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Tolkien left us translation of the Ring inscription into Black Speech. The whole verse was however longer:
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie
There was a translation by Elerrina (EL) in journals “Quettar” #16 (pp. 6–7, 1982) and “Vinyar Tengwar” #13 (pp. 13–15, 1990). It was not flawless but became the additional word base for later Black Speech dialects.
Gakh Nazgi Ilid/Albai/Golug durub-uuri lata-nuut. Udu takob-ishiz gund-ob Gazat-shakh-uuri. Krith Shara-uuri matuurz matat duumpuga. Ash tug Shakhbuurz-uur Uliima-tab-ishi za, Uzg-Mordor-ishi amal fauthut burguuli. [Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul] Uzg-Mordor-ishi amal fauthut burguuli.
It is not very accurate, as it translates back into English as:
Three rings for elven rulers under the sky Seven for Dwarf-lords in theirs of stone Nine for mortal men doomed to die One only for Dark Lord in his throne In Mordor land where Shadows lie [One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them] In Mordor land where Shadows lie
This translations doesn't satisfy objectives of Nûrlâm, so we need to translate following words into the Black Speech:
English | Black Speech | Etymology and Comments |
---|---|---|
dark | bûrz | EL, from burzum (darkness) |
die | mat- | EL |
doomed | dûmpuga | EL, either from Etym. “MBAD” written reversed (“MB” is one letter in Elvish writing systems), see also Quenya “umbar”, or just stylized English word (possibly both) |
dwarf | gazat | EL, from Khuzdul “khazad” (dwarves) |
elven | golug | TK1), Angband Orkish “golug” (Noldor elves) from ÑGOLOD, Noldorin “golodh” (one of the wise folk, Gnome2)) |
ilid | EL, from “ÉLED” (“Star-folk”, “Firstborn”, Eldar, departed elves) | |
albai | EL | |
for | ûr | EL, dative case suffix |
hall | ru | from Shadowlandian (LOS) and Horngoth Orkish, omitted in original translation by Elerrina |
king | durub | EL, translated as rulers from “durbat” (to rule) |
land | uzg | EL |
lie | kât- | LOS, from Quenya “caita” < KAY |
fauth- | original translation by Elerrina was “fauth-” (lie hidden) | |
lord | goth | Sindarin, from Melkor's epithetic name Morgoth (Dark Enemy or Black Foe) |
shakh | EL, Persian word for “king” | |
man, men | tark | TK, applies only to Númenóreans |
shara | EL, from Isengard Orkish “sharkû” (old man) | |
Mordor | Uzgbûrz | this name means “Dark Land” in Sindarin, was not translated by Elerrina, therefore I translated this into Black Speech |
mortal | matûrz | EL |
nine | krith | EL |
of | ob | EL, genitive/possessive case suffix |
only | tug | EL, absent in original English translation, put into “One (only) for the Dark Lord on (this) his dark throne” |
seven | udug | EL “udu”, from OT- > Noldorin “odog”, spelling normalized according to Nûrlâm rules |
udu | EL, from OT- > Noldorin “odog” | |
shadow | ||
burgûl | EL, from “bûrz” + “gûl” (dark spirit, ghost) | |
sky | nût | EL |
stone | gund | EL, from Etym. “GOND”, compare with “Gondor” meaning “Stone Land” in Sindarin or “Gondolin” |
their | ulub | LOS, from TK “ul” (them) and EL “ob” (of) |
takob | EL, original translation was “tak-ob” | |
this | za | EL, absent in original English translation, put into “One (only) for the Dark Lord on (this) his dark throne” |
three | gakh | EL |
throne | ||
ulîma | EL | |
under | lata | EL |
where | amin | “in” < Quenya “en” (there, look!) < Etym. “EN-” (over there, yonder) |
amal | EL |