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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. | |
| Soldier | Not much use are you, you little snufflers? I reckon eyes are better than your snotty noses. | |
| Tracker | Then what have you seen with them? Garn! You don't even know what you're looking for. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| Soldier | Who says there's bad news? | |
| Tracker | Ar! Who says there isn't? | |
| Soldier | That's cursed rebel-talk, and I'll stick you, if you don't shut it down, see? | |
| 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)? | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| Soldier | You come back or I'll report you! | |
| Tracker | Who to? Not to your precious Shagrat. He won't be captain any more. | |
| Soldier | I'll give your name and number to the Nazgûl. One of them's in charge at the Tower now. | |
| 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! | |
| Soldier |
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 up. And stay there, or you'll know it, when I come down the line! | Nar, nar krut! Krig |
| 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? |
