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{{book|
{{disambig-more|The Road Goes Ever On|[[The Road Goes Ever On (disambiguation)]]}}{{book
image=[[Image:The Road Goes Ever On (2002).gif|250px]]|
| image=[[Image:The Road Goes Ever On (1968).jpg|275px]]
title=The Road Goes Ever On (3rd edition)|
| title=The Road Goes Ever On:<br><small>A Song Cycle</small>
author=[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] and [[Donald Swann]]|
| author=[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Donald Swann]] (music)
isbn=0007136552|
| illustrator=J.R.R. Tolkien (tengwar writing), Samuel Hanks Bryant (decoration)
publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|
| publisherUK=[[George Allen and Unwin]]
date=[[1967]] (1st ed.)|
| publisherUS=[[Houghton Mifflin]]
format=Hardcover|
| date=[[31 October]] [[1967]] (US)<br>[[28 March]] [[1968]] (UK)
pages= 84|
| format=Hardcover; paperback
amazon=http://www.amazon.com/Road-Goes-Ever-J-Tolkien/dp/0007136552/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200335750&sr=8-1|
| pages=80
amazonprice=
| isbn=0047840099
}}
}}


'''The Road Goes Ever On''' contains poems by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]], all appearing in his writings on [[Middle-earth]], set to music by [[Donald Swann]]. The book is divided in two major sections: (1) a collection of sheet music (2) the final chapter ''Notes and Translations'' written by Tolkien. The latter consists of scripts, translations and comments on the Elvish texts for "[[Namárië (poem)|Namárië]]" and "[[A Elbereth Gilthoniel]]", and is an important document in being a "glossary of Elvish terms and lore that appears nowhere else"<ref>Quote from the cover of the 3rd edition of ''The Road Goes Ever On''.</ref>. For example, it contains one of the longest samples of the language [[Quenya]].
'''''The Road Goes Ever On: A Song Cycle''''' is a book of sheet music, poems by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]], music by [[Donald Swann]].


The book was richly decorated by Tolkien.
The first edition was published in [[1967]], which contains six poems from ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and one from ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]''. It also contains notes on and translations of two Elvish text: "''[[Namárië]]''" and "''[[A Elbereth Gilthoniel]]''", for which reason it is an important document concerning the "glossary and lore of [[Elvish]]".<ref>Quote from the cover of the Third Edition.</ref>
 
A recording of the music, with [[William Elvin]] as vocalist, appeared under the title ''[[Poems and Songs of Middle Earth]]'' (1967). This record also contains readings from ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'' by J.R.R. Tolkien.
 
==Overview==
[[File:The Road Goes Ever On tailpiece.jpg|thumb|center|400px|One of the decorative tailpieces in the book]]
This book has been valued even by those uninterested in music, since it helps Tolkien's readers to better understand the cultures of the various mythological beings presented in [[Middle-earth]], and helps linguists analyse Tolkien's poetry. As well as the poems, notes, and translations, Tolkien contributed decorations in the form of [[Elvish]] script for the top and bottom of every page of sheet music, and tailpieces for the spaces at the ends of the poems.
 
The book contains one of the longest samples of the language [[Quenya]], in the shape of the song "''[[Namárië]]''" (which appears on the cover in [[Tengwar]]), as well as the Sindarin prayer "''[[A Elbereth Gilthoniel]]''" with grammatical explanations. Tolkien's notes in the book provide information about the [[First Age]] of Middle-earth that was not otherwise publicly available until the publication of ''[[The Silmarillion]]''.<ref>{{HM|A}}Robert Foster, ''[[A Guide to Middle-earth]]''</ref>


==Contents==
==Contents==


Contents from the third edition.
===Songs===
*Included since the first edition (1967)
**[[The Road Goes Ever On (song)|The Road Goes Ever On]] — (from ''LR'', book 1, ch. 1)
**[[Upon the Hearth the Fire is Red]] — (from ''LR'', book 1, ch. 3)
**[[In the Willow-meads of Tasarinan]] — (from ''LR'', book 3, ch. 4)
**[[In Western Lands beneath the Sun|In Western Lands]] — (from ''LR'', book 6, ch. 1)
**[[Namárië|Namárië (Farewell)]] — (from ''LR'', book 2, ch. 8)
**[[I Sit beside the Fire and Think|I Sit beside the Fire]] — (from ''LR'', book 2, ch. 3)
**[[Errantry]] — (from ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'', song #3)
*Added in the second edition (1978)
**[[Bilbo's Last Song]] — (given by Tolkien to [[Joy Hill]])
*Added in the third edition (2002)
**[[A Elbereth Gilthoniel]] (continues "I Sit beside the Fire") — (from ''LR'', book 2, ch. 1)
**[[Song of Parting|Lúthien Tinúviel]] — (from ''The Silmarillion'', ch. 19)
 
A CD is included with the third edition, it contains ''The Road Goes Ever On'' song cycle performed by Donald Swann, William Elvin, and Clive McCrombie.
 
===Notes and Translations===
*''[[Namárië]]''
*''[[A Elbereth Gilthoniel]]''


*''Introduction'' (by [[Leon Berger]])
==Publication history and gallery==
*''Foreword by Donald Swann''
;UK editions
*''Foreword to the Third Edition'' (by Donald Swann)
{{Gallery
*[Songs]
|width=128
** [[The Road Goes Ever On (song)|The Road Goes Ever On]]
|height=125
** [[Upon the hearth the fire is red]]
|lines=2
** [[In the willow-meads of Tasarinan]]
|File:The Road Goes Ever On (1968).jpg|1968 first edition
** [[In western lands]]
|File:The Road Goes Ever On (1978).gif|1978 second edition
** [[Namárië]]
|File:The Road Goes Ever On (2002).gif‎|2002 third edition
** [[I sit beside the fire]]
}}
** [[A Elbereth Gilthoniel]]
* [[George Allen and Unwin]] hardcover ([[1968]]), pp. 80. ISBN 0047840099
** [[Errantry]]
* [[George Allen and Unwin]] hardcover ([[1978]]), ISBN 0047840110
** [[Bilbo's Last Song]]
* [[HarperCollins]] hardcover ([[2002]]), pp. 96. ISBN 0007136552
*''Notes and Translations'' (by J.R.R. Tolkien)
*''Appendix''
** [[Lúthien Tinúviel (song)|Lúthien Tinúviel]]


==Editions==
The book has also been published by [[Ballantine Books]] in US. A jacketless hardcover edition in October [[1968]], and a paperback edition in August [[1975]].<ref>{{webcite|author=[[Douglas A. Anderson]]|articleurl=http://tolkienandfantasy.blogspot.com/2021/05/ballantines-road-goes-ever-on.html|articlename=Ballantine's Road Goes Ever On: Bibliographers Off by a Year!|dated=31 May 2021|website= http://tolkienandfantasy.blogspot.com/|accessed=2 June 2021}}</ref>
===1st===
[[Image:The Road Goes Ever On (1968).gif|right|150px]]
''The Road Goes Ever On'' was first published on [[October 31]], [[1967]] by [[Allen and Unwin|George Allen & Unwin]].
* ISBN 0047840099 (from the 3rd impression)
* Hardback with dustwrapper
* Illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien and [[Samuel Hanks Bryant]].
* Includes music for seven poems: The Road Goes Ever On, Upon the Hearth the Fire is Red, In the Willow-meads of Tasarinan, In Western Lands, Namárië, I Sit Beside the Fire and Errantry.
* Includes translations of Namárië and A Elbereth Gilthoniel with commentary.
* Impressions
** 1st - 1968
** 2nd - 1969
** 3rd - 1972
** 4th - 1974
* Published in the United States by [[Houghton Mifflin]] in [[1967]].


===2nd===
{{Gallery
[[Image:The Road Goes Ever On (1978).gif|right|150px]]
|width=128
The 2nd edition was published in 1978 by George Allen and Unwin.
|height=125
* ISBN 0047840110
|lines=2
* Includes all the poems from the first edition, as well as [[Bilbo's Last Song]].
|File:Goes Ever On Ballantines Hardcover.jpeg|Ballantine 1968 hardcover
{{clear}}
|File:Goes Ever On Ballantines Paperback.jpeg|Ballantine 1975 paperback
}}
* [[Ballantine Books]] hardcover ([[1968]]), pp. 80. PBN 74550
* [[Ballantine Books]] paperback ([[1975]]), ISBN 0345247337


===3rd===
==See also==
[[Image:The Road Goes Ever On (2002).gif|right|150px]]
*[[Letter to James S. Marsh (29 December 1966)|Letter to James S. Marsh]], in which Tolkien showed his plan with the book.
The 3rd edition was published in 1993 by HarperCollins.
* ISBN 0007136552
* Hardback in dustwrapper.
* Includes all the poems from the first edition, as well as Lúthien Tinúviel (first published in The Songs of Donald Swann: Volume I)
* Includes a CD with The Road Goes Ever On song cycle performed by Donald Swann, [[William Elvin]] and Clive McCrombie.
* Reprinted in 2002 as a hardcover by [[HarperCollins]]
* Canadian version issued with titling and style similar to the 1st and 2nd editions.


{{references}}
{{references}}
 
{{Publishedmajorbooks}}
{{title|italics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Road Goes Ever On}}
[[Category:Music books]]
[[Category:Books by J.R.R. Tolkien]]
[[Category:Books by J.R.R. Tolkien]]
[[Category:Music books]]
[[Category:Publications by title|Road Goes Ever On]]

Revision as of 16:49, 4 March 2023

The name The Road Goes Ever On refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see The Road Goes Ever On (disambiguation).
The Road Goes Ever On:
A Song Cycle
The Road Goes Ever On (1968).jpg
AuthorJ.R.R. Tolkien, Donald Swann (music)
IllustratorJ.R.R. Tolkien (tengwar writing), Samuel Hanks Bryant (decoration)
PublisherGeorge Allen and Unwin (UK)
Houghton Mifflin (US)
Released31 October 1967 (US)
28 March 1968 (UK)
FormatHardcover; paperback
Pages80
ISBN0047840099

The Road Goes Ever On: A Song Cycle is a book of sheet music, poems by J.R.R. Tolkien, music by Donald Swann.

The first edition was published in 1967, which contains six poems from The Lord of the Rings and one from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. It also contains notes on and translations of two Elvish text: "Namárië" and "A Elbereth Gilthoniel", for which reason it is an important document concerning the "glossary and lore of Elvish".[1]

A recording of the music, with William Elvin as vocalist, appeared under the title Poems and Songs of Middle Earth (1967). This record also contains readings from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Overview

One of the decorative tailpieces in the book

This book has been valued even by those uninterested in music, since it helps Tolkien's readers to better understand the cultures of the various mythological beings presented in Middle-earth, and helps linguists analyse Tolkien's poetry. As well as the poems, notes, and translations, Tolkien contributed decorations in the form of Elvish script for the top and bottom of every page of sheet music, and tailpieces for the spaces at the ends of the poems.

The book contains one of the longest samples of the language Quenya, in the shape of the song "Namárië" (which appears on the cover in Tengwar), as well as the Sindarin prayer "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" with grammatical explanations. Tolkien's notes in the book provide information about the First Age of Middle-earth that was not otherwise publicly available until the publication of The Silmarillion.[2]

Contents

Songs

A CD is included with the third edition, it contains The Road Goes Ever On song cycle performed by Donald Swann, William Elvin, and Clive McCrombie.

Notes and Translations

Publication history and gallery

UK editions
1968 first edition  
1978 second edition  
2002 third edition  

The book has also been published by Ballantine Books in US. A jacketless hardcover edition in October 1968, and a paperback edition in August 1975.[3]

Ballantine 1968 hardcover  
Ballantine 1975 paperback  

See also

References

  1. ↑ Quote from the cover of the Third Edition.
  2. ↑ Robert Foster, A Guide to Middle-earth
  3. ↑ Douglas A. Anderson, "Ballantine's Road Goes Ever On: Bibliographers Off by a Year!" dated 31 May 2021, http://tolkienandfantasy.blogspot.com/ (accessed 2 June 2021)
A J.R.R. Tolkien book guide
Books by or mainly by Tolkien
On Arda Authored by
J.R.R. Tolkien 		The Hobbit · The Lord of the Rings
(i.The Fellowship of the Ring · ii.The Two Towers · iii.The Return of the King) ·
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil · The Road Goes Ever On · Bilbo's Last Song
Edited by Christopher Tolkien The Silmarillion · Unfinished Tales · The History of Middle-earth series
(i.The Book of Lost Tales: Part One · ii.The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two · iii.The Lays of Beleriand · iv.The Shaping of Middle-earth · v.The Lost Road and Other Writings · vi.The Return of the Shadow · vii.The Treason of Isengard · viii.The War of the Ring · ix.Sauron Defeated · x.Morgoth's Ring · xi.The War of the Jewels · xii.The Peoples of Middle-earth · Index) ·
The Children of Húrin · Beren and Lúthien · The Fall of Gondolin
Edited by others The Annotated Hobbit · The History of The Hobbit · The Nature of Middle-earth ·
The Fall of Númenor · The Maps of Middle-earth
Not on Arda Short stories
and poems 		Leaf by Niggle · Farmer Giles of Ham · Smith of Wootton Major · Letters from Father Christmas ·
Mr. Bliss · Roverandom · Tree and Leaf (compilation) · Tales from the Perilous Realm (compilation)
Fictional works The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún · The Fall of Arthur · The Story of Kullervo · The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun
Translations and academic works Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo · Finn and Hengest ·
The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays · Beowulf and the Critics · Tolkien On Fairy-stories ·
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary · A Secret Vice · The Battle of Maldon
Collected letters and poems The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien · The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien
Edited old texts A Middle English Vocabulary · Sir Gawain and the Green Knight · Ancrene Wisse · The Old English Exodus
Books by other authors
Biographies J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography · The Inklings · Tolkien and the Great War
Reference works The Complete Guide to Middle-earth · The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide
Scholarly studies The Road to Middle-earth · The Keys of Middle-earth · The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion ·
The Ring of Words · A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien · Tolkien's Lost Chaucer ·
Tolkien's Library · Tolkien on Chaucer, 1913-1959
Scholarly journals Tolkien Studies · (The Chronology)
Other works by Tolkien
Linguistic journals Vinyar Tengwar various issues · Parma Eldalamberon issue 11-22
Collections of artwork
and manuscripts 		Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien · J.R.R. Tolkien: Life and Legend · J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator ·
The Art of The Hobbit · The Art of The Lord of the Rings · Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth ·
Tolkien: Treasures · J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript
This list is only a selection of works, for a fuller bibliography of Tolkien see here or here. See also a timeline and an index.
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