‘Silmesse’ poem written in Quenya tengwar
A new elvish music video has gone up on YouTube that is hauntingly beautiful and those who love all things elvish should take a listen to.
‘Silmesse‘ (meaning ‘Starlight‘ in Quenya) is a poem that was written by Helge K. Fauskanger, a noted elvish-linguist in Tolkien circles. He regularly posts at Elfling, a group on Yahoo dedicated to helping learn about Tolkien’s elvish languages – primarily Quenya and Sindarin. Fauskanger also runs the website Ardalambion that focuses on a scholarly approach to all of Tolkien’s invented languages.
Artist and composer Carvin Knowles, who has done work on the hit show The Sopranos and movie American Pie, has created a music score to accompany Fauskanger’s poem and it is performed by The Fellowship featuring Caitlin Elisabeth on vocals. The sound is ethereal, helping transport the listener to another time, an ancient time when the world was new.
Here is the music video. Take a listen and see what you think. The poem in Quenya by Fauskanger and it’s translation in English are posted below the video
Silmesse
Sinome háran i marya silmesse;
Ilmello sílar tinwi lómisse;
Ni-cenar, i telpeva hendi,
ve cennelte i cuivie Quendi.
Alasse antar i menelmíri,
laitan mi anvanye líri.
Oiale ná i silme vinya;
tíranyes sí vi Quende minya,
vi minya Cuiviéneno
i cenne cala eleno.
Starlight
Here I sit in the pale starlight
from Ilmen, sparks are shining into the night
They see me, the silvery eyes,
as they saw the wakening Elves
The heavenly jewels give me joy
I praise them in the fairest songs
The starlight is forever new
I watch them now as the first Elf did
as the first awakened
who saw the light of a star.
