Menel ellóra,
Mal i lónar tintilar
Ulo-limbainen.
The sky is starless,
But the puddles sparkle
From raindrops.
(summer 2024)
Serkenya morna,
Sanwenyar lá sanwenyar,
Nanye hloitana.
My blood is black,
My thoughts are not my thoughts,
I am poisoned.
(autumn 2015)
Anar nútala
Ua pustuva inyen:
Sinye hrestasse
The sinking sun
Won't stop for me:
Evening at the shore
(summer 2014)
Lauka tuilére:
Alquar síve atani
Lelyar veruinen.
A warm spring-day:
Swans, like people,
Are going in pairs.
(spring 2014)
Ringa tuilére:
Erya korko mi malle,
Merenderyasse.
A cold spring-day:
A single crow is holding
A feast in the street.
(spring 2014)
Rákine olbar
Apa fuinea raumo...
Kalima hyáre.
Broken branches
After a night's storm...
Today is bright.
(spring 2014)
Lenda ter osto:
Lastan quenion ómain,
Uan quettaryain.
On my way through the city,
Listening to people's voices,
Not to their words.
(winter, early 2014)
Emma kalkasse:
Isil or tópar ostova,
Noa enkarna
A picture on glass:
Moon above city-roofs,
Repainted tomorrow
(summer 2013)
Tyáve kuiléva
Ar angol firiéva:
Vista tuilesse
Taste of life
And smell of death:
Spring air
(spring 2013)
Lauka lómesse:
Lisse olme aldaron...
Súya, ussúya!
On a warm night:
A sweet smell from the trees...
Breathe, breathe some more!
(spring 2013)
The form *ussúya- is an intensive in analogy to ammat- 'devour' and ankal-, akkal- 'blaze' (PE18:85), and is not easily translatable into English.
Ai Earendil,
Anaresse antitta!
Tíran, lá kénan...
Alas, Earendil,
Smallest on the sun!
I watch, I do not see...
Upon trying to see the Venus transit on June 6th 2012; and failing miserably.
Sinda fanyare,
Angarilya fanyare,
Telpina rosse.
Grey skies,
Iron-glittering skies,
Silver rain.
(autumn 2012)
Aiwi vilyasse
Hya terene helkenna:
En úrahtime
Birds in the sky
Or on thin ice:
Still unreachable
(winter, early 2012)
Upon seeing birds perched on very thin river ice.
Kendel' úlalya -
Úan ruke lyello,
Yávie-menel!
A stern face -
I am not afraid of you,
Autumn-sky!
(autumn 2011)
Ae tathar úvel,
Av'blabo 'ylf nan nîf nîn!
Gwathon na vrethil.
Hey, unfriendly willow,
Stop hitting my face with your branches!
I'll go to the birch.
(summer 2011)
Maiwe vílala,
Nat pitya hólantala:
Arda Hastaina
A flying seagull,
Something small falls out:
An imperfect world
(summer 2011)
Upon seeing a seagull pooping in midair near the shore.
Haiku ná senna:
Quiquie yestan sanwe,
Tenin mettanna...
A haiku is short:
Just when I begin a thought
It's the end alrea...
(spring 2008)
I vista linque
Imbi Menel Kemenye:
Kéva yestale
The air is moist
Between heaven and earth:
A fresh start
(snowless winter, late 2008)
Nainëa súre,
Úpahtie aldali:
Hríve-lambele
Weeping wind
And mute trees:
Winter's phonology
(winter, late 2008)
Urutúvima
Moryaule mi morsambe
Qui uas tasse.
It is hard to find
A black cat in a black room
If it is not there.
(spring 2008)
Confucius: The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if there is no cat.
Hríve yo laire
Ókomir lá i lumbor
Koire-lankasse.
Winter and summer
Meeting beyond the clouds
On the brink of spring.
(spring 2008)
Sina fuinesse
Tilion úpahtëa
Erya nildonya.
On this night
The speechless crescent moon
Is my only friend.
(spring 2008)
Móre alarka
Ar kále entúlie:
Lairefuinosto
A rapid darkness
And then the light has returned:
Summer night city
(summer 2007)
Pataktapakta:
Lasseli werelindai
Kemillo tantal.
Pitter-patter
Whirling leaves
Dancing on the ground
(autumn 2006)
The language is Early Qenya.
*pataktapakta 'rat-a-tat', actually attested are patakatapaka and pataktatapakta (also patakta- 'clatter', pata- 'rap, tap (of feet)' (QL:72)), but unfortunately they're one syllable too long
lasseli 'leaves' (QL:51)
'werelindai - pl. of 'werelinda 'whirling, pirouetting' (QL:103)
kemillo kemi 'earth, soil, land' + ablative -llo
tantal 'dance' or 'bounce' (3rd pl.) < tanta- 'bounce, bound, rebound' + pl. -l (PE14:57, QL:94)
Rákine aldar
Kúnar nu lumna Menel:
Lassi nírine...
Broken trees
Bend under the heavy sky:
Ground leaves...
(autumn 2006)
Oiale lauka
Nu menel lintinwëa:
Hríve tutúla...
It is always warm
Beneath the sky full of stars:
Winter approaching...
(autumn 2006)
Nu súlë morna
Nárinkë eressëa
Milya eldinnar.
Under the black wind
A lonely little fire
Longing to the stars
Upon moving a couple of metres away from a campfire at night.
Yé! Tere waþar
Telguma ilyázea
Nairabhe níta.
Sad tears
Transpiring through the veil
Of the daily sky.
(spring-summer 2006)
The language is Vanyarin Quenya.
*telguma - cognate of Ñoldorin Q. telluma, adapted from Valarin delguma, see rg, lg, rgw, lgw > Vanyarin rg, lg, rw, lw (PE19:93) [earlier: dialectal lb, lg, rb, rg where standard Quenya has lw, ll, rw, rr (PE14:41)]
*naira 'sad' (S. naer)
*níta 'to weep' < NEI-
Maiwe yaimëa
I ëar-kelumessen:
Métima kirya
(spring 2006)
Yes, a ripping and misquotation of Tolkien's Markirya.
Ter sina malle
Mo enta ua ména
Narquelionde
Kono michi ya
Yuku hito nashi ni
Aki no kure
Along this road
Goes no one
This autumn eve
original: Bashō
Lóna yárëa
Quáke kápa iminna
Láma i neno
Furu ike ya
Kawazu tobikomu
Mizu no oto
Old pond
Frog jumps in
Sound of water
original: Bashō
*kap- 'leap' (PE16:134) < *KAP- as in S. cabed (Silm.) and probably S. cafru *'flea' (PE17:131), cf. EN caifr 'flea' (PE13:140)
Lóme kaita sís -
Ringa ve aika makil,
Namme eresse.
Night lies beside me,
Chaste and cold as a sharp sword.
It and I alone.
original: Amy Lowell, 1921
Namme 'we are' is here meant to be exclusive dual (VT49:16), excluding the reader.
Ilya kálion
I alkar úkénima
Ankalima ná.
Out of all the lights
The invisible brilliance
Is the brightest one.
While pondering over the metaphor brightness is beauty.
Menel kemende,
Vilya síra lenkave:
Undóme luine
Heaven is on Earth,
The sky slowly flows down here:
A blue evening.
Olos olosse
Ól' alistaina quenen:
Síte kuilelwa
Dream within a dream,
Seen by an unknown stranger:
Such is our life.
Nin lá polilye
Quete man alasse ná?
Naly' alassëa.
You cannot tell me
What happiness really is?
So you are happy.
Nalta kálëo
As serke kotumollor:
Makili vanye.
Reflection of light
And blood of the enemies:
Swords are beautiful.
I minya losse:
Arispána, arpoika;
Poika lá elwe.
The very first snow:
The whitest and the purest;
Purer than we are.
Ringa órenen
Vilya men anta miryar,
Losse kemenen.
With a frozen heart
Heaven grants us its treasures,
The snow to the earth.
Lotse quelina
Alkalissen sinyéva
Ata narwa ná.
A withered flower
In evening light:
Red again
Thindrond tinduma;
Telf ungor glossa tovon
Tingla dimb go-môr.
A Grey-vault of twilight;
The black silver of lowlying snow
Sparkles sadly out of the night.
(summer 2006)
The language is Ilkorin.
Mā-i dammeo
Avadelle hannace
Logna Ciurāno.
The wet little brother
Of the new moon
Went away by the flood.
(summer 2006)
The language is Telerin.
Di-ereid barchas
Telir rhiniath rhessib:
Breniar geleið.
In days of dryness
Memories of rain come:
Trees endure.
(summer 2006)
The language is Noldorin of the Etymologies.
Sana ukkova,
I-mallessea lie
Nyenyo miriktor.
A rainy day,
People from the street are weepingly
Smiling to themselves.
(summer 2006)
The language is Early Qenya of the Qenya Lexicon.
Bi-vleg unweg thê
Gwandreth laithra an-alwen
Mir anthol cluimri.
In the fire no one can see
The lost beauty of the tree
Giving us warmth.
(summer 2006)
The language is Goldogrin.
Lëo filiken
Kápie nísimaldan
Undulëonna.
A bird's shadow
Jumped under the shadow
Of a nísimalda.
(summer 2006)
The language is Qenya of the 30s.
I gordof úvan
Mi 'raw egor buin galadh,
Ach ed bain dannol.
The apple is not fair
In the stomach or on tree,
But in its falling.
Cared e-Beleg,
Han daged a chened n'ast:
Naid hin glass ammen.
Create the Mighty,
To destroy, to watch the dust:
This is our pleasure.
Ap' Alpalonde
Parma rian golodo
Engue Pendi.
After Alqualondë
For a Ñoldo's book of lore
We are the Quendi.
The language is Telerin.
The essence of this haiku lies in the word Pendi, which can be interpreted in Telerin as 'the poor ones, the lacking ones', because of the blending of the stems KWEN- and PEN-. So it fell out of use among the Teleri, while the Ñoldor were known to be loremasters exactly classifying all Quenderin tribes.