Post iTasHEpfRb2

Александр Запрягаев Feb 18, 2015 (17:27)

I always wondered why there are so few attempts to compose accentual-syllabic poetry in Eldarin tongues retaining metre, rhythm and rhymes. Here is my own modest attempt, just finished. I tried a classic Italian sonnet form, which I personally prefer; I wrote a number in my own language before now attempting Sindarin. Sorry for any Salo-isms, Rausch-isms and any other -isms if they happen; hope got it right, feel free to discuss and propose any corrections :) Anyway, my experiment with 'Elenion Ancalima':

In Elin *rongail, ai Aerennil *mellen!
An Edain *lennen ech or Ennorath;
Ech cirion min Aeryn Annui veren,
I vaethor meleg, *úlomui dan gwath.

Ir ú-verthaster brennyn rim a thelyn,
Nan Golovir aphódiel i rath,
Nelennil *Galgair, onel hiniath
O phen-estel *adadhren ah edhellen!

Hîl *todwaith eglain, hain aderthiel,
Nadh Rodyn *ethul, erui túliel,
Trî 'welwen ivrin erias na Menel;

Minuial ah aduial arnad dîn,
Idh reniar, egleriam Aerennil,
An Amrûn ammen *colel galad în.

*rongail "brightest, exceedingly bright": intensifying prefix ro-, raw- (PE17)+gail
*mellen "beloved": PPP of mel-, cf. hollen
*lennen: PPP of *lenna- "send" as assumed cognate of Q. lenta- as from LEN (it seems Tolkien conceived it different root from DEL in lelya-)
*úlomui "tireless": ú+lom+ui
nelennil: 2 sg. formal (Noldorin inflection assumed, for Earendil "cult" is more expected in Western-oriented society) pt. of neledh- [cf. neledhi gar]
*Calgair: presumed cognate of Q. Calacirya as from KAL+KIR, double-affected
o: following Thorsten Renk, a set of special mutations as for a 'and' assumed
*adadhren "Mannish": on-the-spot construction adan+ren to mirror edhel-len
*todwaith "two people": assumed as a loose compound for metric purpose
*ethul: 3 sg. pt. of *ethol- "came forth"; cf. attested Q. ettul-
*colel :pres. AP of *col- "carry, bring"; cf. Q. *col- < cormacolindor.

+#Original +#Sindarin +#FixedForm +#Accentual

Tamas Ferencz Feb 18, 2015 (17:42)

If you skim through the Poetry, translations section in this community I think you'll find quite a few examples of metric poetry has been posted

Tamas Ferencz Feb 18, 2015 (17:44)

What do you mean by 'double affected'?

Александр Запрягаев Feb 18, 2015 (17:49)

+Tamas Ferencz that's the terminology in Gateway: a-affection followed by i-affection before -ia ending. True, there are metric compositions, but much fewer than expected; possibly, Eldarin language structure somehow implies free verse, but Tolkien's own examples of Sindarin verse are explicitly metric and even following the iambic stress patterns (I wonder if Goldogrin allowance to shift stress anywhere inthe word to accompany the rhythm is still valid in 'mature' Sindarin…)

Tamas Ferencz Feb 18, 2015 (17:58)

I don't know why there are only a few such compositions; to m y ears, Quenya is quite well suited for metric poetry with its short&long vowels, double consonants etc.