Contribution “Airalindë Vardanna Quendion Imbeláriso” by Sámo Collarwa

Airalindë Vardanna Eldaron Arcimbelëo

A Quenya translation of the title of the poem otherwise known as *A Elbereth Gilthoniel*.

While expressing the same meaning as in Sindarin, the form obviously differs significantly.

• *Airalindë* is perhaps the more direct Quenya cognate of the Sindarin *aerlinn* that can be effected. Despite the loss of final short vowels in *aer* and *linn* (as well as the changing of -nd to -nn in the latter), it nonetheless maintains the meaning of "holy song" or "hymn." Being the subject of the title, no special case-endings would be required in Quenya (nor in Sindarin, had they persisted into the present).
• Vardanna is the open expression to whom the hymn is dedicated. Whereas the dedication is only inferred from the content of the hymn in Sindarin (specifically, the opening verse *A Elbereth Gilthoniel* ("O Elbereth who lit the stars")). Unlike Sindarin, in which case-endings all but disappeared by its present form, such remained in Quenya. (What would have become of them had the language persisted in Middle-Earth is ultimately unknown.) Thus, the sense of "to, toward" was expressed in the ending *-nna*, rather than in the preposition *na* (which would make the dedication something like *Aerlinn na Elbereth in Sindarin).
• Eldaron expresses authorship of the hymn and establishes an association with the elves of Rivendell. Rather than allude to this genitival relationship through the definite article (*i*; plural in, or "the"; hence names such as *Ost-in-Edhil* ("Fortress of the Elves/Eldar")), it is instead shown through the case-ending *-o* (plural -on, or "of"). The plural itself is also distinct from Sindarin, as it is indicated by, in this case, the suffix *-r*, rather than through i-infixion (whence *Edhel* ("an Elf") - Edhil ("Elves")).
• Arcimbelëo is similar to Eldaron in that it expresses a genitival relationship, though not so much with the hymn as with the elves who composed it. As *Arcimbelë* is a direct Quenya cognate with the Sindarin *Imladris* ("Deep Dale of the Cleft"), and the genitive ending *-o* is used to denote the elves originating from the haven.

Thus, the most direct translation of the title would run something like this: "[A] Holy-Song Varda-to Elves-of Rivendell-of."

Quenya Neologism