Senu Yivokuchi Corpus

Namárië

Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen,
Yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron!
Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier
mi oromardi lisse-miruvóreva
Andúnë pella, Vardo tellumar
nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni
ómaryo airetári-lírinen.
Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva?
An sí Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo
ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë
ar ilyë tier undulávë lumbulë;
ar sindanóriello caita mornië
i falmalinnar imbë met, ar hísië
untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë.
Si vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!
Namárië! Nai hiruvalyë Valimar.
Nai elyë hiruva. Namárië!

J. R. R. Tolkien, "The Lord of the Rings", "The Fellowship of the Ring", ch. 8, "Farewell to Lórien"

This poem was written in Quenya, one of the languages constructed by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (who is somewhat of a patron saint for most conlangers). He worked on these languages until his last days. He once said that he had written his stories and books, portraying a whole constructed world, just to give a credible origin to his languages -- to create a place where someone could realistically speak them. The 2001 movie "The Fellowship of the Ring", which you may or may not have watched, is the wonderful adaptation of the first part of "The Lord of the Rings", whence this poem comes from (it did not, alas, appear in the movie, though several Elvish sentences did). In the book, the poem (named "Namárië" ["Farewell"]) is sung by Galadriel, the Lady of the Elvish kingdom of Lothlórien, so it is also known as "Galadriel's Lament in Lórien". It's been one my "language testers" for a long time.

In English: "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 song of her voice, 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 from the East is Valimar! Farewell! Maybe thou shalt find Valimar. Maybe even thou shalt find it. Farewell!"


Running translation

Ai! Yizun ghakod kele nak naka breyi,
vav drusa azafilgaw yizun gilel yikhuch!
Vav drusi kimferse yizun gaideo chara
iteralea tesari brir woyoma udau jhau,
mouve rirkuok khul yiVarda
ve mor nut nuti abre likheodi ghul yin seber tlaoyom.
Je biksave negi gamva ge?
Ache mawo Binrewi Varda Tlotak Nut Nuti
yiJhao Mider-Aoch
drebse tichen yin ekheba odekas,
wo inci deri maigade eciuga udomoma,
wo itae yaol dirda reile kuarde
ubul chod chod ikopi vai khai,
wo lamba seneze wakrech uGalakiria bikamidva.
Mawo daupa, daupade gobun jhe yiyoweyde, Valimar!
Ewas difer! Jhare Valimar jobu ca.
Jobu cade jhare Valimar. Difer!


Interlinear translation

1. Ai! Yizun ghakod kele nak naka breyi,
   ah GEN-way gold fall-PRS leaf.DUP-NDF ESS-wind-DEF

2. vav drusa azafilgaw yizun gilel yikhuch!
   year long-NDF uncountable GEN-way wing GEN-tree-DEF

3. Vav drusi kimferse yizun gaideo chara
   year long-DEF pass-PRF-PRS GEN-way draught swift-NDF

4. iteralea tesari brir woyoma udau jhau,
   GEN-mead sweet-DEF ESS-hall lofty-NDF ESS-beyond GEN+west

5. mouve rirkuok khul yiVarda
   ESS-beneath vault blue GEN-Varda

6. ve mor nut nuti abre likheodi ghul yin seber tlaoyom.
   where ESS-inside star.DUP-DEF tremble-PRS COM-song voice GEN-OBJ sacred queenly

7. Je biksave negi gamva ge?
   who fill-PRS cup-DEF again ALL+1s

8. Ache mawo Binrewi Varda Tlotak Nut Nuti
   since now kindler-DEF Varda queen star.DUP-DEF

9. yiJhao Mider-Aoch
   GEN-mountain always_white-DEF

9b. drebse tichen yin ekheba odekas,
    raise-PRF-PRS BOTH-hand GEN-OBJ cloud-NDF which-COP-SEEM

10. wo inci deri maigade eciuga udomoma,
    and path-DEF all-DEF drowned-COP MPH-deep ESS-shadow-NDF

11. wo itae yaol dirda reile kuarde
    and GEN-from country gray-NDF darkness lying-COP

11b. ubul chod chod ikopi vai khai,
     ESS-over wave.DUP foaming-DEF ESS+between GEN+1sX

12. wo lamba seneze wakrech uGalakiria bikamidva.
    and mist-NDF cover-PRS jewel-DEF ESS-Calacirya forever

13. Mawo daupa, daupade gobun jhe yiyoweyde, Valimar!
    now loss-NDF loss-NDF-COP ALL-benefit GEN+who GEN-east-COP Valimar

14. Ewas difer! Jhare Valimar jobu ca.
    MPH-happy IMP-leave find-PRS Valimar 2s-HYP possible

15. Jobu cade jhare Valimar. Difer!
    2s-HYP possible-COP find-PRS Valimar IMP-leave