translations into quenya

Old English The Seafarer The Wanderer The Wife's Lament Quenya Ardalambion Quetin i lambë eldaiva

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Tolkien Community on Imzy, a new Social Platform

I know theres been angst lately around here about whats next for tumblr, so i thought i’d put this up. I've gotten involved in a new social media platform called imzy. 

You can learn more about it in this recent Ars Technica article. I got onto it via @xplainthexmen (who are amazing and you should be listening to their podcast) and I'm trying to rustle up some activity as its a bit quiet. It's presently in closed beta but I've got a barrel of invites so if you're into that hit the link below. 

https://www.imzy.com/tolkien

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update notice

Ëallelindo translations will resume in 2016

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Ëallelindo: The Seafarer, Part 8

i huiner lómëo mornavë, hrízës i formenello, nixë avalerenyë i talan halcinmissë* lantanë i cénessë ereringa oreva

The Original

The shadows of night darkened, it snowed from the north, frost bound the ground, hail fell on the earth, coldest of grains.

Altered Text for Quenya’s Reduced Vocabulary

the shadows of night darkened, it snowed from the north, frost bound the ground, hail fell on the earth, coldest of grains

Translation Notes

the, shadow + plural, night + genitive, dark + adverb

to snow + past tense + third person singular (this is actually a dummy subject), the, north + ablative 

frost, bind + past tense , the, ground

hail (neologism), fall + past tense, the, earth + locative

cold + superlative prefix, grain + possessive suffix (characterized by cold)

neologisms (marked in translation with *)

hail, previously detailed in part 4

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Ëallelindo: The Seafarer, Part 7

é savisses piavë, i quén i samë i alassi coiviëo, marë i ostossë, eccaira anquallëllo, yaiwinqua ar naityevalta* mirunen manen rimbavë limba eperperien* i ëar-tiessen

The Original

Indeed he credits it little, the one who has the joys of life, dwells in the city, far from terrible journey, proud and wanton with wine, how I, weary, often have had to endure in the sea-paths.

Altered Text for Quenya’s Reduced Vocabulary

indeed he credits it little the one who has the joys of life abides in the city far from death scornful and shameless with wine how i, weary, often have had to endure in the sea-paths

Translation Notes

indeed, believe + aorist + he (long pronomial ending subject) + it (short pronomial ending object), little + adverbial ending

the one, relative pronoun (who), have + aorist, the joy + plural, life + genitive

abide + aorist, the, city + locative

far (adj) + death ("terrible journey" is a kenning which doesn't translate well, so i'm translating the meaning not the literal)

far (adj), death + ablative suffix

scorn + "-full" adjective suffix, and, to shame + verbal action suffix + adjective suffix (-less), wine + instrumental suffix

how, often + adverb suffix (modifying the verb), weary, endure + perfect tense + first person pronomial suffix, 

the, sea, path+plural locative suffix

neologisms (marked in translation with *)

shameless : to shame + verbal action suffix + adjective suffix (-less)

to endure : perper- (sourced from HF's neo-quenya new testament project: http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/nqnt.htm, several chapters, including Matthew)

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Ëallelindo: The Seafarer, Part 6

tassë raumo pallë i ollor ondova, yassë i tern quentë, helcaquessite; vorë i soron ramanë sé sa, nítëquessite; lá alassëa nossë polë tiuta i ilvaltowë*

The Original

Storms there beat the stony cliffs, where the tern spoke, icy-feathered; always the eagle cried at it, dewy-feathered; no cheerful kinsmen can comfort the poor soul.

Altered Text for Quenya’s Reduced Vocabulary

there storms beat the cliffs of stone where the tern spoke icy-feathered always the eagle cried at it, dewy feathered; no cheerful kin can comfort the luckless one

Translation Notes

there, storms, beat + past tense, the, cliff + plural, stone + possessive (to indicate made of)

locative (relative locative pronoun), the, tern (no phological adjustments necessary) speak + past tense

icy+ feather + adjective suffix (replacing final -ë)

always, the, eagle, cry + past tense, at, it, dewy+feather+adjective suffix

negative preposition, cheerful, kin, can + aorist, comfort, the, luckless one

neologisms (marked in translation with *)

ilvaltowë - valto (luck) + negative prefix (il-) + person suffix (-wë)

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Ëallelindo: The Seafarer, Part 5

tassë tennen munta mal i rávëa ëar, i helca falma. lúmissen i lindë alqua fellenyë alassenen i hlóna cannetiva* ar i óma cullëuniva* mal lá lalalë firiva i lindë maiwë mal lá i sucië míruvórëo

The Original

There I heard nothing but the roaring sea, the ice-cold wave. At times the swan's song I took to myself as pleasure, the gannet's noise and the voice of the curlew instead of the laughter of men, the singing gull instead of the drinking of mead.

Altered Text for Quenya’s Reduced Vocabulary

there i heard nothing but the roaring sea, the ice-cold wave. at times the swan's song i took to myself as pleasure the gannet's noise and the voice of the curlew instead of the laughter of men, the singing gull but not the drinking of mead

Translation Notes

there, hear + past tense + first person suffix, but

at the times, song, swan + possessive suffix, felt + past + first person, joy + instrumental

the noise, gannet + plural + possessive, and, voice, curlew + plural + possessive, but not, the laughter men + possesive

the sing+gerund, gull, but negation, the drink + gerund, mead + genitive

neologisms (marked in translation with *)

gannet > cannet

curlew > cullëu

For these two bird names, since theres no possible way to translate them, i decided to quenya-ize them as much as possible, phonetically speaking, then treat them like quenya nouns. Fairly happy with how they turned out. 

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Ëallelindo: The Seafarer, Part 4

i fírima ua ista sin yan nóressë ëa i aneruanna írë angayanda ar una marnënyë an i hrívë i helca ëaressë i tiëssen etyo, racina helda nossë, linga o helcelimbë*; halcinmissë* willë ve húro

The Original

This the man does not know for whom on land it turns out most favourably, how I, wretched and sorrowful, on the ice-cold sea dwelt for a winter in the paths of exile, bereft of friendly kinsmen, hung about with icicles; hail flew in showers.

Altered Text for Quenya’s Reduced Vocabulary

this the man knows not for whom on land there is the most grace when i, wretched and sorrowful, abode for a winter on the ice cold sea abode for a winter in the paths of exile, deprived of friendly kin, hung with icicles; hail flew like a storm.

Translation Notes

the relative pronoun, land+locative suffix 

man, negation + aorist know, this

there, vb to be, prefix intensifier "aka most", grace

when, miserable, and, forlorn

abide + past tense + first person, temporal preposition, the winter

the ice-cold, sea+locative suffix

the, path + locative + plural, exile + genitive

bereft, friendly, kin

hung, with, icicles

hail, fly + past tense, "like" preposition, storm

neologisms (marked in translation with *)

icicles, noun - helcelimbë (ice-drop?) (this is attested, but not in the way i'm using it)

hail, noun - halcin + missë (frozen + rain)

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Ëallelindo: The Seafarer, Part 3

ilráva* helcenen náne tálinya avalerina lo nixë ringar limilinen yassë san cauri laucavë ustanër náressë indova maitië* narcis millo i ëallumba fëa

The Original

Fettered by cold were my feet, bound by frost in cold clasps, where then cares seethed hot about my heart -- a hunger tears from within the sea-weary soul.

Altered Text for Quenya’s Reduced Vocabulary

fettered by cold were my feet bound by frost in cold chains where then fears burned hot around my heart a hunger rends from within the sea-weary soul

Translation Notes

negative prefix + unfettered, cold+instrumental, were, feet+possessive ending

perfect passive part of bind, by agent of preposition, frost, cold+plural, chains+plural+instrumental 

where (relative pronoun in locative) then fear+plural hot+adverb suffix burn (vb.) past tense + plural (vb. to be + locative = around) heart + possessive

hungry + abstract noun suffix, rend + 3rd person present, within + ablative suffix, sea + weary (with consonant shift), soul

neologisms (marked in translation with *)

ilráva - fettered (il- negative prefix, ráva unfettered)

maitië - adj hungry + abstract noun suffix > hunger

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Ëallelindo: The Seafarer, Part 2

manen onucólienyë* aica nyérë i endo, isintië i ciryassë lincauri, i aica amortala i solmeva, tarnënyë rimbavë i caurinqua* mórëtíre* i lango ciryassëva írë amortanenyes harë i ollo

The Original

how i have suffered grim sorrow at heart, have known in the ship many worries, the terrible tossing of the waves, [where the anxious night watch often took me] at the ship's prow, when it tossed near the cliffs

Altered Text for Quenya’s Reduced Vocabulary

how i have suffered fell/dire/terrible sorrow of the heart, have known in the ship many worries, the fell/dire/terrible heaving of the waves, i often stood the anxious night watch at the ships prow when it heaved near the cliffs

Translation Notes

n/a

neologisms (marked in translation with *)

caurë + -inqua = fear + adjectivizing (full of) = fearful

mórë tíre = night + watch (verb + verbal action suffix)

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Ëallelindo: The Seafarer, Part 1

Istan nyaron imnë anwa lindë nyar lelyalënyar manen nucolnyë* rimbavë rér rícëo nwalmarwa* lúr

The Original

I can make a true song about me myself, tell my travels, how I often endured days of struggle, troublesome times

Altered Text for Quenya’s Reduced Vocabulary

i can tell about myself a true song tell my travels how i suffered* frequently days of striving troublesome* times

Translation Notes

n/a

Neologisms (marked in translation with *)

nucol- vb, “to suffer”: the english comes from Vulgar Latin *sufferire, variant of Latin sufferre “to bear, undergo, endure, carry or put under,” from sub “up, under” (see sub-) + ferre “to carry” (h/t online etymological dictionary) so i followed suite and combined the quenya root for to bear, “col-”, which is itself not attested but derived from a few other words, and the preposition “nu” meaning “under”. Truthfully i’m not in love with it. “nucol” lacks a certain aesthetic pleasantry.  but i’m actually quite pleased with the way it came together, so i’m sticking with it. and when it is in words it actually sounds alright. 

nwalmarwa adj, “troublesome”: This one was a lot more straightforward. Trouble (nwalmë)+ the adjectivizing suffix that implies “having” (-arwa). I supposed “with troubled times” might be a more accurate translation of the above.

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i casta

i’m here to translate some shit into quenya and drink lemonade, and i’m all outa lemonade. 

as a project, and because my wife (the germanic linguistics doctoral candidate) is translating them into english, i’m going to be translating a bunch of Old English poetry into quenya. I think Tolkien would approve (especially given he cribbed two lines from one of them). 

First up is The Seafarer