I Korko
Notes
English original by by Edgar Allan Poe (1845), now in public domain. Translation by Luinyelle, in 2023, provided here under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Retrieved on 2023-08-30.
Text
| No. | Quenya | Tengwar | Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | i Corco | | The Raven |
| 2 | |||
| 3 | Anda né morendë lumba, yá sannenyë nípa, numba, | | Once upon a midnight gloomy, when I pondered weak, bent, |
| 4 | Pá parmali vanwa ingolévë, sarmi aië ar elmendië – | | about many books of lost lore, writings strange and wonderous – |
| 5 | Yá lorunyë, cas nulocila, enya hlarin tompë tocila, | | when I fall asleep, head down-bending, then soon I hear a knock tapping, |
| 6 | Sívë námo moica nocila, nocila pá þambenyo fendë. | | like someone gently rapping, rapping against the door of my chamber. |
| 7 | “Nácë naþal”, hlussanenyë, “tocila pá þambenyo fendë – | | "It seems [to be] a visitor", I whispered, "tapping against the door of my chamber – |
| 8 | Rië si ar uia entë.” | | Only this and nothing further." |
| 9 | |||
| 10 | Ai, reninyë eteminda, nánë Ringaressë þinda; | ; | Oh, I remember prominently, it was in a grey December; |
| 11 | Ar ilya reä firila yúlo hó pá hún-panossen sendë. | | and the spirit of each single dying ember rested on the ground-planks. |
| 12 | Mernen arino tulusta – cavë ríciénen lusta | | I wished for the arrival of morning – to receive I had endeavoured vainly |
| 13 | Parmanyallon naire-pusta – naireo an vanw' Elenwë – | | from my books a pause of sorrow – of sorrow for [the] lost Elenwe – |
| 14 | An i alcarinqua vendë í Ainur estar Elenwendë – | | For that radiant maiden whom [the] angels name Elenwende – |
| 15 | Essë sís tennoio penë. | | [She] lacks a name here forever. |
| 16 | |||
| 17 | Ar luila hyastalë saminwa ilya vaþaro helinwa | | And the sad silken rustling of each veil violet |
| 18 | Palta, valta ni ñortoinen hrávë, alafelin' engë; | ; | Strokes, stirs me with wild horrors unfelt before; |
| 19 | Hontominya tá meletila sestiën tarnen, san enquetila | | To make rest my heartbeat then magnifying I stood, thus repeating |
| 20 | “Nácë sina naþal mecila mittar mir þambenyo fendë – | | "This it seems [is] a visitor entreating entrance into my chamber’s door – |
| 21 | Telwa lúmes naþal mecila mittar mir þambenyo fendë; – | ; | At a late hour a visitor entreating entrance into my chamber’s door; – |
| 22 | Sina nás ar uia entë.” | | This it is and nothing more." |
| 23 | |||
| 24 | Tá indonya tancaranyë; tálo ú lemyaila ambë, | ; | Then my heart grew firm; thence not more tarrying, |
| 25 | “Valda tar, apseniëlyan holmo cestan”, n' etequentë, | | "Worthy sir or madam, your forgiveness I sincerely seek", I spoke out, |
| 26 | “Ono naitië lóriënyë, ar ta moica nóciëlyë, | | "But indeed I have slept, and so softly you have rapped, |
| 27 | Ar ta penya tóciëlyë, tocië pá þambenyo fendë, | | And so inadequately you have tapped, a tapping at my chamber’s door, |
| 28 | I nánelyë nin hrailastë” – palan latyanen i fendë; – | ; | That your were hard to hear for me" - wide I opened the door; – |
| 29 | Morë tás ar uia entë. | | Darkness there and nothing more. |
| 30 | |||
| 31 | Morniënna núra tirnen, anda tarnen, sannen, irnen, | | In the darkness deep I gazed, long I stood, pondered, shuddered, |
| 32 | Sávenca, indula indemmar i ú firya indun' engë; | ; | Without belief, willing mind-pictures that no mortal willed before; |
| 33 | Mal i quildë alahasta, ruenen ú tann' a-sasta, | | But the silence [is] unmarred, by the stillness no sign is placed, |
| 34 | Erya quetta i a-lasta i hlussaina hlón, “Elenwë?” | | [The] only word that is heard [is] the whispered sound, "Elenwe?" |
| 35 | Hlussanenyes ar nalláma hlussa nan i hlón, “Elenwë!” – | | I whispered it and an echo whispers back the sound, "Elenwe!" – |
| 36 | Rië si ar uia entë. | | Only this and nothing more. |
| 37 | |||
| 38 | Nanquernenyë þambë ana, nis uryaila feä quana, | | I turned back toward the chamber, in me burning [the] whole soul, |
| 39 | Rongo atahlarnen tocië, nit antócië lá nés engë. | | Soon I heard again a tapping, tapping somewhat louder than it was before. |
| 40 | “Tanca”, quenten, “tanca nassë ma i lattino calcassë; | ; | "Surely", said I, "surely is is something at the glass of the window; |
| 41 | Ányë cenë mana tassë, ecceþë si ñulmo endë – | | Let me see what there is, find out the core of this mystery – |
| 42 | Nai indonya séra þenna ta ecceþuva ñulmo endë; – | ; | May my heart shortly rest and then find out the core of this mystery; – |
| 43 | Súrë nás ar uia entë!” | | Wind it is and nothing more!" |
| 44 | |||
| 45 | Latyanen i lattinþámo, yá linwiliénen rámo, | | I opened the shutter, when with many a flutter of wing, |
| 46 | Pantë mir varanda Corco airië auríva engë; | ; | [there] stepped in a sublime Raven of the holy days in the past; |
| 47 | Ú cuvissë lúmincissë, ú hautassë, ú serissë; | ; | He bows not for a moment, does not stop, nor stay; |
| 48 | Mal, ve heru hya herissë, harus or þambenyo fendë – | | But, like a lord or lady, he sits down above my chamber’s door— |
| 49 | Pá Niënno amboremma harus or þambenyo fendë – | | Upon a bust of Nienna he sits above my chamber’s door— |
| 50 | Haris tás, ar uia entë. | | Sits there, and nothing more. |
| 51 | |||
| 52 | Tá, lún' aiwë si luhtaila naireä intyany' an raila, | | This dark bird then beguiling my sad notion to a smiling, |
| 53 | Voroþaniénen lunga, tarya i þírerya tengë, | | By the grave and stiff decorum that his countenance indicated, |
| 54 | “Aivë cé quínelya amparan, elyë”, quenten, “é ú ñorravan, | | "Although thy head be shaven, thou," I said, "indeed are no craven, |
| 55 | Naira ulc' ar yára Carapan í lómíva hresto lendë – | | Ghastly sinister and ancient Raven that travelled from the Nightly shore— |
| 56 | Nyara nin man lómehrestas Huiva lenya arta enwë!” | | Tell me what thy lofty name [is] on [the] Huian night-shore!" |
| 57 | Equë Corco: “Úlúmendë.” | | Quoth [the] Raven "Nevermore." |
| 58 | |||
| 59 | Lai tatallanenyë pahta porocillo ta ansahta, | | Much I marvelled at discourse from a fowl that marred, |
| 60 | Aiv' i quetië nípa sívë – nípa valda nina tengë; | ; | Although the speaking little knowledge—little worth to me indicated; |
| 61 | Uhta ú ec' i náquenta tensi ú né manaquenta | | [It] is not possible to avoid the fact [that] so far [there] was not blessed |
| 62 | Uia veo i hententa aiwë or þamberyo fendë | | No living being that spots bird above his chamber’s door— |
| 63 | Aiwë, laman p'amboremma canta or þamberyo fendë | | Bird, beast on [the] sculptured bust above his chamber’s door, |
| 64 | Arwa essë “Úlúmendë.” | | With a name "Nevermore." |
| 65 | |||
| 66 | Mal i Corco haril' erya rua cáras, quentë ferya | | But the Raven sitting alone on the still head spoke readily |
| 67 | Sa er quetta vequi sé feärya mir sa quetta sennë. | | That one word as if he let loose his soul into that word. |
| 68 | Tá ú amba ú quentessë – tá ú quaþis uia quessë – | | Then nothing more he uttered – not a feather then he shook – |
| 69 | Tenna hraia tyarnen hwessë “Hyanë meldor viller engë – | | Till scarcely I caused [the] breathed noise "Other friends flew before – |
| 70 | Amauressë sé autauva, v'estelinyar váner engë.” | | On the morrow he will leave, as my hopes flew before." |
| 71 | Equë 'n aiwë “Úlúmendë.” | | Said the bird "Nevermore." |
| 72 | |||
| 73 | Ranca quildenen captaina ta hanquentanen finyaina, | | By the broken stillness startled by that reply aptly made, |
| 74 | “Tanca”, quenten, “ita quétas séva reä haura 'r hempë, | | "Surely," said I, "what it utters [is] its only stock and store |
| 75 | Turonen morumbar párië, ye ondóreä Nancárië | | By an ill-fated master [it] has been learnt, whom pitiless Destruction |
| 76 | Fariénë amafárië ten linderya cólo rendë – | | Had pursued fast and faster till his singing a burden sowed— |
| 77 | Ten estelyo nainalindë sana luitë cólo rendë | | Till the dirge of his Hope that melancholy burden sowed |
| 78 | Ló Uru-úlúmendë.” | | Of [the] ‘hard—nevermore’." |
| 79 | |||
| 80 | Mal, i Corco en luhtaila quana intyaleny' an raila, | | But the Raven still beguiling all my notion to a smiling, |
| 81 | Maxa hanwa linta rumnen epë aiwë, cára, fendë; | ; | A soft seat I swiftly shifted in front of bird, head, door; |
| 82 | Etta i tuenna sumben, riciénen limya umben | | Therefore upon the velvet I sank, with effort I was going to link |
| 83 | Intya intyan i cé tumben man si lumna aiw' et engë – | | Notion to notion that maybe I found what this ominous bird out of the past – |
| 84 | Man si ulca, sahta, naira, yerna 'r lumna aiw' et engë | | What this sinister, marred, dreadful, worn and ominous bird out of the past |
| 85 | Þellë quaila “Úlúmendë.” | | Meant croaking "Úlúmende." |
| 86 | |||
| 87 | Harnen sina mi sanasta, mal ú quenten ú quettasta | | I sat this pondering, but I didn‘t utter no syllable |
| 88 | Porocin yeo ruina hend' urunyë mir súmanyo endë; | ; | To [the] fowl whose fiery eyes burned into my bosom‘s core; |
| 89 | Sin' ar net mi sanwecenda harnen, ninya cas nanpenda | | This and more in thought-inspection I sat, my head reclining |
| 90 | Niruo telmenna senda yassë calmacal merenyë, | | On the pillow‘s covering at ease on which [the] lamp-light was festive, |
| 91 | Mal ta telmë tuehelwa yanen calmacal merenyë, | | But that covering velvet-violet by which [the] lamp-light was festive, |
| 92 | Sé appauv', ai, úlúmendë! | | She shall press, ah, nevermore! |
| 93 | |||
| 94 | Nemnë nin nelenyë vista, muina niþwanen a-nista | | It seemed to me the air thickened, from an hidden censer |
| 95 | Rafina Valainen ion pat pá fassa farma nyeldë. | | Waved by Valar whose step tinkled on the shaggy carpet. |
| 96 | “Penno! Er' orávië ótyë – si Ainuinen mentiës or tye | | "Poor man! God has had mercy on thee – by these angels he has sent onto thee |
| 97 | Pusta – pusta 'r miruvórë rénetyallon pá Elenwë; | ; | Pause – pause and miruvor from thy memories about Elenwe; |
| 98 | Yul', á yul' i linda miru, etsená si vanw' Elenwë!” | | Quaff, quaff the gentle wine, forget this lost Lenore!" |
| 99 | Equë Corco “Úlúmendë.” | | Quoth [the] Raven "Nevermore." |
| 100 | |||
| 101 | “Cendo!”, quenten, “engwë ulco! – quima aiwë hyala urco! – | | "Seer!" said I, "think of evil! – whether bird or devil! – |
| 102 | Quima Varto leltanë hya vangwë hantë tye nan fendë, | | Whether [the] Betrayer sent or [the] storm tossed thee against the door, |
| 103 | Ún' ananta úruhtaina, pá si lusta nór luhtaina – | | Deprived and yet undaunted, on this empty land enchanted – |
| 104 | Nómë ñortonen nahtaina – hanquet' ánin si hyerendë – | | Place by horror oppressed – answer me this prayer – |
| 105 | Ea aþië Lóriëndë? – queta, quet' an si hyerendë!” | | Is there balm in Lórien? – speak, speak to this prayer!" |
| 106 | Equë Corco “Úlúmendë.” | | Quoth [the] Raven "Nevermore." |
| 107 | |||
| 108 | “Cendo!”, quenten, “engwë ulco! – quima aiwë hyala urco! | | "Seer!" said I, "thing of evil! – whether bird or devil! |
| 109 | Rá ta Menel cúna or ve, Eru Er i aitat engwë – | | For that Heavan bent above us, the one God that we both revere – |
| 110 | Si feänna lunga 'r naireä queta ma mi Aman haira, | | This sould fraught and sorrowful tell if in distant Aman, |
| 111 | Napuvassë vendë aireä í Ainur estar Elenwendë – | | It shall grasp a holy maiden whom (the) angels name Elenwende – |
| 112 | Napë henca 'r faina vendë í Ainur estar Elenwendë.” | | Grasp a rare and radiant maiden whom (the) angels name Elenwende." |
| 113 | Equë Corco “Úlúmendë.” | | Quoth [the] Raven "Nevermore." |
| 114 | |||
| 115 | “Lomentengwë nai ta quetta, cotto hy' aiwë!”, hollen etta – | | "A parting-sign be that word, fiend or bird!", I cried therefore – |
| 116 | “Mir i vangwë ar i Huiva lómehrestan á nanwenë! | | "Into the storm and to the Huian Night-shore return! |
| 117 | Avá ú lúna lúpë sasta tiën feätyo cupta pasta! | | Place no black plume to indicate your soul’s sleek lie! |
| 118 | Eressenya n'alahasta! – heca i cárall' or fendë! | | My loneliness be unmarred! – be gone from the head above [the] door! |
| 119 | A haita mén mi hondonyallo, canta callo ninya fendë!” | | Remove [your] beak from out my heart, [your] form from off my door!" |
| 120 | Equë Corco “Úlúmendë.” | | Quoth [the] Raven "Nevermore." |
| 121 | |||
| 122 | Ar i Corco i ú vára, ena hára, ena hára | | And the Raven that doesn‘t give way still is sitting, still is sitting |
| 123 | Niënno ninquë amboremmas vin or i þambenyo fendë; | ; | On the white bust of Nienna just above my chamber‘s door; |
| 124 | Ar nin ná henduryo íta sívë rauc' olór' imíca, | | And the flash of his eyes is to me like of a demon among dreams, |
| 125 | Ar calmacal, i or se líca, háta hala i cemendë; | ; | And [the] lamp-light that glides over him, casts a shadow on the ground; |
| 126 | Ar feänya ta halallo i lulúta i cemendë | | And my soul from that shadow that lies floating on the ground |
| 127 | A-ortauva – úlúmendë! | | Shall be lifted – nevermore! |
Extra
Translation of names:
– Lenore: short form of Eleanor with a meaning related to "light", here translated as Elenwe(nde) "star-maid"
– Pallas: Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom; I found Nienna to be her closest equivalent, since "she brings strength to the spirit and turns sorrow to wisdom" (Valaquenta), which also fits the general theme of the poem very well. Athena as a war goddess is not represented by Nienna, yet I think this aspect of her is not in the focus of the poem and therefore negligible.
– Plutonian: reference to the Roman god of the underworld, but also meaning "dark, gloomy"; here translated as Huiva "murky, belonging to Hui", with Hui as the updated version of the name Fui, which is another name of Nienna. The "Plutonian shore" in the original poem refers to the shore of the river Styx which the souls of the dead have to cross to reach the underworld. Meanwhile the halls of Nienna are at the western shore of Valinor near the halls of Mandos, looking out at the Encircling Sea, so that the "shore of Hui" can be a reasonable reference to the region where the souls of the dead go to and whence the Raven has been sent.
– Seraphim: "the highest choir or order of angels in Christian angelology, ranked above cherubim, and below God" (wiktionary); translated with Valar as the highest beings below Eru; for "angels" as a generals term therefore Ainur is used.
– Tempter: the more fitting translation would have been úsahtando, but I could find no suitable alliteration, so I resorted to Varto "betrayer"; in an Arda-setting this would presumably refer to Morgoth or Sauron.
– Balm of Gilead: a perfume produced in Gilead, figuratively a remedy believed to cure all disease; as equivalent I chose Lórien, the region where one can "find respose and easing of the burden of Arda" (Valaquenta)
– Aidenn: "Paradise", translated as Aman "Blessed Realm"
Neologisms:
– morende "midnight" (< mori + endē)
– lok- "to bend" (< √LOK "bend, loop")
– nok- "to rap" and tok- "to tap" derived from √NOK and √TOK glossed to refer to "non-resonant sounds"
– eteminda "prominent" - blended form of eteminya and minda
– in esse pene the subject is not expressed, as is possible in short phrases in 3rd pers. sg. (eg. norne lintie "he ran quickly")
– mek- "to plead" - extrapolated from mecin "please"
– hrailaste "heard with difficulty" - formed after asalaste "easily heard"
– ir- "to shudder" (< √GIR "quiver, shudder")
– sávenka "unbelieving, doubting" (< sáve "belief" + -enka)
– nit "somewhat, a bit" (< √NIK "small"); variant of nice (cf. har(e))
– ñulma "mystery" (< ñgulmā)
– þámo "bar, barrier" (< √STAM, stama- "bar, exclude"); lattinþámo "shutter, (lit.) window-barrier " (< lattin + þámo)
– linwiliénen "(lit.) many-fluttering-with" (< lin- + wilie + -nen)
– herisse "lady" (< √KHER + -isse)
– amboremma "bust, (lit.) breast-picture"; cf. Finnish rintakuva
– voroþanie "decorum, (lit.) ever-law-abidingness"
– þíre "look, expression, countenance" (< stīrē)
– karapan "raven" (calque of S. craban)
– ñorravan "craven, (lit.) fear-beast, beast of fear" (< ñor- + hravan), inspired by Ger. Angsthase "(lit.) fear-rabbit"
– úlúmende "nevermore, (lit.) in-no-time-direction" (< ú- + lúme + men + -sē) – this would probably not be the normal way to say "nevermore“ in Q., but I think as the only utterance of the mysterious Raven the word is plausible and the elements would be recognisable enough for a native speaker to understand the meaning.
– hraia "scarcely"; extrapolated from hraicénima "scarcely visible"
– hwesse "breathed noise" (< swessē)
– hempe "stock" (< √KHEP "retain, keep")
– morumbar "dark-fated"; cf. calambar "light-fated"
– nainalinde "dirge, (lit.) lament-song" (< naina- + lindē)
– luite "melancholy, habitually being sad" (< lu- + -iti)
– qua- "to croak"; shortened version of "quaqua-"
– quettasta "word-fragment" (< quetta + -sta)
– kalmakal "lamp-light" (< kalma + kala); final vowel omitted as can happen in longer words, cf. Valinor
– merya- "to be festive" (< mberya-)
– niþwa "censer" (< nitʰmā)
– nista- "to perfume" (< nitʰtā-); cf. kesta- from √KETH
– kendo "seer"; extrapolated from Palacendo
– hyala "or" (< hya + lá); updated form of hela
– hyerende "prayer"(< khyer- + -ndē)
– faina "white, shimmering, radiant"; from S. fain
– lomentengwe "parting-sign, (lit.) away-go-sign" (< lo- + men- + tengwe); cf. lomentie
– lik- "glide, slip, slide, drip" (< √LIK of the same meaning)
– lulúta- "keep floating, lie floating"; frequentative of lut- "float, sail"