Q. an sí Varda, Tintallë, Elentári ortanë máryat Oiolossëo ve fanyar “for now Varda, Star-kindler, Star-queen [has] lifted up her (two) hands from Mount Everwhite like (white) clouds”
[< Previous Phrase] Namárië, prose [Next Phrase >]
The 9th and 10th phrases of the prose Namárië, corresponding to the 9th and 10th lines of the poem. They are combined here for purposes of discussion because Tolkien moved words between the two lines. Tolkien dramatically reorganized the text from the poetic version as follows:
an sí Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë >>
an sí Varda, Tintallë, Elentári ortanë máryat Oiolossëo ve fanyar
Tolkien grouped together the three names of Varda (Varda, Tintallë, Elentári) as the subject of the phrase. He moved the object máryat “her (two) hands” immediately after the verb, which is the usual Quenya word order. He also moved the two modifying clauses, Oiolossëo “from Mount Everwhite” and ve fanyar “like (white) clouds”, to the end.
The revised Quenya ordering would match the poetic English translation quite closely if the phrase “from Mount Everwhite” were moved closer to the end:
“for now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the Stars from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds” »»»
“*for now Varda, the Kindler, the Queen of the Stars has uplifted her hands from Mount Everwhite like clouds”
Reference ✧ RGEO/59 ✧ An sī Varda, Tintallë, Elen-tāri ortane mā-rya-t Oio-lossëo ve fanyar “For now Varda, Star-kindler, Star-queen lifted up hands-her-two Ever-white-from like (white) clouds”
Elements
an | “for, but, then, or; moreover, furthermore” | ✧ RGEO/59 | |
sí | “now” | ✧ RGEO/59 (sī) | |
Varda | “Exalted, Lofty, Sublime” | ✧ RGEO/59 | |
Tintallë | “(Star) Kindler” | ✧ RGEO/59 | |
Elentári | “Queen of the Stars, Star-queen” | ✧ RGEO/59 (Elen-tāri) | |
orta-¹ | “to raise, lift (up), (lit.) cause to rise” | past | ✧ RGEO/59 (ortane) |
má | “hand” | 3rd-sg-poss dual | ✧ RGEO/59 (mā-rya-t) |
Oiolossë | “Ever (Snow) White” | genitive | ✧ RGEO/59 (Oio-lossëo) |
ve¹ | “as, like, similar, after the manner [of]” | ✧ RGEO/59 | |
fanya | “(white) cloud, white and shining [thing]” | plural | ✧ RGEO/59 (fanyar) |
Element In