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| Long ago we fought and died together. We come to honor that allegiance. |
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| As Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli take up their fate with the men of Rohan, they follow Theoden King to the Stronghold of Helm's Deep. Based within the slopes of the mountains, the fortress has never been defeated in battle before, but Aragorn knows that the massive army of Uruk-Hai that is marching to Helm' Deep will prove to be the greatest threat to the people of Rohan as yet. |
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| A Subtle Greeting |
| LEGOLAS: Le abdollen. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ARAGORN: Hannon le. |
| Translation: LEGOLAS: You are late. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ARAGORN: Thank you. |
| Trusting in the little hope that seems left, Aragorn and his companions prepare for the siege. But help comes from an unexpected ally. For Elrond of Rivendell has sent an army of Galadhrim warriors to the aid of the World of Men! At this page you will find several scenes from the Helm's Deep sequence in the film in which Elven tongue is spoken. Scroll down to explore the magic of the language! |
| As Aragorn returns to the fortress of Helm's Deep, he is greated by his friends. Gimli, in the cordial manner of the Dwarves, shows him his worries, while Legolas expresses his concern and relief in the subtle manner of the Elves. His greeting is all the more strong, however, because of one small gesture: he returns the Evenstar of Arwen into the hand of the man she loves. Knowing how much this means to Aragorn, Legolas also knows that this gesture is the best way of greeting that he can give his friend. |
| Listen to the 1st audio clip. |
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| An alliance once existed between Elves and Men. |
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| Listen to the 2nd audio clip. |
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| You - personal pronoun here set in its singular nominative second person form, being the subject of the verb abdollen. It refers to Aragorn. are late - verb in its present active second person singular form. Le forms it subject. Literally abdollen means you-come-after. Ab is a prefix meaning after or later, while dollen is the Sindarin verb for to come. Thank you - Sindarin formula, literally meaning I thank you. Le has the function of objective. |
| Le: abdollen: Hannon le: |
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| The Foresight of Legolas |
| LEGOLAS: Boe a hyn. Neled herain dan caer menig. ARAGORN: Si beriathar hyn ammaeg na ned Edoras. LEGOLAS: Aragorn, nedin dagor hen �-'erir ortheri. Natha daged dhaer! |
| Translation: LEGOLAS: It is necessary that they are. There are 300 of us against 10,000 of them. ARAGORN: Here they will defend themselves more sharply than at Edoras. LEGOLAS: Aragorn, they cannot win in this battle. It will be a great slaughter! |
| While Aragorn and his companions prepare themselves for the seemingly hopeless battle to defend the fortress of Helm's Deep, they witness the terrible state of the available weapons and the unspoken fear of the people who are to defend the Keep. They are not warriors, but simply old men and young boys. As Legolas senses their hopeless fear, he expresses his worries to Aragorn: this battle cannot be won by these people and the Elf foresees a great slaughter. Aragorn, however, is determined to die if he must, for no matter what, he will aid the people of Rohan. |
| Listen to the 1st audio clip. |
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| Listen to the 2nd audio clip. |
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Explanations will follow soon! |
| Boe: a: |
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| Listen to the 3th audio clip. |
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| An Elvish Apology |
| ARAGORN: �-moe edaved, Legolas. |
| Translation: There is nothing to forgive, Legolas. |
| As Aragorn has found new hope again to face the approaching horrors of the battle of Helm's Deep, help arrives from unexpected friends. Sent by Lord Elrond of Rivendell, a whole army of Galadhrim archers and warriors, lead by Haldir of L�rien, arrive at the gates of the Keep, proud to fight alongside Men once more. Even though their time in Middle-Earth is over, the Elves have decided that they will not leave Mankind to its fate; they will aid them in their fight for survival against evil, even if it means their own death. Aragorn is so releaved to see Haldir and his warriors arrive and so moved by this gesture of the Elves, that his greeting of Haldir is very cordial indeed. |
| Listen to the audio clip. |
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| Explanations will follow soon! More Elvish dialogs from Helm's Deep are coming soon! |
| �-moe: edaved: |
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| A Warm Welcome |
| ARAGORN: Mae govannen, Haldir! |
| Translation: Well met, Haldir! |
| When Aragorn at last goes into the armory to prepare himself for the battle, determined to cherish all little hope that is left, he is met by Legolas. His Elf friend hands him his own Ranger's sword and apologizes for his words of despair previously in the same armory. He had trusted Aragorn thusfar, so he will trust him again now. Moved by Legolas' sincere apology, Aragorn assures his friend that there is nothing to forgive. |
| Listen to the audio clip. |
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| well - adverb that can mean well, good, nice, proper. Here it is connected with the verb govannen. met - verb in its first person singular active past form. The subject is Aragorn (the speaker) and the object is Haldir. The combination of the adverb mae and the verb form govannen is always used as a welcome greeting by the Sindar. Elven name, originated from the House of Hador. Haldir of L�rien was named after Haldir son of Halmir of Brethil, who married Gl�redhel, the daughter of Hador of Dor-l�min, and who was slain in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad ("Tears Unnumbered": the ruinous fifth battle in the Wars of Beleriand). [From: The Silmarillion] |
| Mae: govannen: Haldir: |
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| Aragorn takes up the task, alongside Haldir, to command the Gladhrim Elves that have come to defend Helm's Deep as he takes position with them atop the battlements of the Deeping Wall. Since only few Elves from L�rien still speak the tongues of Men, Aragorn's battle commands are spoken in Sindarin throughout the entire siege, until the Elves have perished during their brave last stand to defend the hopes of Man. |
| The Battle of Helm's Deep |
| ARAGORN: A Eruch�n, �-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas. |
| Translation: Children of Eru, don't show mercy to them, for nobody will show you mercy. |
| Listen to the audio clip. |
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| Click here to return to The Two Towers main page. |
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| Oh - a non grammatical expression of recognition and adress. Comparable to the ancient Greek use of O before the name of a person that is adressed. (E.g. O Odysseus, tell me...). It has no real need for translation in English. More Sindarin grammatical explanations will follow soon! |
| A: Eruch�n: |
| ARAGORN: Tangado a chadad! |
| Translation: Prepare to fire! |
| Listen to the audio clip. |
| hold- verb in its singular imperative form (from the infinitive verbal root of tangada-), addressed to the Elven army of Gil-Galad from Lindon. More Sindarin grammatical explanations will follow soon! |
| Tangado: a: |
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| LEGOLAS: Faeg i-varv d�n na lanc� a nu ranc. |
| Translation: Their armour is weak below the neck... and under the arm. |
| Listen to the audio clip. |
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| ARAGORN: Leithio i philinn! |
| Translation: Release the arrows! |
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| weak - adjective in its nominative singular form, meaning poor, bad, mean or weak. Here it is connected with the noun varv. More Sindarin grammatical explanations will follow soon! |
| Feag: i-varv: |
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| ARAGORN: Dartho! |
| Translation: Hold! |
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| Hold! - verb in its active, present plural imperative form, from the infinitive root of darth-, which meand to hold. |
| Dartho: |
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| Listen to the audio clip of both dialogs. |
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| ARAGORN: Pendraith! ARAGORN: Na Fennas! Hado Ribed! |
| Translation: Ladders! To the causeway! Hurl to flow! |
| Listen to the first audio clip. |
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| Listen to the second audio clip. |
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| ladders - noun in its nominative plural form, meaning litteraly stairways. More Sindarin grammatical explanations will follow soon! |
| Pendraith: Na: |
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| ARAGORN: Togo hon dad, Legolas! Dago hon! |
| Translation: Bring him down, Legolas! Kill him! |
| Listen to the audio clip. |
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| bring down - togo is the singualr active imperative of tog- , which means to 'lead, bring' and dad is preposition 'down'. More Sindarin grammatical explanations will follow soon! |
| Togo dad: hon: |
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| ARAGORN: Hado i philinn! ARAGORN: Herio! |
| Translation: Hurl the arrows! Charge! |
| Listen to the audio clip. |
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| hurl - active singular imperative imperative of the infinitive root had-, which means 'to hurl'. Move Sindarin grammatical explanations will follow soon! |
| Hado: i: |
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| ARAGORN: Nan barad! Haldir! Nan barad! HALDIR: Dartho! Nan barad! |
ARAGORN: To the Keep! Haldir! To the Keep! HALDIR: Hold! To the Keep! |
| to - preposition of direction, here connected with the noun barad. tower - noun in its nominative singular form, litterly meaning tower, but used here to name the Keep. Elven name, originated from the House of Hador. Haldir of L�rien was named after Haldir son of Halmir of Brethil, who married Gl�redhel, the daughter of Hador of Dor-l�min, and who was slain in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad ("Tears Unnumbered": the ruinous fifth battle in the Wars of Beleriand). [From: The Silmarillion] More Sindarin grammatical explanations will follow soon! |
| Nan: barad: Haldir: |
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| Listen to the first audio clip. |
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| Listen to the second audio clip. |
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| Read the Twengar transcript. |
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| Read the Twengar transcript of several of the Elvish commands spoken during the battle. |
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