I NÚMENNA, discovered by Rachel Folmar

Previous posts: | Lindë Elenion, Song of the Stars | Middle Earth astronomy |

One evening years ago, near bedtime, Candace and I were surprised when Rachel came down from her room where she had been hard at work on some project known only to herself. For homeschool that year, Rachel’s language arts course was an introduction to linguistics and historical philology based upon Quenya, one of the ancient Elvish languages recovered by the lifelong work of J.R.R. Tolkien. Rachel then began to sing “Into the West” to us, in Elvish, as movingly as Annie Lennox’s rendition in English (English lyrics here). Rachel somehow discovered the original Quenya version of the song, which Peter Jackson et al. must have had translated into English for their cinematic version of The Return of the King. We have no video of Rachel singing this original Elvish version, but Annie Lennox’s English version is at YouTube and .

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A caita
Lissë findesselya
Lómë lantëa
Utúliel tië-mettanna
Sí á fumë
A óla i quenion ya utuliër
Tulteantë
Et ter haira falassello
Manan nyeril?
Man nar i nirë antalyassë?
Cenuvalyë
Autuva ilyë i nirë
Varna manyatsë
Er fúmalyë
Man cénalyë i Númenessë?
Manan lossi aiwi tultar?
Ter i ëar Isil ortëa
Ciryar túlar cólielyë mar
Ilya sintuva telpë hyellenna
Cala i nenna
Ilyë fëar auta
Sintëa estel i lómenna
Huinë lantëa
Et onótimello, lúmello
Áva quetë
Sa utúlielmë i mettanna
Tultëar lossi falassi
Nauva atomentielvo
Ar nauvalyë manyatsë
Er fúmala
Man cénalyë i Númenessë?
Manan lossi aiwi tultar?
Ter i ëar Isil ortëa
Ciryar túlar cólielyë mar
Ilya sintuva telpë hyellenna
Cala i nenna
Autëar sindë ciryar
I Númenna

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Note: My daughter Rachel made this Quenya translation of “Into the West” many years ago and posted it on her homepage.mac.com website. Since that service went away this past July, I’m reposting some of that content here, along with some drawings that she made around the same time. Cf. the previous two posts. Check out Rachel’s current blog, Onward Into Light. “Into the West” has been mentioned on this blog previously here and here.

Translated into English, as sung by Annie Lennox:

Lay down your sweet and weary head
Night is falling, you have come to journey’s end
Sleep now and dream of the ones who came before
They are calling from across the distant shore

Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see all of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms, you’re only sleeping

What can you see on the horizon?
Why do those white gulls call?
Across the sea a pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home

Dawn will turn to silver glass
A light on the water, all souls pass

Hope fades into the world of night
Through shadows falling out of memory and time
Don’t say we have come now to the end
White shores are calling, you and I will meet again
And you’ll be here in my arms, just sleeping

What can you see on the horizon?
Why do those white gulls call?
Across the sea a pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home

And all will turn to silver glass
A light on the water, gray ships pass
Into the west