The Army of the Dead pours over the walls of Minas Tirith, overwhelming the… Read Full Bio ↴The Army of the Dead pours over the walls of Minas Tirith, overwhelming the simple-minded Orcs with fear and destroying them. But no victorious music emerges. Cor anglais sorrows over minor-moded strings. King Théoden lies dying upon the Pelennor. Éowyn crawls to his side and he looks upon her smile one last time. Chorus somberly intones “Death of a King” in Old English, but this is not the music of Men. This is music of the next world, tones one step closer to the music of Valinor. The World of Men fades away. With a final remembrance, French horn recites the Rohan Fanfare. King Théoden, son of Thengel, passes.

TEXTS
DEATH OF A KING
Text by J.R.R. Tolkien
Old English Translation by David Salo
FIRST HEARD: DISC THREE | TRACK TEN
Of dreccunga, of dimnesse tó dæges úpgange | Out of doubt, out of dark, to the days rising
Hé singende rád in sunnan, sweord bregdende | He rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing.
Hé hyht eft onaelede and in hyhte geendode | Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended;
Ofer endunga, ofer ege, ofer orlæge úp áhafen | Over death, over dread, over doom lifted
Of lyre, of lífe, tó langum wuldre. | Out of loss, out of life, unto long glory.

(c) The Annotated Score (The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films)

The Passing of Théoden
Howard Shore Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Of dreccunga, of dimnesse tó dæges úpgange.
Hé singende rád in sunnan, sweord bregdende.
Hé hyht eft onaelede and in hyhte geendode
Ofer edunga, ofer ege, ofer orlæge úp áhafen
Of lyre, of lífe, tó langum wuldre.

[translation: Out of doubt, out of dark, to the day's rising
He rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing.

Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended;

Over death, over dread, over doom lifted,
Out of loss, out of life, unto long glory.]

Overall Meaning

The Passing of Théoden is a remarkable piece composed by Howard Shore as a part of the soundtrack for the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The lyrics are in Old English, and they are spoken by Éowyn as she mourns the death of her uncle, King Théoden of Rohan. The first line translates to "out of doubt, out of dark, to the day's rising," and it describes how Théoden has transitioned from a place of uncertainty and darkness to a state of hope and renewed life.

The next line "He rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing" utilizes the perfect imagery to show the King in his final moments, going out in a blaze of glory, prepared to face whatever is ahead of him. The third line "Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended" is particularly significant. Théoden passed away with the assurance that he had done everything possible to ensure the safety and livelihood of his people. He rekindled hope in their hearts to assure them of a better future, and it was this hope that sustained him in his final moments.

The final two lines, "over death, over dread, over doom lifted, out of loss, out of life, unto long glory," completes the imagery of the passage. Théoden has passed away, but he has also transcended death and overcome all his fears and doubts. The final line describes his ascension to eternal glory in the afterlife. In summary, the lyrics beautifully capture the essence of Théoden's passing, his bravery, and his final moments of hope and glory.

Line by Line Meaning

Of dreccunga, of dimnesse tó dæges úpgange.
Bound out of darkness and uncertainty towards dawn's ascendance.

Hé singende rád in sunnan, sweord bregdende.
Mounted on horseback he sang, drawing his sword in the sun.

Hé hyht eft onaelede and in hyhte geendode
He ignited a renewed hope and realized it in his triumph.

Ofer edunga, ofer ege, ofer orlæge úp áhafen
He rose above despair, fear and defeat.

Of lyre, of lífe, tó langum wuldre.
He transcended loss and death, moving on to perpetuity in glory.

Contributed by Evan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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