalle Varda Oiolosseo
ve fanyar maryat Elentari ortane,
ar ilye tier undulave lumbule;
ar sindanoriello caita mornie
i falmalinnar imbe met ar hisie
untupa Calaciryo miri oiale.
Si vanwa na, Romello vanwa, Valimar!

Namarie! Nai hiruvalye Valimar.
Nai elye hiruva. Namarie!

Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind,
long years numberless as the wings of trees!
The long years have passed like swift draughts
of the sweet mead in lofty halls
beyond the West, beneath the blue vaults of Varda
wherein the stars tremble
in the voice of her song, holy and queenly.Who now shall refill the cup for me?

For now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the stars,
from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds
and all paths are drowned deep in shadow;
and out of a grey country darkness lies
on the foaming waves between us,
and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya for ever.
Now lost, lost to those of the East is Valimar!

Farewell! Maybe thou shalt find Valimar!
Maybe even thou shalt find it! Farewell!

But the list of the languages of Arda (the Middle-Earth) is complex and astonishing, showing how deep and real the Middle Earth was in Tolkien’s mind. Here is the complete list from wikipedia with links to single voices:

Elvish languages:
- Primitive Quendian
  - Avarin languages (at least six languages)
  - Common Eldarin
    - Quenya
      - Vanyarin Quenya
      - Noldorin Quenya
    - Common Telerin
      - Telerin of Valinor
      - Sindarin (at least three dialects, namely Northern, Doriathrin and Gondorian)
      - Nandorin languages (influenced by Avarin)
Mannish languages (all showed influence by Avarin tongues as well as Khuzdul):
- Languages of forefathers of the First and Third Houses of the Atanatári
  - Taliska (two dialects)
    - Adûnaic
      - Westron or “Common Speech” (influenced by Sindarin, and languages of Eriador)
        
        Hobbitish (influenced by languages of Northmen)
      - Black Adûnaic of Black Númenóreans
  - Languages of Men of Eriador during the Second Age
  - Languages of Northmen
    - Dalish
    - Rohirric
- Language of forefathers of the Second House of the Atanatári
  - Haladin language
  - Dunlending
- Drûg languages
  - Language of the Drúedain of Brethil
  - Language of the Woses of Drúadan forest
- Many Haradrim languages
- Many tongues of Easterlings
Languages of Dwarves:
- Khuzdul
- Iglishmek (sign language)
Languages of the Ents
- Old Entish
- “New” Entish
Languages of the Ainur (Valar and Maiar)
- Valarin
  - Black Speech, created by Sauron
Languages of the Orcs
Various debased forms of the Black Speech and regional dialects influenced by Westron
Primitive methods of communication
- Language of the Trolls
- Language of the Wargs