In my book Cate Blanchett can do no wrong, but her perÂforÂmance in the Lord of the Rings movies was parÂticÂuÂlarÂly spellÂbindÂing, espeÂcialÂly when she spoke the Elvish lanÂguage of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fanÂtaÂsy uniÂverse. Of course, the spell was cast long before when Tolkien used his backÂground as a linÂguist, hisÂtoÂriÂan, and litÂerÂary scholÂar to creÂate the elabÂoÂrate tongue that he called Quenya. In the short clip above, Tolkien himÂself recites the Elvish poem Namarie, or Galadriel’s lament, from The FelÂlowÂship of the Ring novÂel (it doesÂn’t appear in the film). Namarie transÂlates as “Farewell,” and the poem in EngÂlish reads thus:
Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind, long years
numÂberÂless 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 VarÂda whereÂin the stars tremÂble in the
song of her voice, holy and queenÂly.
Who now shall refill the cup for me?
For now the Kindler, VarÂda, the Queen of Stars,
from Mount EverÂwhite has upliftÂed her hands like
clouds, and all paths are drowned deep in shadÂow;
and out of a grey counÂtry darkÂness lies on the
foamÂing waves between us, and mist covÂers the
jewÂels of Calacirya for ever. Now lost, lost for
those from the East is ValÂiÂmar!
Farewell! Maybe thou shalt find ValÂiÂmar. Maybe
even thou shalt find it. Farewell!
The Tolkien recordÂing preÂdates by two years the 1954 pubÂliÂcaÂtion of the novel—the first of the Ring trilÂoÂgy. As sci-fi blog i09 notes, Namarie has been set to music, someÂtimes against Tolkien’s wishÂes, by sevÂerÂal comÂposers. Tolkien did authoÂrize one comÂpoÂsiÂtion from DonÂald Swann, includÂed on the album Poems and Songs of MidÂdle Earth (1967), a song cycle from The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien gave Swann the melody, and singer William Elvin’s tenor accenÂtuÂatÂed the medieval, Celtic qualÂiÂty of the poem. A fan put togethÂer the video below.
The othÂer thirÂteen comÂpoÂsiÂtions on Poems and Songs are in EngÂlish (Tolkien’s poetÂic skill in his own tongue is perÂhaps underÂapÂpreÂciÂatÂed). In the short clip below, hear him read “The Song of Durin,” from FelÂlowÂship of the Ring, a song sung by GimÂli the dwarf as the felÂlowÂship jourÂneys deep into the mines of Moria.
As Peter JackÂson brings MidÂdle Earth back to life in the theÂater this DecemÂber, it’s a good time to brush up on your Tolkien lore. Don’t have time to reread The HobÂbit? LisÂten to Youtube user “EphemerÂal Rift” read the entire novÂel in a whisÂper. He’s up to ChapÂter 2 and promisÂes to finÂish in time for the first film’s release.
Josh Jones is a docÂtorÂal canÂdiÂdate in EngÂlish at FordÂham UniÂverÂsiÂty and a co-founder and forÂmer manÂagÂing ediÂtor of GuerÂniÂca / A MagÂaÂzine of Arts and PolÂiÂtics.
Did anyÂone record the song Sam sings about the trolls in The FelÂlowÂship of the Rings. It’s the one that starts “Troll sat alone on his seat of stone, and he munched and he mumÂbled a bare old bone…”
Just because it is clearÂly supÂposed to go to the tune of The Fox, (or DadÂdy Fox, or The Fox on the Toon) an old EngÂlish folk balÂlad.
This is one verÂsion of the tune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOr9byetpTI
The verÂsion I learnt is a bit more up temÂpo and slightÂly difÂferÂent, but it’s basiÂcalÂly the same tune. I often sing the Sam Gamgee lyrics to it.
Just found this calypÂso verÂsion from HarÂry BelaÂfonte — I think this is how I learnt it when I was small…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSN4WucIFNg
A group from DenÂmark called The Tolkien EnsemÂble recordÂed all the songs and poetÂry from Lord of the Rings in a 4‑disc set. ChristoÂpher Lee voicÂes, among othÂer works, TreeÂbeard. I love this set and preÂfer it to the offiÂcial movie soundÂtrack.
Get the CD “The essenÂtial Tolkein” put out by CaedÂmon to hear Tolkein readÂing many excerpts from The HobÂbit and FelÂlowÂship both in EngÂlish and Elvish.