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"The song of Lúthien before Mandos was the song most fair that ever in words was woven, and the song most sorrowful that ever the world shall ever hear. Unchanged, imperishable, it is sung still in Valinor beyond the hearing of the world, and at the listening the Valar grieve. For Lúthien wove two themes of words, of the sorrow of the Eldar and the grief of Men, of the Two Kindreds that were made by Ilúvatar to dwell in Arda, the Kingdom of Earth amid the innumerable stars. And as she knelt before him her tears fell upon his feet like rain upon stones; and Mandos was moved to pity, who never before was so moved, nor has been since.
Therefore he summoned Beren, and even as Lúthien had spoken in the hour of his death they met again beyond the Western Sea. But Mandos had no power to withhold the spirits of Men that were dead within the confines of the world, after their time of waiting; nor could he change the fates of the Children of Ilúvatar. He went therefore to Manwë, Lord of the Valar, who governed the world under the hand of Ilúvatar; and Manwë sought counsel in his inmost thought, where the will of Ilúvatar was revealed.
These were the choices that he gave to Lúthien. Because of her labours and her sorrow, she should be released from Mandos, and go to Valimar, there to dwell until the world's end among the Valar, forgetting all griefs that her life had known. Thither Beren could not come. For it was not permitted to the Valar to withhold Death from him, which is the gift of Ilúvatar to Men. But the other choice was this: that she might return to Middle-earth, and take with her Beren, there to dwell again, but without certitude of life or joy. Then she would become mortal, and subject to a second death, even as he; and ere long she would leave the world for ever, and her beauty become only a memory in song.
This doom she chose, forsaking the Blessed Realm, and putting aside all claim to kinship with those that dwell there; that thus whatever grief might lie in wait, the fates of Beren and Lúthien might be joined, and their paths lead together beyond the confines of the world. So it was that alone of the Eldalië she has died indeed, and left the world long ago. Yet in her choice the Two Kindreds have been joined; and she is the forerunner of many in whom the Eldar see yet, though all the world is changed, the likeness of Lúthien the beloved, whom they have lost."
"The Silmarillion", by J. R. R. Tolkien
This text is the last part of what is probably the most beautiful story of those compiled in "The Silmarillion". Beren, a mortal man that is in love with Lúthien, an Elven princess, goes in search for the Silmaril, which has been swallowed by a demonic wolf-dog. Obtaining the Silmaril and taking it to Thingol, Lúthien's father, is the condition imposed by Thingol to grant Lúthien's hand to Beren. In the end, Beren kills the wolf and takes the Silmaril, but he is mortally wounded, and dies shortly afterwards, with a last look for Lúthien. Lúthien then loses her will to live and her spirit flies after Beren's to the Halls of Mandos, beyond the Western Sea and the lands of Men, where the dead wait for a while before their final doom. Beren, as a man, will die forever and vanish from this world, to go where nobody knows. Lúthien then kneels before Mandos and sings a song to beg for Beren.
Mandos is the inexhorable administrator of death and cannot break the rules imposed by Eru Ilúvatar (the Creator), which has decreed that the Elves will endure forever within the spheres of this world, while mortal Men will be delivered from it, as a gift, upon death. Therefore, Beren cannot be allowed to live again with Lúthien forever. So he takes the problem to Manwë, who decides that in exchange for Beren's second chance of life, Lúthien will lose her immortality. Lúthien accepts this fate, which separates her for all time from the Elven kind, in order to stay with Beren whatever his final fate is.
This story is mirrored in "The Lord of the Rings" by Aragorn and Arwen.
Kheod yiLutien umeo Mandos kheod eside yivibi o lipu foya zoviun, ni kheod esi yireghi o yin reni keode kui. Alilseke alghewim fonfon uValinor khaden udau telkeo reni, yin okeozim Veleri dechoren. Che Lutien siriuyoru foya uzase gema, aotos Eldari mime dechoror Kakach, Santu Sasech o itIluvatar daviyade jemadre mArda, Tleriw Oinech vai nut azafilgawi. Midi ni lin alubuvim umeon, dech yin kelde ubul puri uzun diada ubul teda, mime Mandos lutsolmo ja, o milli la je lidrau zun ni mo, niva yivime alsise mo.
Acheo mime mech caka vurudu Beren, niva zun o Lutien votsu midi dakh vech raur jhoru gamva udau Atlan Jhauch. Ime Mandos liteon alde fafendra itirio yiKhaka ruri mor gab reni, uvan midi o gomech yelkadre, zun ni enie seke alkomo yisulu Selsel itIluvatar. Sach acheo sololunu Manwe, Kuntew Veleri, je tugalde itreni mou tanchen Iluvatar, mime Manwe vadelu goengur umaobiksiu yin, o fein Iluvatar ve zokhu filta.
Wao inicachde o sach gharimun Lutien. Bel cet pitar yin cet aotos yin, vech bidakomobu yiVandos, mime came deles goValimar, jemadre veme gomidi tetoa reni vai Veleri, mech dasatamorim yizarau ragh deri o saikhu lin unokh yin. Geme yiVeren alcame deles. Che goVeleri tabia alde o mech fafes ciru yin Dekhi, o laufall itIluvatar goKakach de. Ime inica remi waodele: came iteki gamses muWut Siuch wao luges lin Beren, veme jemadre gamva, alil lautan ime unwem ta nokha miyima. Mime yin rurgawmobu, tuluata lidakh rorseseba uzun ni kach, fene uvan mid aldrusa ferename itreni tukui, udelmib yin sim to vaisakomo ughadra.
Tulu wo sukuwun, yiVakazokh Miyimi osaksakakomo sim, ni adzorim yizoro prec udelfamas lo je veme jemade, kocha wo aotos mesamesa yeyekame, oedulu Beren liLutien asamo jabu, fene inic itsasech kuntude sibia udau tukab reni. Acheo wo uzi mEldaliech mech sise rurmo, mech ferse itreni gorui midrusa. Ime bel cet inic yin Famas Sasech sibise, mime kuokuntewi mechde godir lili o ujhe Eldari fonfon bire, soula ran unoro lisekede, zun Lutien aiti, o daup itsach jede.
1a. Kheod yiLutien umeo Mandos
kheod yi- Lutien u- meo Mandos
song GEN-Lúthien ESS-front Mandos
1b. kheod eside yivibi o lipu foya zoviun,
kheod es -i =de yi- vib -i o li- pu foy -a zovi-u =n
song one-DEF=COP GEN-beautiful-DEF R COM-instr word-NDF create-PST=OBJ
1c. ni kheod esi yireghi o yin reni keode kui.
ni kheod es-i yi-regh-i o yi- n ren -i keo =de kui
same song one-DEF GEN-sad-DEF R GEN-OBJ world-DEF hearing=COP ever
2a. Alilseke alghewim fonfon uValinor khaden
alilseke al- ghew -im fonfon u- Valinor khad-e =n
unchanged NEG-dwindle-SUS so_far ESS-Valinor sing-PRS=OBJ
2b. udau telkeo reni,
u- dau telkeo ren -i
ESS-beyond hearing world-DEF
2c. yin okeozim Veleri dechoren.
yi- n okeo =zim Veler-i dechor-e =n
GEN-OBJ listening=COP+SUS Valar-DEF cry -PRS=OBJ
3a. Che Lutien siriuyoru foya uzase gema,
che Lutien siriuyor-u foy -a u- zase gem -a
because Lúthien PST+spin-PST word-DEF ESS-two topic-DEF
3b. aotos Eldari mime dechoror Kakach,
aotos Eldar-i mime dechor-or Ka=ka -ch
grief Eldar-DEF then cry -ABS man=DUP-DEF
3c. Santu Sasech o itIluvatar daviyade jemadre mArda,
santu sase-ch o it-Iluvatar davi -ya =de jem-a=dre m-Arda
group two-DEF R GEN-Iluvatar create-PAP=COP dwelling-NDF=INT ESS-Arda
3d. Tleriw Oinech vai nut azafilgawi.
tleriw oine -ch vai nut azafilgaw -i
kingdom earth-DEF ESS+among star uncountable-DEF
4a. Midi ni lin alubuvim umeon,
Midi ni li- n alubuv-im u- meo =n
time same COM-OBJ kneel -SUS ESS-front=OBJ
4b. dech yin kelde ubul puri
dech yi- n kel =de u- bul pur -i
tear GEN-OBJ falling=COP ESS-over feet-DEF
4c. uzun diada ubul teda,
u-zun diad-a u- bul ted -a
ESS-manner rain-DEF ESS-over stone-NDF
4d. mime Mandos lutsolmo ja,
mime Mandos l- utsol=mo ja
then Mandos COM-pity =INC (and)
4e. o milli la je lidrau zun ni mo,
o milli la je li- drau zun ni mo
R ever_before none who COM-pathos manner same INC
4f. niva yivime alsise mo.
ni =va yi- vime al- s -is -e mo
same=ADV GEN-then NEG-AUX-PRF-PRS INC
5a. Acheo mime mech caka vurudu Beren,
acheo mime mech caka vurud -u Beren
so then P2 by_self summon-PST Beren
5b. niva zun o Lutien votsu midi dakh vech
ni =va zun o Lutien vot-s -u midi dakh vech
same=ADV manner R Lúthien say-PRF-PRS time death GEN+P2
5c. raur jhoru gamva udau Atlan Jhauch.
raur jhor-u gamva u- dau atlan jhau-ch
this_way meet-PST again ESS-beyond sea west-DEF
6a. Ime Mandos liteon alde fafendra itirio
ime Mandos li-teon al- de faf -en -dr -a it- irio
but Mandos COM-power NEG-COP restrain-ACP-INT-NDF GEN-spirit
6b. yiKhaka ruri mor gab reni,
yi- kha=ka rur -i m- or gab ren -i
GEN-man=DUP dead-DEF ESS-inside limit world-DEF
6c. uvan midi o gomech yelkadre,
u- van midi o go- mech yelk -a =dre
ESS-after time R ALL-P2 waiting-NDF=COP+INT
6d. zun ni enie seke alkomo yisulu Selsel itIluvatar.
zun ni enie seke al- komo yi- sulu sel =sel it- Iluvatar
manner same also change NEG-CAU GEN-destiny child=DUP GEN-Ilúvatar
7a. Sach acheo sololunu Manwe, Kuntew Veleri,
sach acheo s- ololun -u Manwe kuntew Veler-i
P3 so PST-approach-PST Manwë ruler Valar-DEF
7b. je tugalde itreni mou tanchen Iluvatar,
je tugal =de it- ren -i m- ou tanchen Iluvatar
who government=COP GEN-world-DEF ESS-under power Ilúvatar
7c. mime Manwe vadelu goengur umaobiksiu yin,
mime Manwe vadel-u g- oengur u- maobiksiu yi -n
then Manwë enter-PST ALL-thought ESS-inmost_being GEN-OBJ
7d. o fein Iluvatar ve zokhu filta.
o fein Iluvatar ve zokh -u filt -a
R will Ilúvatar where manifest-PST showing-NDF
8a. Wao inicachde o sach gharimun Lutien.
wao inica -ch =de o sach gharim-u =n Lutien
TH1 choice-DEF=COP R P3 extend-PST=OBJ Lúthien
8b. Bel cet pitar yin cet aotos yin,
bel cet pitar yi- n cet aotos yi- n
because reason effort GEN-OBJ reason grief GEN-OBJ
8c. vech bidakomobu yiVandos,
vech bid -a =komo=bu yiVandos
GEN+P2 free-NDF=CAU =HYP GEN-Mandos
8d. mime came deles goValimar,
mime ca =me del-e =s go- Valimar
then possible=COP+HYP go -PRS=CNJ ALL-Valimar
8e. jemadre veme gomidi tetoa reni vai Veleri,
jem -a =dre veme go- midi tetoa ren -i vai Veler-i
dwelling-NDF=COP+INT there ALL-time end world-DEF ESS+among Valar-DEF
8f. mech dasatamorim yizarau ragh deri
mech dasat -a =morim yi- zarau ragh der-i
P2 oblivious-NDF=INC+SUS GEN-pathos sad all-DEF
8g. o saikhu lin unokh yin.
o s- aikh -u li- n u- nokh yi- n
R PST-live+PRS-PST COM-OBJ ESS-life GEN-OBJ
9a. Geme yiVeren alcame deles.
geme yi-Veren al- ca =me del-e =s
ALL+there GEN-Beren NEG-possible=COP+HYP go -PRS=CNJ
9b. Che yiVeleri tabia alde
che yi- Veler-i tab -ia al- de
because GEN-Valar-DEF allow-PAP NEG-COP
9c. o mech fafes ciru yin Dekhi,
o mech faf -e =s ciru yi- n dekh -i
R P2 restrain-PRS=CNJ distant GEN-OBJ death-DEF
9d. o laufall itIluvatar goKakach de.
o laufall it-Iluvatar go- Ka=ka -ch de
R gift GEN-Ilúvatar ALL-Man=DUP-DEF COP
10a. Ime inica remi waodele:
ime inica rem -i wao=de =le
but choice other-DEF TH1=COP=REP
10b. came iteki gamses muWut Siuch
ca =me it- ek -i gams -e =s mu- wut siu -ch
possible=COP+HYP GEN-woman-DEF return-PRS=CNJ ESS-land center-DEF
10c. wao luges lin Beren, veme jemadre gamva,
wao lug -e =s li- n Beren veme jem -a =dre gamva
TH1 take-PRS=CNJ COM-OBJ Beren there dwelling-NDF=COP+INT again
10d. alil lautan ime unwem ta nokha miyima.
alil lautan ime un -wem ta nokh-a miyim-a
without certitude but ESS-topic either life-NDF joy -NDF
11a. Mime yin rurgawmobu,
mime yi- n rurgaw=mo =bu
then GEN-OBJ mortal=INC=HYP
11b. tuluata lidakh rorseseba uzun ni kach,
tuluat-a li- dakh rorseseb -a u- zun ni ka -ch
doomed-NDF COM-death second_time-NDF ESS-manner same man-DEF
11c. fene uvan mid aldrusa
fene u- van mid al- drus-a
then ESS-after time NEG-long-NDF
11d. ferename itreni tukui,
fer -en -a =me it- ren -i tukui
leave-ACP-NDF=COP+HYP GEN-world-DEF forever
11e. udelmib yin sim to vaisakomo ughadra.
u-delmib yi- n s -im to vais -a =komo u- ghad-r -a
ESS-beauty GEN-OBJ AUX-SUS GEN+R memory-NDF=CAU ESS-sing-ABS-NDF
12a. Tulu wo sukuwun,
tulu wo s- uku -wu =n
destiny this PST-choose-PST=OBJ
12b. yiVakazokh Miyimi osaksakakomo sim,
yi- vakazokh miyim -i osaksaka=komo s -im
GEN-realm joyful-DEF forsaken=CAU AUX-SUS
12c. ni adzorim yizoro prec udelfamas
ni adzor -im yi -zoro prec u- delfamas
same reject-SUS GEN-everything claim ESS-kinship
12d. lo je veme jemade,
l- o je veme jem -a =de
COM-R who there dwelling-NDF=COP
12e. kocha wo aotos mesamesa yeyekame,
kocha wo aotos mesamesa yeyek -a =me
so_that this grief whatever in_wait-NDF=COP+HYP
12f. oedulu Beren liLutien asamo jabu,
oedulu Beren liLutien as -a =mo ja=bu
final_doom Beren COM-Lúthien one-NDF=INC so=HYP
12g. fene inic itsasech kuntude sibia udau tukab reni.
fene inic it- sase-ch kuntud -e sib -ia u- dau tukab ren -i
then path GEN-two -DEF advance-PRS join-PAP ESS-beyond confines world-DEF
13a. Acheo wo uzi mEldaliech mech sise rurmo,
acheo wo uzi m- Eldalie-ch mech s -is -e rur =mo
so this only ESS-Eldalië-DEF P2 AUX-PRF-PRS dead=INC
13b. mech ferse itreni gorui midrusa.
mech fer -s -e it -ren -i gorui midrus -a
P2 leave-PRF-PRS GEN-world-DEF ago long_time-NDF
13c. Ime bel cet inic yin Famas Sasech sibise,
ime bel cet inic yi- n famas sase-ch sib -is -e
but due_to reason path GEN-OBJ kin two -DEF join-PRF-PRS
13d. mime kuo= kuntew-i mech=de go- dir li =li
then fore=driver-DEF P2 =COP ALL-many person=DUP
13e. o ujhe Eldari fonfon bire,
o u- jhe Eldar-i fonfon bir -e
R ESS-who Eldar-DEF yet know-PRS
13f. soula ran unoro lisekede,
soula ran u- noro li- seke =de
though world ESS-everything COM-change=COP
13g. zun Lutien aiti, o daup itsach jede.
zun Lutien ait -i o daup it- sach je =de
manner Lúthien loved-DEF R loss GEN-P3 who=COP
1. umeo reads u(m)-meo-0 'in-front-of'. -- esi yivibi 'the number one of the beautiful' = 'the most beautiful'. -- zoviun is the past tense of davi 'create' with the object clitic -n. -- The genitive object yin refers to kheod 'song' (read 'the song most sorrowful of which the world is hearing ever').
2. alil- 'without'. -- ghew 'dwindle' is the root of alghewim 'not dwindling'. -- khaden is not the active participle of khad 'sing', but the present tense khade with the object clitic -n -- Yivokuchi doesn't use passive voice like this. The usual way is to omit the agent and front a complement, usually an essive phrase, followed by the verb (uValinor khaden 'in Valinor they sing it').
3. The translation is not literal; siriuyoru foya uzase gema means 'wove words in(to) two themes'. Here's an example of (nonstandard) passive voice (itIluvatar daviyade 'of-Ilúvatar created-were'). -- Note the use of the intentive copula -dre: jemadre 'to be dweller(s)'. -- tleriw seems to incorporate the roots of tlot 'king' and iw 'place', but the word is a borrowing from an obscure old dialect of another language. It shows o-Umlaut (which is not found in Yivokuchi). The medial /r/ could be a modification of the final /t/ of ancient /tlOt/ (cf the English allophone /r/ of medial /t/ and /d/ in rapid speech, as in 'ladder' and 'butter'), but it could also correspond to a cognate of Yivokuchi /ir/, a joiner, as in mibirdokal 'beautiful-/ir/-write' = 'write using calligraphy'.
4. midi ni 'same time' is not exactly literal, but the phrase is used as an idiom to keep the discoursive flow, especially followed by a suspensive form. -- umeon would be umeo yin both in formal and in colloquial speech, since the object clitic -n is mostly attached to verbs, but a number of registers, including literary speech, employ it with locational nouns as well. -- lutsolmo is a commitative phrase showing a mental state (utsol 'pity') followed by the inceptive copula. The word for 'pity' incorporates the element *sol, found in other words with the meaning of 'concession' and 'forgiveness'; ut- is an intensive (in this case showing a exceptional state, i. e. an extraordinary suspension of rules). -- ja is a discourse marker showing sequence or perhaps consequence. -- lidrau zun ni mo '(who) with such a feeling became' or '(who) came to feel so'.
5. acheo shows causality, like (a)che, but the terms are reversed; ache means 'for, because', and acheo means 'because of the previous thing mentioned'; mime 'then, that time' has the usual conjunctive sense. -- caka 'it/him/herself' shows that vurudu means 'summon' (Mandos calls himself for Beren) more than 'send for' (Mandos sends a message to Beren, or sends someone to fetch him); vurudu is the past tense of brud 'send for'. -- niva zun o... 'samely (in) the way that...'.
6. liteon alde 'with-power was-not' = 'had not the power'. Note the use of the intentive forms in this sentence: liteon... fafendra 'with power... to restrain'; note also that the object of the intentive participle becomes genitive (i. e. the intentive is not an infinitive). -- irio 'spirit' is a loanword, since most Bokuchi don't believe in spirits or any such entities separated from the body that survive death; a better translation could be Latin anima. -- midi o gomech yelkadre 'the-time that to-them was-to-be-waiting' = 'the time intended for them to wait'. -- sekekomo 'turn into change' is the usual paraphrasis for 'change' (vi); lun 'move, shift' is also used.
7. sololunu has ololun 'move along'; the meaning has shifted to 'approach' (in the sense of 'come close to sbdy in order to discuss sthg'. Some people employ it as an intransitive verb. -- kuntew means 'leader, driver, inducer', with kunt 'drive' having the same root as kaud 'passage, pipe, duct'. -- Note the expression tugalde itreni 'is government of the world' = 'governs the world'. -- tanchen has *tan, which is never found alone, from the same root as teon 'power'; chen 'hand' is used metaphorically, as in English and many other languages; tanchen 'power of the hand' applies to power that is delegated on a subject but whose higher source remains evident. -- vadelu is the past tense of wadel 'go inside' (note the lack of u-Umlaut). -- oengur has oen 'result' (in the generic sense) and gur 'thought'; it names the awareness of consequences and clarity of mind achieved after careful consideration of the facts. -- baobiksiu is the inmost thought, lit. the most whole essence of oneself (bao- is an intensive particle and bik- is another; the former shows extreme degree while the latter means 'wholly, completely'; siu 'center' is, as usual, employed metaphorically in the meaning of 'soul'.
8. inica 'choice' is a compound of inic ca, lit. 'possible path(s)'. --bel cet is an idiomatic form; bel alone means 'given that, considering that'. -- saikhu has the irregular perfect stem aikh- of aukh 'live'.
9. geme is a shortened form of goveme 'thither'. Note the construction and the use of the hypothetical: yiVeren alcame deles 'of Beren would be not possible (that) (he) go'. -- The usual word order is relaxed for this idiomatic construction: fafe ciru yin 'restrain distant of him' = 'keep him from', 'withhold (sthg) from him'. -- laufall is an abstract derivative of fall 'give away'.
10. The clitic -le, used for reported speech, has here also the suggestion of past tense. -- lug is the irregular k-stem of lun (underlyingly *lunk) 'move' (vi). -- The idiomatic expression lautan unwem... 'certitude of/about...' uses the essive form of gem 'topic, issue'. In this case it's followed by alternative particle ta.
11. tuluata has tulu 'destiny, fate' with the adjective-former -at, so the most correct translation is 'doomed to a second death'. -- uvan mid aldrusa 'after a time not long' = 'before long'. -- tukui has tu- (variant of ut-), an intensive affix, and kui 'ever, anytime'. -- vais 'memory' has the same root as vis 'remembering, having memory of'. -- to is the rarely found genitive of the relative pronoun o. The first part of the phrase (antecedent) is a suspensive; to joins it with the causative-inceptive that follows, which requires a genitive subject. -- ughadra is the essive of the absolute participle of khad 'sing'; the deverbal noun is usually kheod 'song', but this song mentioned in the text is an abstract noun, not a specific song.
12. sim is just a meaningless auxilliary used to mark general context, which is the function of the suspensive form. Without it, the following (up to the copula) would be interpreted as an independent proposition. -- osaksaka has a volitive mark o- on the reduplicated form saksak, which is a loan from Gayat /t_saka/ '(left) alone', cognate with Yivokuchi /caka/ 'by itself'. -- yizoro is the genitive of dro 'everything'. While yibrec deri 'of all claim(s)' would be correct, this phrasing is more emphatic. -- famas 'kin, clan' is a borrowing from Gayat, where /Pamas/ means an ancient guild (typically presided by a founding family). The abstract form telfamas 'kinship, belonging' is an innovation. -- mesamesa 'whatever' incorporates two demonstrative pronouns, me and sa, and reduplicates them. -- yeyek 'latent' is a partially reduplicated form of *yek 'wait'. -- oedulu means 'final destiny, fate'; the underlying form is oen tulu ('result of doom'). -- asamo 'become one' is the most obvious paraphrase of 'join'. -- kuntud has the ancient mediopassive derivative -ud on kunt 'drive through, induce'. -- tukab is a literary word which appears to employ the otherwise rare prefix tuk-, which suggests greatness or ultimateness (as in tukvav 'great cycle', a period of 3600 years). The other element is gab 'limit, boundary'. Some have suggested that the prefix is actually the intensive tu-, which also means 'ex-, extra-, out-'.
13. kuokuntew is transparently kuo- 'pre-, fore-' + kunt 'drive' + the agentive -ew, so it could mean 'forerunner' as well as 'leader' (in the most strict sense, i. e. not 'ruler' but 'one who leads the way by going first'). -- soula appears to incorporate *sol 'concede, grant' and the negative element la 'no, none', probably meaning 'without forgetting that...'. -- unoro is the essive of dro 'everything'. -- By coincidence we see two very strange nouns in this sentence, ait and daup, which take places reserved to verb forms in English; ait means 'love', not the abstract emotion, but the receiving part of the love relationship ('being loved' in the adjectival sense, 'beloved one' in the nominal sense). In a similar way, daup 'loss' also means 'the thing lost'. So the above could be translated as '... Lúthien their (be)love(d), who is their loss'.