TEXTS
BILBO’S SONG
Text by J.R.R. Tolkien
Sindarin Translation by David Salo
FIRST HEARD: DISC FOUR | TRACK EIGHT
Im nauthon nan naur nu ngilith | I sit beside the fire and think
O naid i gennin im | of all that i have seen,
O lyth e-barth a gwilwilith | of meadow-flowers and butterflies
Ne laer i vanner lim | in summers that have been;
O lhiath a golas malen | Of yellow leaves and gossamer
Ne daint i lais gwennin | in autumns that there were,
Na chith ah anor celebren | with morning mist and silver sun
A gwaewath or find nin | and wind upon my hair.
Im nauthon nan naur vi vuil | I sit beside the fire and think
Maven natha i ardhon | of how the world will be
Ias tol i riw ben ethuil | when winter comes without a spring
Ir im u-genithon | that I shall ever see.
An nadath laew nar annan | For still there are so many things
I ulu im cennin | that I have never seen:
Vin eryn ned ethuil ban | in every wood in every spring
Nar ennas laegath gwin. | there is a different green.
Im hevin nan naur a nauthon | I sit beside the fire and think
O gwaith nedin lu iaur | of people long ago,
A gwaith i cenitha ardhon | and people who will see a world
Ir istathon u aur. | that I shall never know.
Dan iar im nan naur peliel | But all the while I sit and think
Oh aurath ioer nauthon | of times there were before,
Laston a thail etheliel | I listen for returning feet
A lemmaid nan annon. | and voices at the door.
(c) The Annotated Score (The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films)
Bilbo's Song
Howard Shore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
text by J.R.R. TOLKIEN, translation by DAVID SALO
( SINDARIN )
Im nauthon nan naur nu ngilith
O naid i gennin im,
O lyth e-barth a gwilwilith
Ne laer i vanner lim.
(( I sit beside the fire and think
Of all that I have seen,
Of meadow-flowers and butterflies
In summers that have been; ))
O lhiath a golas malen
Ne daint i lais gwennin,
Na chith ah anor celebren
A gwaewath or find nin
(( Of yellow leaves and gossamer
In autumns that there were,
With morning mist and silver sun
And wind upon my hair. ))
Im nauthon na naur vi vuil
Maven natha i ardhon
Ias tol i riw ben ethuil
Ir im u-genithon.
(( I sit beside the fire and think
Of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring
That I shall ever see. ))
An nadath laew nar annan
I ulu im cennin.
Vin eryn ned ethuil ban
Nar ennas laegath gwin.
(( For still there are so many things
That I have never seen.
In every wood in every spring
There is a different green. ))
Im hevin nan naur a nauthon
O gwaith nedin lu iaur
A gwaith i cenitha ardhon
Ir istathon u aur.
(( I sit beside the fire and think
Of people long ago,
And people who will see a world
That I shall never know. ))
Dan iar im nan naur peliel
Oh aurath ioer nauthon
Laston a thail etheliel
A lemmaid nan annon.
(( But all the while I sit and think
Of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
And voices at the door. ))
The lyrics of "Bilbo's Song" reflect the perspective of Bilbo Baggins in his old age, as the lyrics narrate him sitting by the fire and reminiscing about the beauty he has seen in his life, such as meadow-flowers, butterflies, yellow leaves, and gossamer. As he contemplates the transition of seasons, witnessing how time flies and how it affects the world around him, he realizes there are many things he has yet to see and experience. The song is a reflection on the passage of time and the impact it has on an individual's life.
The lyrics not only reflect the character of Bilbo Baggins from J.R.R. Tolkien's book "The Lord of the Rings," but also the life and creation of Tolkien himself. Throughout the song, the lyrics seem to describe Tolkien's own experiences in life and how they inspired him to create the world of Lord of the Rings. The song also reflects Tolkien's musing on the passing of time and the loss of experience that inevitably comes with it. The song speaks to the human experience of growing older yet still yearning for more.
Line by Line Meaning
Im nauthon nan naur nu ngilith
I sit beside the fire and think
O naid i gennin im
Of all that I have seen
O lyth e-barth a gwilwilith
Of meadow-flowers and butterflies
Ne laer i vanner lim.
In summers that have been;
O lhiath a golas malen
Of yellow leaves and gossamer
Ne daint i lais gwennin
In autumns that there were,
Na chith ah anor celebren
With morning mist and silver sun
A gwaewath or find nin
And wind upon my hair.
Im nauthon na naur vi vuil
I sit beside the fire and think
Maven natha i ardhon
Of how the world will be
Ias tol i riw ben ethuil
When winter comes without a spring
Ir im u-genithon.
That I shall ever see.
An nadath laew nar annan
For still there are so many things
I ulu im cennin.
That I have never seen.
Vin eryn ned ethuil ban
In every wood in every spring
Nar ennas laegath gwin.
There is a different green.
Im hevin nan naur a nauthon
I sit beside the fire and think
O gwaith nedin lu iaur
Of people long ago,
A gwaith i cenitha ardhon
And people who will see a world
Ir istathon u aur.
That I shall never know.
Dan iar im nan naur peliel
But all the while I sit and think
Oh aurath ioer nauthon
Of times there were before,
Laston a thail etheliel
I listen for returning feet
A lemmaid nan annon.
And voices at the door.
Contributed by Charlie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jamesivan24
I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;
Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.
I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.
For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood and every spring
there is adifferent green.
I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.
But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.
@EvenstarSaima
Lyrics:
I think by the fire under the starlight about things that I saw
About flowers of the field and butterflies in summers that went quickly
About gossamer strands and yellow leaves in autumns past
With mist and silver sun and winds upon my hair
I think by the fire in shadow, how the world will be
When the winter comes without a spring that I shall not see
For many things there are yet that I never saw
In the wood in every spring there are new green things
I sit by the fire and think about people in old times
And people who will see a world that I will see on no day
But when I, by the fading fire, think about ancient days
I listen for returning feet and voices at the door
😭😭😭
@davidgloudemans8073
If they ever decide to make the Silmarillion into a motion picture, I want the Ainulindalë to be the musical epitome, I want it to surpass Beethoven's Ninth.
Yet many voices were heard among the Elves foreboding that, if Sauron
should come again, then either he would find the Ruling Ring that was lost, or at the best his enemies would discover it
and destroy it; but in either chance the powers of the Three must then fail and all things maintained by them must fade,
and so the Elves should pass into the twilight and the Dominion of Men begin.
And latest of all the Keepers of the Three Rings rode to the Sea, and Master Elrond took there the ship that Círdan had
made ready. In the twilight of autumn it sailed out of Mithlond, until the seas of the Bent World fell away beneath it,
and the winds of the round sky troubled it no more, and borne upon the high airs above the mists of the world it passed
into the Ancient West, and an end was come for the Eldar of story and of song.
@stigskrivergaard9500
(Sindarin)
Im nauthon nan naur nu ngilith
O naid i gennin im
O lyth e-barth a gwilwilith
Ne laer i vanner lim
(English)
I think by the fire under the starlight about things that I saw
About flowers of the field and butterflies in summers that went quickly
(Sindarin)
O lhiath a golas malen
Ne daint i lais gwennin
Na chith ah anor celebren
A gwaewath or find nin
(English)
About gossamer strands and yellow leaves in autumns past
With mist and silver sun and winds upon my hair
(Sindarin)
Im nauthon nan naur vi vuil
Maven natha i ardhon
Ias tol i riw ben ethuil
Ir im u-genithon
(English)
I think by the fire in shadow, how the world will be
When the winter comes without a spring that I shall not see
(Sindarin)
An nadath laew nar annan
I ulu im cennin
Vin eryn ned ethuil ban
Nar ennas laegath gwin.
(English)
For many things there are yet that I never saw
In the wood in every spring there are new green things
(Sindarin)
Im hevin nan naur a nauthon
O gwaith nedin lu iaur
A gwaith i cenitha ardhon
Ir istathon u aur.
(English)
I sit by the fire and think about people in old times
And people who will see a world that I will see on no day
(Sindarin)
Dan iar im nan naur peliel
Oh aurath ioer nauthon
Laston a thail etheliel
A lemmaid nan annon.
(English)
But when I, by the fading fire, think about ancient days
I listen for returning feet and voices at the door.
@Sandror22
Lyrics:
Im nauthon nan naur nu ngilith
O naid i gennin im
O lyth e-barth a gwilwilith
Ne laer i vanner lim
O lhiath a golas malen
Ne daint i lais gwennin
Na chith ah anor celebren
A gwaewath or find nin
Im nauthon nan naur vi vuil
Maven natha i ardhon
Ias tol i riw ben ethuil
Ir im u-genithon
An nadath laew nar annan
I ulu im cennin
Vin eryn ned ethuil ban
Nar ennas laegath gwin.
Im hevin nan naur a nauthon
O gwaith nedin lu iaur
A gwaith i cenitha ardhon
Ir istathon u aur.
Dan iar im nan naur peliel
Oh aurath ioer nauthon
Laston a thail etheliel
A lemmaid nan annon.
@EJAXK13
Bilbo: Farwell, King under the mountain.
Thorin: Child of the kindly west, I come to know... if more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
@erichammond7364
Nexitron This is why the kindly folk of the west are the best!!!
@CovenantBlackwatch09
@@erichammond7364 Child of the kindly West, man what a phrase. Tolkien certainly had THE way with words.
@TheRenDog
First introduced to Middle Earth at the age of seven. I'm now 26, and the spirit of Tolkien's world has stuck with me throughout all these years. Call me crazy, but I'll always consider Middle Earth home.
@Alex-sf6fj
true
@belongaskip
hell yeah
@brenthamm7654
Me too.
@adernain
Me too! Or maybe 8.. i grew up with the movies and video games and in high school I bought me all the books.. I guess it's time for a Marathon. Middle Earth is my home too! I hope I make it and in the future visit it(aka New Zealand) =D
@nicholasvittorio553
Ditto
@rileyandrew4377
This piece is short, under-recognised, and more powerful than you would think at first glance - just like a Hobbit. I have always loved Bilbo’s Song, and Mr. Holm was my Bilbo. This is the perfect piece to remember him by. It is melancholic, nostalgic, and beautiful. It sounds like an ending too, but then again we all know that the road goes ever on and on.
Rest In Peace Mr. Holm, and thank you for bringing one of my favourite characters to life.