Samwise Gamgee's Letter 

(and Altariello Nainie Mistalondesse)

by Ryszard Derdzinski

 

 

I want to present a Sindarin text which contains a Quenya poem being the continuation of Galadriel's Lament in The Lord of the Rings. It is intended to be an apocryphal letter from old Samwise Gamgee to King Aragorn of Minas Tirith. Sam tells about about the last moments of Master Frodo and Galadriel in Middle-earth. Galadriel's Quenya poem Altariello Nainië Mistalondessë ('Galadriel's Lament in Grey Haven') should be compared with Galadriel's Lament found in The Fellowship of the Ring. Gernot Katzer from Austria has sent his Tengwar trasncription of the final version of the letter. You can see it here.

An Aragorn Arathornion Edhelharn, Aran Gondor a Hîr i Mbair Annui suilad o Pherhael Baravornion, Condir i Drann
erin Ivanneth neder-a-tadphaenui uin anor 1470 ben genediad Drannail

Aranen Vuin!

Sir edinor en-edledhiad Iorhael i-Daur na Annún, na Dol-Ereb. Nelui Andrann methant a tôl andrann eden. Im iaur dan 'ellui dorthon ned sîdh ned Ardh Aderthannen. A Iorhael híren linna a egleria Rodyn ned Thol-Ereb. Aníron, Aranen, le trenared vith vedui Galadriel i lastannen ned Mithlond ir Elrond, Celeborn a Galadriel edlennir Ennorath. Naergon Galadriel teithon ned Quenya egor ned Lam in-Ngódhil be lastannen ned Mithlond:

Ai! telpie pendar nier rossenen,

Yéni únótime ve míri Earon!

Yéni ve linte nahtar avánier

nu halle aldar lisse-coimassava

i malinorni Lóriendesse

nu laurie, yassen lilínir i filici

ar vilya lilta entas lirinen.

 

Man erca órenyo ettuncuva?

 

An sí mapuva Ulmo ciryalma

ve sindi-falma; Varda mentuva

i Elen-estel i en tulya me

Andúne pella, ninqui hrestannar

or menel cúna, menel rácina.

Nan merin minya lóte elanar

an sire cenin Endor teldave.

 

Namárie! Autalme Valinórenna,

Endórello autar! Namárie!

Ir i gair vedui edlenn o Mithlond lastannem bith hin Galadriel:

 

Ir cenin eilph reviol

a lassath dhannol nu ‘elaidh

aníron Ethuil cheriol…

 

Suilannon le uin Drann,

 

P. B.  

 

 

Tengwar transcription (click the image):

 

samsletter.JPG (287222 bytes)

 

[I used here fonts Tengwar Cursive and Tengwar Noldor]

 

Interlinear translation:

[Mutation are removed but marked with a ° sign for clarity]

 

[Sindarin text]

 

An Aragorn Arathornion Edhelharn, Aran Gondor a Hîr i °Bair Annui
   To Aragorn Arathornson Elfstone, King [of] Gondor and Lord [of] the Western Lands


suilad o °Perhael Baravornion, Condir i Drann
   greeting from Samwise Hamfastson, Mayor [of] the Shire'

 

erin Ivanneth neder-a-tadphaenui uin anor 1470 ben genediad Drannail
   on-the September 29th of-the 1470th sun according [to] reckoning of-Shire

 

Aranen °Muin!
   My-king beloved!

 

Sir edinor en-edledhiad Iorhael i-°Taur na Annún, na °Tol-Ereb.
   Today [is] anniversary of-the departure [of] Frodo the 'High' to-[the]-West,    to-Lonely-Island

 

Nelui Andrann *methant a tôl andrann eden.
   Third Age ended and comes age new

 

Im iaur *dan °gellui dorthon ned sîdh ned Ardh Aderthannen.
   I [am] old but glad [that] I-live in peace in Kingdom Reunited

 

A Iorhael híren linna a egleria Rodyn ned °Tol-Ereb.
   And Frodo my-lord sings and glorifies the Valar in [the] Lonely Island

 

Aníron, Aranen, le trenared °pith °medui Galadriel i lastannen ned Mithlond
   I-want, my-King, to-thee to-recount words last [of] Galadriel which I-heard in Grey-Havens

 

ir Elrond, Celeborn a Galadriel edlennir Ennorath.
   When Elrond, Celeborn and Galadriel left Middle-earth.

 

Naergon Galadriel teithon ned 'Quenya' 

   Lament [of] Galadriel I-wrote in Quenya 

 

egor ned Lam in-Ngódhil be lastannen ned Mithlond:
   or in Tongue of-the Noldor as heard in Grey-Haven


[Quenya text; its analysis can be found here]

 

'Ah! Like silver fall the tears in the rain, long years like numberless
jewels of the Sea! Long years have passed like swift morsels of the sweet lembas under lofty trees, under golden mallorns of Lórien, in which birds are singing and the air dances in their song. Who will draw a thorn
out of my heart? For now Ulmo seizes our ship like a grey foaming wave; Varda shall send the Star of Hope which will lead us above heavens bending and broken beyond the West, towards white shores. But I want a flower of elanor, for today I see Middle-earth for the last time. Farewell! We leave for Valinor. We leave Middle-earth! Farewell!'

 

[Sindarin text continues]


Ir i gair
°medui edlenn o Mithlond lastannem °pith °sin Galadriel :
   When the ship last left from Grey-Havens we-heard words these [of] Galadriel

Ir cenin eilph reviol
a lassath dhannol nu 'elaidh
aníron Ethuil cheriol.

'When I-see swans flying
and leaves falling under trees
I want Spring beginning-suddenly...'

Le suilannon uin Drann,
   I-greet you from-the Shire

 

Glossary:

 

*neder-a-tadphaenui 'twenty ninth'; cf. paenui '10th' (VT#42, p. 25)

*edinor 'anniversary'; cf. Noldorin edinar (LR 400)

*edledhiad 'departure'; cf. edladhia- 'to go into exile' (LR 368)

*andrann 'age, cycle'; cf. Noldorin anrand (LR 382)  

*methant 'ended'; < CE *met-ta- 'to end'

*dan 'but'

 

 

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