[Ardent]

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

Not long at all. Here it is (breaking off in the middle of a sentence):

Nu wé sculon sécan mid searwe and cræfte,
déop and díegol, þæt deorc andweorc,
þa gastlican grot þa þone gang rǽdaþ
héara fýra in feldum heofona,

ymbhweorfaþ and stíeraþ þa steorra-hwéol,
þa tungol-wolcen, téoþ and lædaþ.
Þás floccas úþmǽte fýrenra gimma
swa sandgrotu sind þurh sweglu ge-stréawode.

Wíd-brádran gíet, swa webbes þrædas,
þá sigel-hordas in swælendum hefeldum,
þurh rýmetu unrime rodores a-þeniaþ,
be ge-wealde ge-wefene þara wácra grot.
Timbren wé þoðor þrymmfæstes styles,

Literal translation:

Now we must seek with art and skill,
Deep and hidden, the dark matter,
The ghostly particles that govern the course
Of high fires in the fields of the heavens,

[That] turn round and steer the star-wheels,
[That] pull and lead the star-clouds.
Those immense companies of fiery gems
Like sand-grains are strewn through the skies.

Vaster still, like the strands of a web,
The sun-hordes extend in burning threads
Through immeasurable spaces of the firmament,
Woven by the power of the weak [i.e. interacting via the 'weak force'] particles.
Let us build a sphere of mighty steel,
.

Wow. The whole thing makes me imagine R. Dawkins, S. Hawking, B.Cox and D.Attenborough wearing furs and sitting around a fire telling tales of old. You've even managed to get the name Deagol in there [díegol = hidden/secretive]. Was that an intentional reference to how you see yourself, as the finder of the Ring? If so watch out, Mr Hawking wants a birthday present.