Mellonath Daeron The Language guild of the Forodrim

Feanor's Reply to the Elder King

Translated by Findegil / Björn Fromén

This is a translation into Quenya of Feanor's famous reply in Chapter 9 of the Silmarillion . An earlier version of this translation was published in Quettar 46, May 1993. The translation notes have also been amended, and a Swedish poetic translation added.

'But Feanor spoke then, and cried bitterly: "For the less even as for the greater there is some deed that he may accomplish but once only; and in that deed his heart shall rest. It may be that I can unlock my jewels, but never again shall I make their like; and if I must break them, I shall break my heart, and I shall be slain, first of all the Eldar in Aman." . . . "This thing I will not do of free will. But if the Valar will constrain me, then I shall know indeed that Melkor is of their kindred."' (The Silmarillion, ch. 9)

Ve i taura tanon ea i nurmean
almárea carna ya cuileryo tertucis
erya lúmenna tenna i metta telima;
tana carnasse indorya seruva.
Nai panta hwarmar turuvan i alcaro
mírinyais; nan tennoio úvante encárine.
Íre i mirilli mánya hatuva,
ara te hatuvas hón sina: - andácina
yévan, Aman-nóresse yesta ilye Eldaron.
Tava úvan tyaro mirima indonen;
nai mauyuvar ni táre i Valar: entave
anwe onóror istuvanyet Melcoro!

Literal translation

As for the great maker [there] is for the lesser
a blissful work that in his life he carries through
on one occasion only to the final conclusion;
in that work his mind [then] will rest.
Maybe I shall be able to open the locks of the radiance
in my treasures; but never then will they [lit.: for ever they will not] be remade.
If my hand must [lit.: When my hand shall] break the jewels,
beside them it will break this heart: - slain
I shall be, in Aman-land first of all Elves.
Of that I will not be the agent with a free mind;
let the Powers then constrain me: thus
I shall know them [to be] true brothers of Melcor!

Swedish poetic translation

Det givs - liksom för mästarn i de högas krets -
för den vars plats ställts lägre, något rikt och stort
som en gång blott i livet han kan fullkomna;
och i det verket sen hans hjärta har sin ro.
Måhända kan jag öppna glansens insegel,
men aldrig, aldrig kan jag återskapa dem.
Om mina ädelstenar jag skall sönderslå,
med dem mitt hjärta krossar jag i samma stund
och faller, först bland alver dräpt i Amans land.
Nej, aldrig gör jag detta frivilligt;
låt Makterna mig tvinga: då dess mera viss
blir jag om deras blodsfrändskap med Melcor!

Notes on the translation to Quenya

*nurmea

'subordinate, lesser' from *nurme 'subordination' (base NDUR 'bow down')

*carna

'artefact, work of art', cf. Karme 'Art' (UT, p.396)

*-ryo

'of his', genitive of -rya 'his' (WJ, p.369)

*ter-tuci-s

'he carries through'

*telima

'final' substituted for the recorded tyelima , since Tolkien seemingly replaced the KYEL- of 'The Etymologies' with TELE (WJ, p.411)

nai

is here a concessive subjunctive '*let it be that', '*even granted that'

hwarma

'crossbar' used metonymically for 'lock'

*turuvan

'I shall be able', cf. Goldogrin tur - 'can, have power' (BLT I, p.260)

*mírinyais

short locative, = *mír-inya-ssen 'in my jewels'

*encárina

'remade'

*andácina

'slain' from NDAK- 'slay', cf. -dacil 'victor' (the prothetic a- is modelled on that of, e.g., ambar , andúne)

*tava

possessive case of ta 'that'

*ni

accusative 'me'

táre

'*then'

*entave

'"yonderly", in yonder way, thus'

teithant Findegil, o Mellonath Daeron