Need help with Common>Elvish for a project
 

Hi! This is my first thread/post here. I'm sure it is the first of many.

Sadly, I must ask you for a favor. I am making a LOTR-themed wallpaper, not based off of any particular tome or passage, but rather promoting the series as a whole.

I must now confess that, though I have been an avid fan of Tolkien's works for some time now, and have read the four books (the trillogy + The Hobbit) twice, I know nothing of Elvish. This is where I need your help.

In my wallpaper, there is room that I have allocated for a poem. If you are so curious, you may take a glance at the wallpaper in it's current stages via the link at the bottom of this post. The poem I speak of is fairly common, I have seen at least one of you that uses it as his/her signature. It is traced by some as "a poem by Gandalf", while others trace it to Bilbo's work. In any case, clarification on the issue is much needed and appreciated.

The poem, if I remember correctly, goes as such:

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

Since I have no knowledge or means to translate it, I ask you to do this for me as a favor, and if possible to give me a copy (any format is fine) of the finished text, in Elven script.

In return, alongside my eternal gratitude, I shall inscribe whatever name you choose in the credits (the bottom line) with the phrase "Translation by _________". The community will also have access to the finished wallpaper first, immediately after it goes into the DeviantArt database.

I thank you for your help.

http://img107.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img1...lpaper13ch.jpg

Sorry, but this is not the place for such a thing. I realize that the Translations from the Elvish title can be misleading but it is not.
The commentary in this part of the forum reads:
Home base for the Revised Silmarillion Project. All are welcome to read and participate in discussions about the ongoing work of the project.

I understand, but this is the board visited by people most likely to know elvish of one form or another, so if I have any chance of receiving a reply, this would be it.

Alternatively, of you know of any place where I could get the translation I need (free), your advice is appreciated.

Well as Maédhros said this is not the place for this thread, and you are unlikely to find many people willing to help you here. The people who come to this thread do so for a specific purpose. Well anyway as you are a new member it shouldn't be a big deal. I assume the Mods will move it to the proper place soon so I will just respond to your question.

First of all you would need to specify what form of Elvish you want it translated into, Quenya (High Elven) or Sindarin (Grey Elven) are the two main ones to choose from.

If you want to learn Elvish yourself I would recommend this site.
http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/

The site that Neithan posted is one of the best one's out there, but if you want a lesson plan council of elrond (http://www.councilofelrond.com/) has a lesson based on ardalambion's. But you'll need an account to access it, they're free though. Hope that helps!

At this point, I do not know enough about the languages to make any real distinction, so whichever language you see as befitting the poem, will be fine. As for learning elvish, as much as I would like to do it eventually, at the moment I barely find time for scraps of Photoshop work. But thank you for the link, I will visit it at a later time.

Once again, I am sorry if I posted in the wrong section, this is the one I saw as most appropriate with respect to any chance of a reply.

So you get another, before some kind Moderator will move the thread.
I right now not completly sure what you are locking for (not that I could help in either task but maybe I could ask some one knowing a bit more precise what your goal is):
Are you intrested in a translation to an elvish language or are you locking for a transcription into an elfish script or both in due order?

Respectfully
Findegil

P.S.: It is interesting that by such an "off-topic" thread, we see some of the many silent readers of this dark-down part of the forum posting. (Please feel not offended by this remark of my curiosity but invited to post in any other thread when you have any comment.)

I appologize if I have not made it clear, but I am looking for a translated version off the poem in an elven script.

Well then I suppose the easiest way to do it would be to translate it into Quenya and write it in Tengwar script.

I am still studying Quenya however so I can't really help you. I might be able to translate at least part of it but I don't have time even for that right now.

I'm closing this thread.

The proper place to ask this is, I think, the Novices and Newcomers board.

You might also try the Elfling mailing list, where there are usually people willing to handle this kind of request.

If I have time, I may be able to translate it myself. If so (and alas, I can't make any promises) I'll send you a PM.