5 replies to this topic

[Námo]

This topic will feature some songs and poems from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, performed by the Danish 'Tolkien Ensemble'. Music composed by Caspar Reiff and Peter Hall. I have the 'Complete Songs & Poems from The Lord of the Rings' (4 CD box) with textbook illustrated by our Queen, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (she also did the illustrations for the first Danish edition of LotR) ... I might post the text together with some of the videos.

All texts are of course by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Introduction by Christopher Lee:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QqcyuWHW9o

The ensemble has existed for more than 15 years. I hope you'll enjoy their music.

[Vortigern]

Those guys are pretty damn good. Nice find. Puts me in mind of Benjamin Bagby, who performs Beowulf in the original Old English with a lyre, and is probably as close to what the Anglo-Saxons would have known as anyone is ever likely to get again.

[Námo]

Hwæt!

egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearð
feasceaft funden; he þæs frofre gebad,
weox? under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah,
oð þæt him æghwylc ymbsittendra
ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan; þæt wæs god cyning!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l0uQlzh66Y
Burial Song of Theoden, by the Tolkien Ensemble

I first intended to post this beautiful song, from the chapter 'The Battle of the Pelennor Fields', but embedding was disabled by Youtube:

Song of the Mounds of Mundburg
... Red fell the dew in Rammas Echor ...

Music by Tolkien Ensemble
Lyrics by J.R.R. Tokien
Footage from The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King by New Line Cinema

No few had fallen, renowned or nameless, captain or soldier; for it was a great battle and the full count of it no tale has told. So long afterwards a maker in Rohan said in his song of the Mounds of Mundburg:

We heard of the horns in the hills ringing,
the swords shining in the South-kingdom.
Steeds went striding to the Stoningland
as wind in the morning. War was kindled.
There Théoden fell, Thengling mighty,
to his golden halls and green pastures
int he Northern fields never returning,
high lord of the host. Harding and Guthláf,
Dúnhere and Déorwine, doughty Grimbold,
Herefara and Herubrand, Horn and Fastred,
fought and fell there in a far country:
in the Mounds of Mundburg under mould they lie
with their league-fellows, lords of Gondor.
Neither Hirluin the Fair to the hills by the sea,
nor Forlong the old to the flowering vales
ever, to Arnach, to his own country
returned in triumph; nor the tall bowmen,
Derufin and Duilin, to their dark waters,
meres of Morthond under mountain-shadows.
Death in the morning and at day's ending
lords took and lowly. Long now they sleep
under grass in Gondor by the Great River.
Grey now as tears, gleaming silver,
red then it rolled, roaring water:
foam dyed with blood flamed at sunset;
as beacons mountains burned at evening;
red fell the dew in Rammas Echor.

Wæs hal, Théoden Cyning

Edited by Námo, 04 March 2011 - 11:17 PM.

[Námo]

@ Erunno Alcarinollo: Nai tiruvantel ar varyuvantel i Valar tielyanna nu vilya.
['May the Valar protect you on your path under the sky.']

Thanks for posting, Quenya is indeed a very beautiful language ... and nice that a Tolkien linguist finds his way to these halls, though you also seems to have some interest in games based on Tolkien's World, judging from your 925 Tolkien cards based on Magic The Gathering

J.R.R. Tolkien reading Namarië. Incredible how he speaks Quenya without faltering nor hesitating, but then again this IS his language:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgnQuUSeZZA

"Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen,
yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron!
Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier
mi oromardi lisse-miruvóreva
Andúnë pella , Vardo tellumar
nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni
ómaryo airetári -lírinen.

Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva?

An sí Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo
ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë,
ar ilyë tier undulávë lumbulë;
ar sindanóriello caita mornië
i falmalinnar imbë met, ar hísië
untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë.
Sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!

Namárië! Nai hiruvalyë Valimar.
Nai elyë hiruva. Namárië!"

Namárië, also known as Galadriels song of Eldamar, performed by The Tolkien Ensemble; vocal by Signe Asmussen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TU0hE47hS0

English translation:

"Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind,
long years numberless as the wings of trees!
The long years have passed like swift draughts
of the sweet mead in lofty halls
beyond the West, beneath the blue vaults of Varda
wherein the stars tremble
in the voice of her song, holy and queenly.

Who now shall refill the cup for me?

For now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the stars,
from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds
and all paths are drowned deep in shadow;
and out of a grey country darkness lies
on the foaming waves between us,
and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya for ever.
Now lost, lost to those of the East is Valimar!

Farewell! Maybe thou shalt find Valimar!
Maybe even thou shalt find it! Farewell!"

[Námo]

Listen to the Ents Lore on Living Beings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw13wxqdzzk

Song: The Long List Of The Ents
Orchestra: The Tolkien Ensemble
Singer: Christopher Lee

With thanks to my fellow-countrymen, The Tolkien Ensemble.