Nirnaeth-e-Dauriel

.

Danna i-nguruthos. Ú-girithon.

Ae Elbereth, ae elenath, ae Anor adh Ithil, aen ce tiriel!

Nae, Im Tauriel.

Alae, Im neithannen.

.

Tauriel's Lament

Death's shadow falls. I shall not shudder.

O, Star-Queen, O, stars above, O, sun and moon, be ye watchful!

Alas, I am Tauriel.

Behold me, I am wronged.


Literally:

Bittertears-of-Tauriel

Falls the-deathshadow. Not-shudder-shall-I.

O Star-spouse (feminine), O stars (collective: all stars), O, Sun and Moon, be you (formal) watching!

Alas, I [am] Tauriel.

Behold, I [am] wronged.

*The form e-Dauriel may look both like a misspelling of her name as well as the word en ('of', or 'of the'). However, a closer look will reveal that Sindarin is fond of changing the sounds of both vowels and consonants to express both grammar and beauty. Mutation, or changing of consonants and vowels, allows for a semblance of alliteration and a lyricism that does not exist in English. The construct Nirnaeth-en-Tauriel undergoes mixed mutation, where the nasal n is dropped and the t becomes voiced to d, creating Nirnaeth-e-Dauriel. In fact, when making this piece the author purposefully chose to use nirnaeth, a Sindarin synonym for naergon (lament), due to the closeness of the th and d sounds.

Sources:

1) Hiswelókë's Sindarin-English Dictionary: "Strict" Sindarin & Noldorin Alphabetical and Analogical Dictionaries.

2) Thorsten Renk's Pedin Edhellen, a Sindarin-Course, Version 3.05

Inspired by Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, line 1089: On me the tempest falls. It does not make me tremble. O holy Mother Earth, O air and sun, behold me. I am wronged.