I mínalë - The Longing

 

Courte nouvelle en Quenya. L'essai est plutôt concluant au niveau du style, mais la langue reste néanmoins à assouplir et l'exercice difficile. J'espère ne décevoir aucun fan du Seigneur des Anneaux...I tried my best to keep the spirit (and the faith).

Une fois de plus, toute erreur m'est imputable (idem - surtout ? - pour l'anglais !)

I mínalë

Tarnyë i laï lancassë i undumeo, tálunya útancë – ondor undulávina hlollóravë i morinen, núra nún. Harwenyar liptëar, pantëar sívë vantanenyë; cennyë ná néca ar umis i alta silala coronnen ustala i parca nórë. I cirissi yurir núrë ar i lamni oantier andanéya. Calpanya ná cumna, lá usúcië auressen. Uminyë polë naina fírnenya nilmorin an lá haryanyë nírë lestaina.

Lá polenyë cenë i exa lanca i undumeo, mal ahlárienyë nas sanomë, i hayassë, menessë, racina valdëasseo. Ilya ne i hendu poler cenë ná tana alta palpala nairië huineo. Ecë nin harya lúmet nó tulesserya. Mal manan? Nas yando harna sinwavë, tana tulcanenyë. Mal umiryë fírna lá, polinyë ñolë holwërya i súressë, tenya útulunca rangarya i cemessë. Cenasit mis lúmet. Manen te poller návë ta ohtië? Mahtanentë neldë aurin andavë, queletsi tópalar i talan. Së ar lies lá né mahtala mittan parnava nór te ve, henpentë i lië fairieva, varnenta ar írentë cuina. Nilmornya fírier tirala sina intyë. Cotumulma yando fírier mal lá exa cilmë harnet: mapa hya firë manten ulca heruonta. Er saviryë tana yára intyessë ertaina noreo, erya ambalo lutúla or ilya mindon ilya ostossë. Húmi enquë coranári ar apáryentë munta tenna sí.

Sinomë sina nórë hehtaina ló Eru, i endessë muntieo massë er unqualë turë, haryëanyë nimba minë métima cilmë. Carë hya firë. Cenai náro hilyaina húminen nostaleryo i tulala coranárissen, i haryëa firë. Lá minë ná ava lestaina cuina, lá minë. Sina ná i Atar quentë yassë oantenyë mar-ostonya, ertanë nilmorinen i sóra súlimessë rómenna, auri ar lómi unótimarin, massë i móri fanyar né hostainar. Me mahtaner i airi cotumon i soltoner menna ve solmi rauto. Hyastanemmë tiemma i tillenen macilion; témarinta ristaner ar hanyanemmë imma ner linië er írë né acca telwa. Sé ilya telcontalë vantanemmë queletsinna, tópinar sercessë. Tyelimavë i métima cotumo né tarala, halla ar immo-valdëa, epemë, i voronwë nilmor. Minë ló minë nahtanerot, ilya lú nútala ambë núra harwë i nérello fírala.

Ar sí nanyë sinomë, i mentessë ilya nation, námala manë ar ulco martonyallo. I cotumo ná harë. Rama túrë yá haryëas vanwa suliërya, haryala carës ilya ata. 'Mava túrë nás qui lá imma?' cé equétier Atar. 'Ilya hossenta né aqua nahtaner er minë ohtaren.' Ahárientë munta.

Nányë sinomë. Sé métima. Yétalanye, ohta henduryatsë. Náro aistawa. Yando nányë aistawa. Lá ecë nin enquelë. Hepenyë súlinya maica ve macilnya. Ma nás honnya hya i alta cúma ni cana ya ná palpala ve únótimë rámar? Nányë sinomë.

***

The longing

I stand on the very edge of the abyss, my feet unsure – stones swallowed soundlessly by the dark, deep down. My wounds bleed, re-open as I walked; my vision blurs and it is not because of the great shining orb scorching the land dry. The cracks run deep and animals have left a long time ago. My gourd is empty; I haven't drunk in days. I cannot weep for my dead friends for I have no tears left.

I cannot see the other edge of the abyss, but I have heard it is there, in the distance, somewhere, deprived of importance. All that is left for the eye to see is that great pulsating expanse of darkness. I may have a few hours left before his coming. But what for? He too is wounded for sure, I have seen to that. But he isn't dead, no, I can smell his stench in the wind, feel his unsteady pace in the ground. Perhaps less than a few hours. How could they be so pugnacious? They had fought for three days on end, dead bodies covering the ground. He and his people were not fighting for some patch of barren land like them, they were preserving the peoples' freedom, their safety and their desire to live. My friends have died defending these ideas. Our foes have died too but they had no other choice: conquer or die at the hands of their wilful master. He still clings onto that old idea of a unified land, of a single banner floating over every tower in every town. Six thousand years and they have learnt nothing yet.

Here in this godforsaken land, in the middle of nowhere where only death prevails, I have to face one last choice. Do or die. Even if he must be followed by thousands of his kind in the coming years, this one still has to die. Not one must be left alive, not a single one. This is what Father had said when I left my home town, joined my friends in the long march to the East, for innumerable days and nights, where the black clouds were gathered. We fought the seas of enemies that surged against us like waves of metal. We hacked our way at the tip of our swords; their lines grew thinner and we realised ours were sparse only when it was too late. At every step we stumbled on a corpse, drenched in blood. Finally the only enemy left was standing, tall and proud, before us, the long-standing friends. One by one he brought them down, each time taking a deeper wound from the dying man.

And now I am here, at the end of all things, judging good and evil on the scales of my fate. The enemy is near. To claim a victory that has lost its meaning, having to do it all over again. 'Whose victory is it if not ours?' would have said Father. 'Their entire army but for one foot soldier has been wiped out.' They have understood nothing.

He is here. At long last. Looking at me, war in his eyes. He looks dreadful. I must not look any better. I must not fail again. I must keep my spirits as sharp as my sword. Is it my heart or the great void behind me that is beating like countless wings? He is here.

Alcarnarmo