Métimë quettar Olórino
'Gandalf's last words' in Quenya by Julian 'Flammifer' Jarosch

 

These are the words with which Gandalf bids Farewell to the Hobbits at the end of The Lord of the Rings (Book VI, The Grey Havens). It is almost a saying as wise and famous as 'Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them?'. Now, it even has its appearance in the film.

 

Á lelya séressë! Lá equen: áva nainuvalyë; an lá ilyë níreli nar úmiéo.

'Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.'

Literal translation:

Do go peace-in! Not say-I: do-not lament; for not all tears are evil-of.

Notes

 

á imperative particle

lelya present tense and 2. person plural of lel- 'to go'

séressë locative case of sérë 'rest' / 'peace'

negative particle

equen 1. person singular of the 'tenseless pseudo-verb' equë, used to introduce quotations

áva negative imperative particle

nainuvalyë future tense and 2. person plural of the verb naina- 'to lament'

an 'for' / 'because'

ilyë 'all'

níreli partitive plural of nírë 'tear'. I chose the partitive plural to oppose the 'absolute' plural.

nar plural of ná- 'are'

*úmiéo genitive of *úmié 'evil' (N.), derived from úmea 'evil' (Adj.) with nominal ending -ié. Other sources propose ulca. It is up to you to choose.

I have chosen genitive in that place, because the German translation reads 'for not all tears are of evil'.

 

main page