User:Tar-Telperien/Translations

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Revision as of 00:39, 23 December 2007 by Tar-Telperien (talk | contribs) (→‎Text: added conditional markers and reworded a couple things)

This page contains Quenya translations made by Tar-Telperien. The Quenya language, as are most of the things being translated, is of course Tolkien's, but the inspiration here is mine. Please ask for permission if by some remote chance you find this stuff interesting and wish to use it.

Et Quenta Atalantëo: From the Akallabêth

This translation was made around Christmas of 2007. It is of a section of the Akallabêth that is about two pages in length. The title that I use for it, "Et Quenta Atalantëo", means "From the Account of the Downfall". Akallabêth as directly translated into Quenya would simply be Atalantë, but since this term is also used as a name for the island after its sinking, I add the word quenta, 'account', here to avoid ambiguity. I also use the preposition et, 'from', instead of the ablative case (i.e. Atalantello), since the "last declinable word" in this phrase is already marked for genitive (Atalantëo, 'of (the) Downfall').

Translator's Notes

While I find the Akallabêth as a whole significant and interesting, one of its most poignant sections is a passage in which the messengers of the Valar speak to the Númenóreans about the "Doom of Men". The conversation moves between the messengers, the King, and the Númenórean people, showing the messengers' attempt to explain why Men cannot go to the West and warning them to take their unrest seriously, the annoyance of the King as he points out that the forbidden West is precisely where his own forefather still lives, and the frustration of the Númenóreans as a whole with the fate that Ilúvatar has given to them. It is this section, and the part of the story leading directly up to it, that I decided to translate into Quenya, both for personal amusement and as an investigation of the dynamics of discourse in High Elven.

Quenya was not actually spoken in Númenor in general, but many names of people (especially royalty) and places were given in it, and for a long time it was considered the "most noble tongue in the world" by the Númenóreans. People such as the King, who speaks in this passage, would thus be well versed in Quenya, even if they did not use it in everyday speech. And because this converse involves messengers from the West, where Quenya in fact was the main language, it is entirely possible that the original conversation took place in this tongue, considering the high matters being discussed.

We are also told that Quenya was used in "recondite works of lore". In order for a conversation such as this, which took place about 1,000 years before the Downfall, to be saved so that Elendil could write it into the Akallabêth much later, it would have had to have been recorded word for word. If, as I have argued above, the original discussion took place in Quenya, it would almost certainly have been transcribed in that language, and even if not, a Quenya translation might well have been made later.

If this was the case, this conversation's lack of effect upon future generations is explained—the Númenóreans stopped teaching their children the Elven-tongues in the days of Tar-Ancalimon, due to the hardened feelings of the Númenóreans toward the West that the pleading of the messengers sadly failed to heal. The Kings and their followers abandoned the Elven languages in favor of their own tongue, Adûnaic. Indeed as time went on, the Kings began to destroy books that had been written in Quenya and Sindarin because of their increasing hatred of the Elves.

Ultimately, the discussion must have been saved in some form (perhaps an Adûnaic version) so that it could come to Elendil. But it seems that no matter what language the conversation was originally spoken and recorded in, its central message would not be absorbed by the Númenóreans, most of whom refused to change their ways. Regarding this subject, Tolkien wrote, "Indeed if fish had Fish-lore and Wise-fish it is probable that the business of anglers would be very little hindered". But the failure of the messengers should perhaps not be blamed on the Númenóreans alone. This discussion closely mirrors another conversation, the Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth, in subject matter. But while Finrod and Andreth actually make some degree of progress in their debate, this is mostly due to Finrod's openness, honesty, and desire for understanding of Men and their griefs. It appears from the conversation as preserved that the messengers in the Age after him do not have his finesse and warmth, nor do they make light of the common ground between Elves and Men. Despite Manwë's care for Númenor and his best efforts to advise its people, it is perhaps not surprising that the King was "ill-pleased with the counsel of the Messengers and gave little heed to it", and that this "second Athrabeth" proved in the end to be a failure.

Text

...Núnatani tá merner i ilfírala osto ya cenneltë háyallo, ar i milmë oia cuilëo, usë fíriello ar i metta alassëo, sahtanë tenna; ar voro írë túrelta ar alcarelta yantyaner, úsérelta ortanë. An Valar apaitier Núnatani anda cuilenen, ananta lá polleltë haita tello i lumbië Ambaro ya tulë teldavë, ar firiltë, é araneltar i erdëo Eärendilo; ar i lúmë coivieltaron sinta né i hendissen Eldaiva. Sië huinë lantanë tenna, yassë cé i níra Moringotto mótanë ya er rúmanë Ambaressë. Ar tá Núnatani nurruner, minyavë óreltassen, ar tá látë quettainen, pa i umbar Ataniva, ar er lil pa i Avalë ya váquentë te cirë mir i Númen.

Ar equeltë imíca intë: ‘Manan enta hamir Númeheruvi útyelila séressë, mal mauya men firë ar lelya manna lá istalmë, autala marelma ar ilqua ya acárielmë? Ar Eldar lá firir, laumë eltë i querner Herullon. Ar an utúrielmë ilyë ëari, ar únen ta verca hya ta palla ná i elma ciryar lá polir orturitas, manan lá lelyanielmë Avallónenna ar enta quetë ana nildolmar?’

Ar queni enger i quenter: ‘Manan lá lelyanielmë é Amanenna, ar enta tyavë, er auressë min, i alassë Valaiva? Nalmë sí taurë imíca i lië Ardo, lau?’

Eldar nyarner quettar sinë Valannar, ar Manwë nyérina né, cendala lumbo hostëa or i alcar Númenóreva. Ar leltanes núror Núnataninnar, i quenter hormëavë i Aranenna, ar ilquenenna i merner lasta, pa i marto ar carmë Ambaro.

‘I Umbar Ambaro,’ quenteltë, ‘Er eressë polë ahya ye carnes. Ar qui cirildë sië i úsala ilyë hurur ar remmar é tulildë Amanenna, i Mána Aranië, pityavë paityuvaldë. An umë i nórë Manweva ya anta lierya ilfírië, mal i Fírielórar i marir tassë airítier i nórë, ar tás er hestuvaldë ar yeryuva lil lintavë, ve malwi calassë acca tulca ar vórima.’

Mal equë i Aran: ‘Ar Eärendil, nossenerinya, cuina ná, lau? Hya umis Aman-nóressë?’

Yanna nyarneltë: ‘Elyë ista i haryas exa marto, ar martyaina né Minnónain i lá firir; ananta sin yando umbarya ná i se laumë lerta entulë ata firyë nórennar. Entë lye ar lielya umir Minnónaron, mal nar fírimë Atani ve Ilúvatar carneldë. Ananta merildë sí harya i annar yúyo nostaliva, cirë Valinórenna írë mínaldë, ar entulë írë merildë ana mareldar. Tan laumë lerta ná. Ar Valar lau polir haita i annar Ilúvataro. Eldar, quetil, úpaimetanë nar, ar é eltë i querner lá firir. Ananta tan ná tien lá paityalë hya paimë, mal i indómë cuilelto. Lau lertaltë usë, ar nautë nar Ambarenna sina, laumë lelyatas lúmessë ya voris, an coivierya tenya ná. Ar nal paimetana i quermen Atanion, quetil, yassë haryanel pitya ranta, ar sië firil. Mal tan úmë minyavë santë paimen. Sië usildë, ar lelyar Ambar, ar umir nautë senna, estelessë hya lumbiessë. Man imíca vé etta millier i exin?’

Ar equë Núnatani: ‘Manan lá millier Valain, hya é i ampitya Fírielóraron? An elmello cenelóra Estel mauyaina ná, ar Estel ú varnassëo, lá istala tai caita epë me sinta lúmessë. Ananta elmë yando melir Arda ar laumë merir hehtas.’

Tá i Núror quenter: ‘É i sáma Ilúvatarwa pa le umë istaina ló Valar, ar lá apanties ilqua ya tuluva. Mal sin savilmë anwa ná, i marelda umë sís, lá Aman-nóressë hya é mi Rindi Ambaro. Ar i Umbar Ataniva, i autanieltë, né minyavë anna Ilúvataro. Sa enyérieltë er an túlala undu i huinë Moringotto sanveltë i neltë pelinë alta mornienen, yo neltë ruhtainë; ar Ataneli tá ner níranquë ar avaner lavë, tenna cuilë mapaina né tello. Me i colir i vortala cólo i yéniva umir aqua hanya sin, mal qui tana nyérë entúlië nwalien le, ve quetildë, tá rucilmë ho i Huinë enorta ar tuia ata óreldassen. Etta naldë Núnatani, i usser Huinello andanéya ar mahtanes canyavë, ananta elmë quetir eldenna: Á tiril! Indómë laumë polë mahtaina ná, ar Valar nyarildë hormëavë lau avalerya i Estel yanna naldë yalinë, an tá rato nauvas ata nútë yanen naldë avaleryanë. Á savil i é i ampitya námaron yavuva. I melmë Ardo panyaina né óreldassen ló Ilúvatar, ar umis rerë ú casto. Mal rimbë randar Ataniva cé autuvar nó tana casta istaina ná, ar eldenna nauvas apantaina ar lá Valannar.’

Nati sinë martaner auressen Tar-Ciryatano, ar Tar-Atanamiro yondorya...