Aragorn leaps in a vain attempt to save Boromir, but though he defeats Lurtz, the Orcs’ serving captain, Boromir is beyond his reach. An older version of Aragorn’s Heroic theme appears here, similar to the melody used at Weathertop. It’s a harsh musical judgment, but an apt one: despite his efforts, Aragorn fails to save Boromir and thus moves a step back from the hero he must eventually become.
TEXTS
THE DEATH OF BOROMIR
PART ONE
Text by J. R. R. Tolkien
Sindarin Translation by David Salo
FIRST HEARD: DISC THREE | TRACK FIVE
Ú-velin i vegil an eigas | I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness
Egor i bilin a linnas | Nor the arrow for its swiftness
Egor i vaethor an aglar | Nor the Warrior for his glory
Melin i mar i beriar. | I love the homeland which they defend.
PART TWO
Text by Philippa Boyens
Quenya Translation by David Salo
FIRST HEARD: DISC THREE | TRACK SIX
I alda helda, i ehtele lína | The tree is bare, the fountain still.
Manna lelyalye Voromírë? | Whither goest thou Boromir?
Cánalya hlarula, la hirimmel | We heard your call but cannot find you.
Fuinë lanta Pelendoro nandesse | Darkness falls upon the vale of Pelennor
Sí massë i Anar? | Where now is the sun?
PERFORMERS
VOCALISTS
THE LONDON ORATORY SCHOOL SCHOLA
Listening Example: Disc Two | Track Ten | 1:51
The London Oratory School Schola was established in 1996 as the top boys chorus at the prestigious London Oratory School. The Schola sings as part of the school’s weekly Mass services and has appeared in numerous film scores including Danny Elfman’s Sleepy Hollow, John Williams’ Harry Potter scores, and of course, Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings. Although used throughout the scores, the boys become very closely associated with the forces of nature and Shore’s Seduction of the Ring theme.
THE LONDON VOICES
Listening Example: Disc One | Track One| 2:18
The singers of The London Voices are hand picked for each engagement they attend. The choir has no fixed membership so that singers who excel at specific styles can be assigned the ideal projects. Under the direction of Terry Edwards, London Voices have performed a wide array of film and concert works around the globe, including standard repertoire of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Stravinsky and newer works by John Adams, Luciano Berio and Sir Michael Tippett.
(c) The Annotated Score (The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films)
The Departure of Boromir
Howard Shore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Manna lelyalye Voromírë? Whither goest thou Boromir?
Cánalya hlarula, la hirimmel We heard your call but cannot find you.
Fuinë lanta Pelendoro nandesse Darkness falls upon the vale of Pelennor
Sí massë i Anar? Where now is the sun?
The lyrics to Howard Shore's "The Departure of Boromir" allude to the departure of Boromir, son of Denethor, as he sets out on his journey to retrieve the One Ring from Frodo. The first line, "I alda helda, i ehtele lína" translates to "the tree is bare, the fountain still," which could symbolize the barren and desolate state of Middle-Earth at this point in the story. The second line, "Manna lelyalye Voromírë?" translates to "Whither goest thou Boromir?" which is a question posed to Boromir as he sets off on his mission. The third line, "Cánalya hlarula, la hirimmel" translates to "we heard your call but cannot find you," which could symbolize the treacherous nature of Boromir's journey and the difficulty of finding him once he has left. The fourth line, "Fuinë lanta Pelendoro nandesse" translates to "darkness falls upon the vale of Pelennor," which foreshadows the darkness that will later consume Middle-Earth during the War of the Ring. Finally, the fifth line, "Sí massë i Anar?" translates to "where now is the sun?" which could symbolize the despair and hopelessness that comes with the darkness that is descending upon Middle-Earth.
Line by Line Meaning
I alda helda, i ehtele lína
The season has changed, the leaves have fallen, and the fountain has ceased to flow.
Manna lelyalye Voromírë?
Where are you going, Boromir?
Cánalya hlarula, la hirimmel
We heard your horn, but we cannot locate you in the sky.
Fuinë lanta Pelendoro nandesse
The darkness has engulfed the valley of Pelennor.
Sí massë i Anar?
Where has the sun gone?
Contributed by Adam J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
FreedomFighter08
Lyrics of Boromir's last stand and last words to Aragorn (Quenya):
I alda helda, i ehtele lína
The tree is bare, the fountain still
Manna lelyalye Voromírë?
Whither goest thou Boromir?
Cánalya hlarula la hirimmel
We heard your call but cannot find you
Fuinë lanta Pelendoro nandesse
Darkness falls upon the vale of Pelennor
Sí massë i Anar?
Where now is the sun?
Eric Marley
"Aragorn knelt beside him. Boromir opened his eyes and strove to speak. At last slow words came. 'I tried to take the Ring from Frodo ' he said. 'I am sorry. I have paid.' His glance strayed to his fallen enemies; twenty at least lay there. 'They have gone: the Halflings: the Orcs have taken them. I think they are not dead. Orcs bound them.' He paused and his eyes closed wearily. After a moment he spoke again.
'Farewell, Aragorn! Go to Minas Tirith and save my people! I have failed.'
'No!' said Aragorn, taking his hand and kissing his brow. 'You have conquered. Few have gained such a victory. Be at peace! Minas Tirith shall not fall!'
Boromir smiled.
'Which way did they go? Was Frodo there?' said Aragorn.
But Boromir did not speak again..."
SleepyPirate
"I do not love the bright sword for it's sharpness.
nor the arrow for it's swiftness
nor the Warrior for his glory
I love the homeland they defend." - Faramir
For me, I will.
Whenever I watch this film, Boromir's death always makes me cry. I always like to look further into the character than maybe I am supposed to. Seeing Boromir begin to go crazy due to the ring was only a minor part of his character. He was like a big brother/father to Merry and Pippin. He taught them to fight, and saw they were in danger and gave his life for them. We should not forget that Boromir is a hero as much as Sam, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimili, and even Frodo.
For me, I will.
It's amazing! :) I cry whenever I watch the lord of the rings or the hobbit. Both are just amazing!
Wafflecraft
Unfortunately it isn't portrayed as well in the movies, but his brother Faramir was just as much of a hero as Boromir just in a different way.
For me, I will.
Wafflecraft I completely agree, but I love the character development and the deepness to both characters, which draws one into a story :)
DH33.0
@neelam95 I feel the same way. Boromir represents the general ways of man.
For me, I will.
It's heartbreaking everytime :(
Mike Cabrera
Boromir - "I have failed you all..."
Aragorn - "No Boromir. You fought bravely...You kept your honor"
Matt Charman
The mightiest man may be slain by one arrow. And Boromir was pierced by many...
Glorfindel9357
The really sad thing here is that Boromir was not just a jerk who redeemed himself. He was a really good, upright man when he arrived in Rivendell. It wasn't until he encountered the Ring that he began to fall to it's power, and even then, it took months of it beating on his mind before he tried anything. And immediately after he tried to take the Ring, he snaps back to his old self and valiantly defends his comrades to his death.