Written by Luinyelle, in 2024, provided here under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). Retrieved on 2024-12-31.
Lyrics inspired by "Yerushalayim shel zahave" (Jerusalem of gold) by Naomi Shemer, melody in turn derived from "Berceuse basque" (Basque lullaby), original melody composed by Juan Francesco Petriarena Xenpelar (1835-1869). Links: http://lyrics.vatteville.net/hebrew/YSZ.en.html (lyrics), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH8gtdDA5x0 (Hebrew song audio), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILnd-Rpz0qM (Basque lullaby audio).
Note: The author does not wish that this Quenya text be used to train AI.
| No. | Quenya | Tengwar | Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tirion Ninquisseo | | ???? |
| 2 | |||
| 3 | -- | | (verse 1) |
| 4 | Liquisteä ve miruvórë | | Clear as nectar |
| 5 | i Vista nísima | | the fragrant air |
| 6 | Earwa vílenen a-colë | | is carried by a sea-breeze |
| 7 | Ó ling' alfírima. | | Together with an immortal musical sound. |
| 8 | Ar ondo aldava murmessë, | | And in a slumber of rock and tree, |
| 9 | Olordë rembina | | entangled in a dream |
| 10 | i Osto i erinqua resë, | | [is] the city that remains alone, |
| 11 | Ar honsë mindon ná. | | an in its centre is a tower. |
| 12 | |||
| 13 | -- | | (refrain) |
| 14 | A Tirion ninquisseo | | Oh Tirion of whiteness, |
| 15 | Ar mírion ar yúyalo, | | of jewel and twilight, |
| 16 | Ma ilyan lírelyalillo | | for each of your songs |
| 17 | Nán ñandaro? | | am I the harper? |
| 18 | |||
| 19 | Mallë quélië cálë, lar i quilion? | | How has the light faded, the richness of colours? |
| 20 | Sí Pandon lusta ná. | | Now the Great Square is empty. |
| 21 | Lá risë allë Aldasilion | | No one attends to Galathilion |
| 22 | Nu Mindon Ingweva. | | under the tower of Ingwe. |
| 23 | Mirínen itara mallennar | | Into streets gleaming with jewels |
| 24 | Nairiëssë miuya sú; | ; | the sound of the wind whines; |
| 25 | Lá unta allë Falassennar | | no one descends to the strands |
| 26 | Na cenë ninqueru. | | to see a white ship. |
| 27 | |||
| 28 | Yá túlan lyen liriënna síra, | | When I come to sing to you today, |
| 29 | Viriënna riëli, | | to weave crowns, |
| 30 | San ha vinilyar óliën nípa | | then have become smaller than your little-ones |
| 31 | Ar ha i telda imbi maitari. | | and than the last among poets. |
| 32 | Esselya urta peu hecilion | | Your name burns the lips of outlaws |
| 33 | Ve Silmaril hrúa má. | | like a Silmaril an evil hand. |
| 34 | Qui hehtan rénë lyenna, Tirion, | | If I forsake the remembrance to you, Tirion, |
| 35 | i Ninquë núna fá. | | who [is] a white western ray of light. |
| 36 | |||
| 37 | Entúlië cálë, lar i quilion, | | The light has returned, the richness of colours, |
| 38 | Ar ve i pandana. | | and we to the square. |
| 39 | Lilóteä ná Aldasilion | | Galathilion is many-flowered |
| 40 | Nu Mindon Ingweva. | | under the tower of Ingwe. |
| 41 | Mirínen itara mallennar | | Into streets gleaming with jewels |
| 42 | Ceu ñandel' ehtelu; | ; | harping bubbles anew; |
| 43 | Atuntuvalvë Falassennar | | we will descend again to the strands |
| 44 | Na laita ninqueru. | | to praise a white ship. |
Only neologism, I think:
ris- (v.) "to attend to, tend, care for, mind" (< *√(G)RITH) ⪤ S. grith-
Notes for singers:
All combinations of "io" or "ie" in the song (except in the refrain) are to be pronounced as one syllable (yo or ye). There was no other way to fit out long-wordy Quenya into the short lines :)
The line "Ar ha i telda imbi maitari" as in the original (וּמֵאַחֲרוֹן הַמְּשׁוֹרְרִים, "U- me-’aharon ha-meshorerim") breaks the metre, increasing the number of iambs from three to five, and thus has to be sung faster.
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