Swiftly, Gandalf approaches, Pippin close behind. The wizard knocks Denethor to his back while Pippin climbs atop the pyre, dislodging Faramir with a splashing C-major triad. But Denethor is still conscious. He grabs the hobbit, attempting to allow Faramir to burn. But Shadowfax rears back, his hoof knocking Denethor back to the pyre. Just before the fire envelops him, Denethor sees Faramir’s eyes flutter, and knows his son is still alive. Denethor runs to the outmost wall of the top tier of Minas Tirith and throws himself off.
His fiery form can be seen from the field below, where the war still rages. There, despite their lesser numbers, the Rohirrim seem to be turning the Orcs back. The London Voices again sing “On the Fields of Pelennor,” but now in a more triumphant setting. Théoden prepares to move into Minas Tirith and secure the city from within, but a terrible sight takes hold of him.
TEXTS
ON THE FIELDS OF PELENNOR
Text by J.R.R. Tolkien
Adapted by Philippa Boyens
Sindarin Translation by David Salo
FIRST HEARD: DISC THREE | TRACK THREE
Edrochant e | Forth he rode
na nagor, | In to battle.
Ed nan gurth. | Forth in to death.
A e gladhant | And he laughed.
An e naun ad neth | For he was young again.
A naun aran | And he was King.
Hir gwaith beleg. | The Lord of a great people.
Elo! | And lo!
Sui orthant vegil ín | Even as raised his sword
Vi ‘las beleg | In great joy,
Ortholl gurth. | Death came on.
Anann si lostar | Long now they sleep
Nu lae vi Ngondor | Under grass in Gondor.
Sí lostar na hír veleg | Sleep now by the great river,
Mithren sui nîr, thiliol celebren | Grey as tears, gleaming silver,
Ta geliant caran, | Red then it rolled,
Púrinnen na hereg | Dyed with their blood.
Lachant ned annûn | Flamed at sunset;
Úrianner i eryd | The mountains burned;
Sui ros garan dannant | As red dew fell
Or pheli Pelennor | On the fields of Pelennor.
(c) The Annotated Score (The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films)/b]
The Pyre of Denethor
Howard Shore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
text from J.R.R. TOLKIEN, adapted by PHILIPPA BOYENS, translation by DAVID SALO
( SINDARIN )
Edrochant e
Na nagor,
Ed nan gurth.
A e gladhant
(( Forth he rode
Into battle,
Forth into death.
And he laughed
For he was young again. ))
A naun aran
Hir gwaith beleg.
Elo!
Sui orthant vegil ín
Vi'las beleg
Ortholl gurth.
(( And he was King.
The Lord of a great people.
And lo!
Even as raised his sword
In great joy,
Death came on. ))
Anann si lostar
Nu lae vi Ngondor
Sí lostar na hír veleg,
Mithrin sui nîr, thiliol celebren,
Ta geliant caran,
Púrinnen na hereg
(( Long now they sleep
Under grass in Gondor.
Sleep now by the great river,
Grey as tears, gleaming silver,
Red then it rolled,
Dyed with their blood. ))
Lachant ned annûn
Úrianner i eryd
Sui ros garan dannant
Or pheli Pelennor.
(( Flamed at sunset;
The mountains burned;
As red dew fell
On the fields of Pelennor. ))
"The Pyre of Denethor" is a song by Howard Shore that features lyrics adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel "The Return of the King," which tells the story of the battle on the fields of Pelennor. The first stanza describes a soldier riding into battle and embracing his death with laughter, acknowledging that he is young once again. The second stanza speaks of a great king leading his people to war and ultimately falling in battle. The third stanza speaks of the fallen soldiers who now rest in Gondor, under the great river.
The final stanza describes the fiery aftermath of the battle and the fields of Pelennor. The mountains burn with flames, and the red dew falls on the fields of Pelennor, signifying the immense bloodshed that has taken place. The lyrics of "The Pyre of Denethor" are poignant and moving, capturing the intensity and emotion of the battle and its aftermath.
Line by Line Meaning
Forth he rode
Into battle,
Forth into death.
He rode forward into the battle, knowing that death was a likely outcome.
And he laughed
For he was young again.
Despite knowing the risks, he laughed because he felt youthful and alive once again.
And he was King.
The Lord of a great people.
He was the King, responsible for leading his people into battle and making difficult decisions.
And lo!
Even as raised his sword
In great joy,
Death came on.
Despite his joy, he was killed in battle as he raised his sword to strike down his enemies.
Long now they sleep
Under grass in Gondor.
Those who have died in battle now rest eternally beneath the earth in Gondor.
Sleep now by the great river,
Grey as tears, gleaming silver,
Red then it rolled,
Dyed with their blood.
They rest beside the great river, which was once grey and silver, but now runs red with the blood of those who died in battle.
Flamed at sunset;
The mountains burned;
As red dew fell
On the fields of Pelennor.
As the sun set, the mountains blazed with the fires of war, and a red dew fell on the fields of Pelennor.
Contributed by Riley W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@PatrickDC202
2:08 The music from this scene has haunted me for years... in the very best sense. The transition to the scene of Denethor plunging to his death in flames and the quick transition to the battle below when they finally claim victory. Those choral voices are chillingly beautiful. This entire soundtrack is a genuine masterpiece that unravels even more wonders over time. LOVE it.
@JoshuaClingman
I didn't really ever understand how Gandalf made it from the Gates of Minas Tirith to the Tombs of the Kings in such a small amount of time...
@captaineren544
Because a wizard is never late nor he is early. He arrives precisely when he means to.
@JoshuaClingman
+Captain Eren Lol, I forgot about that. ;)
@campbellmays9900
Shadowfax:)
@michaelrussell3890
Or how Denathor manages to run nearly a mile after being set on fire!
@RenegadeShepTheSpacer
@Michael Russell It's not a mile in the film.
@Benkins1989
"You may triumph on the field of battle for a day, but against the power that is risen in the East, there is no victory."
@Darkrunn
I love the gradual crescendo towards the end. It seems to just keep building and building!
@EthanCruise
2:15 felt like victory! Then... Nope lol