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Tirion Ninquisseo

by Luinyelle


1) Liquistea ve miruvóre
i Vista nísima
Earwa vílenen a-kole
Ó ling‘ alfírima.
Ar ondo aldava murmesse,
Olorde rembina
i Osto i erinqua rese,
Ar honse mindon ná.

Ref.) A Tirion ninquisseo
Ar mírion ar yúyalo,
Ma ilyan lírelyalillo
Nán ñandaro?

2) Malle quélie kále, lar i quilion?
Sí Pandon lusta ná.
Lá rise alle Aldasilion
Nu Mindon Ingweva.
Mirínen itara mallennar
Nairiesse miuya sú;
Lá unta alle Falassennar
Na kene ninqueru.

3) Yá túlan lyen lirienna síra,
Virienna rieli,
San ha vinilyar ólien nípa
Ar ha i telda imbi maitari.
Esselya urta peu hekilion
Ve Silmaril hrúa má.
Qui hehtan réne lyenna, Tirion,
i Ninque núna fá.

4) Entúlie kále, lar i quilion,
Ar ve i pandana.
Lilótea ná Aldasilion
Nu Mindon Ingweva.
Mirínen itara mallennar
Keu ñandel‘ ehtelu;
Atuntuvalve Falassennar
Na laita ninqueru.


1) Clear as nectar
the fragrant air
is carried by a sea-breeze
Together with an immortal musical sound.
And in a slumber of rock and tree,
entangled in a dream
[is] the city that remains alone,
an in its centre is a tower.

Ref.) Oh Tirion of whiteness,
of jewel and twilight,
for each of your songs
am I the harper?

2) How has the light faded, the richness of colours?
Now the Great Square is empty.
No one attends to Galathilion
under the tower of Ingwe.
Into streets gleaming with jewels
the sound of the wind whines;
no one descends to the strands
to see a white ship.

3) When I come to sing to you today,
to weave crowns,
then have become smaller than your little-ones
and than the last among poets.
Your name burns the lips of outlaws
like a Silmaril an evil hand.
If I forsake the remembrance to you, Tirion,
who [is] a white western ray of light.

4) The light has returned, the richness of colours,
and we to the square.
Galathilion is many-flowered
under the tower of Ingwe.
Into streets gleaming with jewels
harping bubbles anew;
we will descend again to the strands
to praise a white ship.


Only neologism, I think:

ris- (v.) "to attend to, tend, care for, mind" (< *√(G)RITH) ⪤ S. grith-

Notes for singers:

All combinations of io or ie in the song (except in the refrain) are to be pronounced as on syllable (yo or ye). There was no other way to fit out long-wordy Quenya into the short lines :)

The line Ar ha i telda imbi maitari as in the original breaks the metre, increasing the number of iambs from three to five, and thus has to be sung faster.


©️ 2024, Luinyelle.

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