The Cellar Read by Tolkien Glǽmscribe Mathoms News
Quenya Sindarin Telerin Qenya Gnomish & Noldorin
Adûnaic Westron Khuzdul Black Speech Valarin
Old English – Tolkien Old English Middle English
Gothic Old Norse Finnish Welsh Latin
Litany of Loreto
English
Quenya
Tengwar

   :
Heru órava omesse.
Lord, have mercy on us.
    :
A Hrísto órava omesse.
O Christ, have mercy on us



     :
Atar meneldea Eru órava omesse.
Father of heaven, God, have mercy on us.
      :
A Eruion Mardorunando Eru órava omesse.
O Son of God, Redeemer of the world, God, have mercy on us.
      :
A Aina Faire Eru órava omesse.
O Holy Spirit, God, have mercy on us.
       :
A Aina Neldie Eru Er órava omesse.
O Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.



     :
A Aina Maria arca atarme.
O Holy Mary, pray for us.
    :
Aina Eruontarie arca atarme.
Holy Mother of God pray for us.
      :
Aina Wende mi Wenderon arca atarme.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.



    :
Amille Hristo arca atarme.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
     ⸱:⸱
Amille Eruva lisseo arca atarme.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.

Commentary
In the 1950s, Tolkien made a series of translations of Catholic prayers into Quenya, including initial fragments of the Litany of Loreto. The several versions have been published in Vinyar Tengwar n° 44. We present here an edition modified towards greater consistency: for instance, we write everywhere órava omesse, as equivalent of “have mercy on us”, whereas it is variously órava omesse, orava omesse or (o)rava omesse in the source.

The translation is adapted from the Modern English text of the prayer.

The text is transcribed in tengwar or “letters of Fëanor” according to the classical mode for Quenya described by Tolkien in the Appendix E to The Lord of the Rings and used for instance by the Namarië manuscript in The Road Goes Ever On p. 65. We made use of Johan Winge’s typeface Tengwar Annatar.  Open this mode in Glaemscribe

References
Vinyar Tengwar: The journal of the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship, a Special Interest Group of the Mythopoeic Society. Edited by Carl F. Hostetter. Crofton (Maryland): 1988-  . ISSN 1054-7606. 🌍 The Elvish Linguistic Fellowship.

The works of John Ronald Reuel and Christopher Tolkien are under the copyright of their authors and/or rights holders, including their publishers and the Tolkien Estate.
Quotations from other authors, editors and translators mentioned in the bibliography are under the copyright of their publishers, except for those whose copyright term has ended.
Last update of the site: September 22nd 2019. Contact us: