Namárië. Altariello Nainië Lóriendessë
Farewell. Galadriel’s Lament in Lorien
Namárië is the longest Quenya text in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”. Quenya (pronounced [ˈkʷɛɲa]) is one of the fictional languages spoken on Arda (Earth) in Tolkien’s Middle-earth Legendarium and is spoken by the Elves (the Quendi, “those who speak with voices” because when they first awoke they were the only creatures who used words to speak).
The song is sung by Galadriel, elvish Queen and one of the main characters in Tolkien’s Legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.
Galadriel was a grandchild of both King Finwë and King Olwë, and was also close kin of King Ingwë of the Vanyar through her grandmother Indis. Towards the end of her stay in Middle-earth she was co-ruler of Lothlórien. She had a daughter Celebrían, making her Elrond’s mother-in-law and Arwen’s (King Elessar / Aragorn’s wife) grandmother.
Tolkien refers to her as “greatest of elven women”.
NAMÁRIË, with Tolkien’s translation in English. Performed by Tolkien Ensemble. Vocal: Signe Asmussen.
“Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen,
yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron!
Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier
mi oromardi lissë-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!”
“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!”
Finally, Galadriel found her way back to the Undying Lands, after the end of The Third Age. When she left Middle Earth, she was more than 20.000 years old.