translations:the_land_of_shadow

Dialogues of Orcs in “The Land of Shadow” chapter of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”

The Chapter II: The Land of Shadow of Book Six of “The Lord of the Rings” contains dialogues of unnamed orcs gathering towards the Black Gate, while Frodo and Sam were trying to reach Mount Doom disguised as orcs. Orcs' troops were mixed of different tribes, so they spoke Common Speech and the hobbits could understand them, but the conversations are translated in Nûrlâm anyway.

Conversation 1

The conversation is held between smaller tracker orc and bigger soldier orc, probably from Shagrat's troops. It's notable that they both were aware of a quarrel in the Cirith Ungol's tower.

Character English Nûrlâm
Tracker Nar! I'm going home. No good wearing my nose out on stones any more. There's not a trace left, I say. I've lost the scent through giving way to you. It went up into the hills, not along the valley, I tell you. Nar! Da ukh mokhu. Nar bhogarz drîzat dab glup gundir konarzar. Nar ash rîn irnuzâ zîgin, dagashn. Dabûfuz nuzdum tuk throgug mong fizûr. Za ukhuz ghu kaupumishi, nar nild as, dagashnam.
Soldier Not much use are you, you little snufflers? I reckon eyes are better than your snotty noses. Nar mak ushdaut gimarkul, gi stamîthauk? Da ûst, hont kulû bhogar snû gib glup zirmûrzâzh.
Tracker Then what have you seen with them? Garn! You don't even know what you're looking for. Dai mash fikinuz takirzi? Garn! Finarîst yal amash fisog.
Soldier Whose blame's that? Not mine. That comes from Higher Up. First they say it's a great Elf in bright armour, then it's a sort of small dwarf-man, then it must be a pack of rebel Uruk-hai; or maybe it's all the lot together. Zîg kulâ slogum amaib? Nar dab. Zîg skât bo Ghutalûrzar. Asharz tak gashn, za ash golugdau khangpanor, la za ash srinkh gazat-haimikob, la za maug kulut ash gragh uruk-haib shadmûrz; ogh falgarz za ûk mak sha.
Tracker Ar! They've lost their heads, that's what it is. And some of the bosses are going to lose their skins too, I guess, if what I hear is true: Tower raided and all, and hundreds of your lads done in, and prisoner got away. If that's the way you fighters go on, small wonder there's bad news from the battles. Ar! Takbûfuz kaz takob, zîg amash za kul. Agh mûd dughalob bûfatuth daft takob shuz, daton, ghung amash dakhlâr kulat kog: Lug lîzdaga agh ûk, agh tusk nonkob gib krampaga nâd, agh glûr thôluzâ baubarz. Ghung zîg mongum gi maukal frunû, mikarz ilmurm ginfik kulû zîgin dogrumbo.
Soldier Who says there's bad news? Mai gashn ginfik kulû zîgin?
Tracker Ar! Who says there isn't? Ar! Mai gashn narkulû zîgin?
Soldier That's cursed rebel-talk, and I'll stick you, if you don't shut it down, see? Zîg kul skûnaga shadmal-shugbum, agh dagukrubam, ghung finargukrubîm, markin?
Tracker All right, all right! I'll say no more and go on thinking. But what's the black sneak got to do with it all? That gobbler with the flapping hands1)? Bhogûk, bhogûk! Dagashnub nar nokhar agh dafrunub ûsut. Ap hlighaukmorum brusuzâ mash bild2) zasha ûk? Zîg throkhauk3) bazgsha plupug?
Soldier I don't know. Nothing, maybe. But he's up to no good, nosing around, I'll wager. Curse him! No sooner had he slipped us and run off than word came he's wanted alive, wanted quick. Danarîst. Narash falgarz. Ap tapant nar bhog, mîthugoth, dafadruth. Skûnan! Naruthar tatâtuz agh ta irzuz snû ghîsh skâtuzâ, takul nargaga kîbarz, nargaga hîsarz.
Tracker Well, I hope they get him and put him through it. He messed up the scent back there, pinching that cast-off mail-shirt that he found, and paddling all round the place before I could get there. Bhog, dakhard tak snabuban agh gaithuban zarzi tuk. Tagirzuz nudzum zîgin krut, rikhug zîg romlaup hôghûrz zamash tagimbuz agh kofrug ûk inum kurn ik dapâshulg barlut zîginu.
Soldier It saved his life anyhow. Why, before I knew he was wanted I shot him, as neat as neat, at fifty paces right in the back; but he ran on. Za bharnuz slaitab konarz. Mûr, ik da îstuz takuz nargaga dabauzan, zash boig zash boig, krâknuk prakor tîr krumishi; ap tafrunuz irzut.
Tracker Garn! You missed him. First you shoot wild, then you run too slow, and then you send for the poor trackers. I've had enough of you. Garn! Tasauguzan. Âsharz fibauz ragharz, la fikhîg fûrz mag, agh la fihîst rînalorzûr. Brusuzû thlûk fib dazûr.
Soldier You come back or I'll report you! Fi, kruskât ogh daghîntuban!
Tracker Who to? Not to your precious Shagrat. He won't be captain any more. Maizûr? Nar fib turkûrz Shagratûr. Tanarkub hizd konarzar.
Soldier I'll give your name and number to the Nazgûl. One of them's in charge at the Tower now. Dathrogub îzfib agh gûntfib Nazgûlumûr. Ash takob kul bulir Lugumor zil.
Tracker You cursed peaching sneakthief! You can't do your job, and you can't even stick by your own folk. Go to your filthy Shriekers, and may they freeze the flesh off you! If the enemy doesn't get them first. They've done in Number One, I've heard, and I hope it's true! Fi skûnaga ghîntug hlighorskal! Finarpâsh kramput bulfib, agh finarpâsh yal kulut hinbat hairzi îmob. U Shîkaldugfib, agh gâkh tak gogh hrau fibo! Ghung kuthum narbarlulgul âsharz. Tak krampuzûk u Gûnt Ash, dakhlâruz, agh dakhard za kog!

If I understood correctly, Gollum stole Frodo's mithril coat while orcs were fighting over it. Another detail: Sauron's servants have numbers assigned to them, with Nazgûl being labeled from 1 to 9.

Conversation 2

Frodo and Sam were discovered by another troop of slave orcs, with two Uruk overseers. One of the slave-drivers talks to Frodo and Sam, who silently trying to stay unnoticed.

Character English Nûrlâm
Slave-driver Hi, you! Get up! Ai, gi! Tulg!
Slave-driver Come on, you slugs! This is no time for slouching. Garn, gi lûgd! Za nar il kubdat.
Slave-driver Deserting, eh? Or thinking of it? All your folk should have been inside Udûn before yesterday evening. You know that. Up you get and fall in, or I'll have your numbers and report you. Rangû, mar? Ogh marûsû gus za? Haigibûk maugulg kulut Ufdhunor nâd ik ârshikûrz ândh. Gi îst zîg. Ghu thôl, gi, agh gaid nâd, ogh dagimbub gib gûnt agh gauthubaf.
Slave-driver No, not at the rear! Three files up4). And stay there, or you'll know it, when I come down the line! Nar, nar krut! Krig shak ghu. Agh irn zîgin, ogh fi îstuban, amil daskâtub dhu shalg!
Slave-driver There now! Where there's a whip there's a will, my slugs. Hold up! I'd give you a nice freshener now, only you'll get as much lash as your skins will carry when you come in late to your camp. Do you good. Don't you know we're at war? Zîginu zil! Amin ash thup, zîgin ash dirb, dab lûgd. Darb! Dathrogulgaf ash nîr ginal zin, ginântub zash mak hauk zash gib daft kolubû amil gishiskub gib iktishi lad. Kramp bhog. Gi narmarîst dak ghûthor?
1)
Gollum reference
2)
brusuzâ bild ⇒ have got business
3)
lit. “devourer”
4)
I'm lost here, usually “file” refers to columns or the whole grid of soldiers, is it an unexpected error for a writer served in army? Translated with general term for “line”
translations/the_land_of_shadow.txt · Last modified: 2023/09/07 19:38 by 127.0.0.1