Tolkein Motet (Winthrop, MA 1996)
This piece started years before as a required piece for my Berklee graduation portfolio. The requirements changed and I put it aside and returned to it later when I decided that I wanted to understand 16th Century counterpoint more completely. The original requirement was to write a motet in the polyphonic sacred style. Usually one would choose a traditional biblical or liturgical text, but to reflect my atheism, I chose a text from JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings in Sindarin, one of the Elvish languages, which retains the formality and remoteness of Latin.
The hymn to Elbereth was sung at Rivendell in the house of Elrond and the text follows:
"... They got up and withdrew quietly into the shadows, and made for the doors. Sam they left behind, fast asleep still with a smile on his face. In spite of his delight in Bilbo's company, Frodo felt a tug of regret as they passed out of the Hall of Fire. Even as they stepped over the threshold a single clear voice rose in song.
A Elbereth Gilthoniel
silivren penna miriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-diriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aear, si nef aearon!
Frodo halted for a moment, looking back. Elrond was in his chair and the fire was on his face like summer-light upon the trees. Near him sat the Lady Arwen. To his surprise Frodo saw that Aragorn stood beside her; his dark cloak was thrown back, and he seemed clad in elvenmail, and a star shone on his breast. They spoke together, and then suddenly it seemed to Frodo that Arwen turned towards him, and the light of her eyes fell on him from afar and pierced his heart.
He stood still enchanted, while the sweet syllables of the elvish song fell like clear jewels of blended word and melody. 'It is a song to Elbereth,' said Bilbo. 'They will sing that, and other songs of the Blessed Realm, many times tonight. Come on!'...
JRR Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, pg 1/312 [paperback] used completely without permission.
A literal translation would be:
O Star-queen, Star-Kindler
(white) glittering slants down sparkling like jewels
from firmament glory (of the) star-host!
To-remote distance after having gazed
from treewoven middle-earth,
Snow-white, to thee I will chant
on this side of the ocean, here on this side of the great ocean!
Ruth S Noel, The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-earth, pg 37 [paperback] again used completely without permission.
As to the authenticity of the setting, well, it is less than perfect. Though I think that the overall effect is fine, there are quite a few errors of style. I leave it as an exercise to the experts in the audience to figure them out. I am happy with it for what it is and for what I learned while writing it. And, yes, I did change the spellings somewhat.
Questions or comments? Let me know....