Supplement 3: Poetry Composition — Linnyd and Aerlinn Forms

Tolkien as Poet-Linguist

J.R.R. Tolkien was not a linguist who happened to write fiction. He was, at his core, a philologist — a scholar of language who loved language for its own sake, for its sound and its history and the way it encodes culture. His two constructed Elvish languages were not just invented vocabularies and grammars; they were phonologically engineered to be beautiful in verse.

The sound system of Sindarin — its liquid consonants (l, r, lh, rh), its voiced fricatives (dh, v), its sibilants, its diphthongs (ae, ai, oe, ui), its distinctive front-rounded vowel y — was shaped by Tolkien's deep love for Welsh, for medieval Welsh poetry in particular, and for the sonic texture of the Mabinogion and the Black Book of Carmarthen. Welsh is famous for its mellifluous sound, and Sindarin inherits that quality deliberately.

When Tolkien composed Sindarin verse, he did so with the care of a working poet in a real language, not a hobbyist playing with sounds. The scansion is correct. The mutations are applied consistently. The diction is compressed and allusive in the manner of actual medieval poetry. Understanding how his verse works illuminates both the poetry and the grammar, because poetic composition and grammatical competence are not separable for a language like Sindarin.

This supplement covers:

The linnod form (the only explicitly named Sindarin verse form)
The aerlinn as illustrated by A Elbereth Gilthoniel
The poetic devices Tolkien uses in Sindarin verse
Step-by-step guidance for composing your own verse
Close reading of all major attested Sindarin poetic texts

The Linnod Form

Definition and Etymology

Linnod (plural linnyd) is the name Tolkien gives to a specific Sindarin verse form. The name is derived from:

lin- / linn- root: to sing, to make music (cf. linna- to sing, linnar singers)
-od: a nominalizing suffix creating abstract/collective nouns from verbal roots

So linnod is literally something like "a singing," "a verse," or "a song-thing" — an instance of the verbal art. The plural linnyd shows the expected i-affection: o in a non-final syllable shifts to y when followed by -î: linnod-î → linnyd.

Formal Structure

The linnod is a two-hemistich form:

Each line (linnod) consists of two half-lines (hemistichs)
Each hemistich contains 7 syllables
The hemistichs are separated by a strong caesura (pause in delivery)
Total: 14 syllables per linnod

This structure is related to medieval alliterative verse (like Old English Beowulf or Middle Welsh englyn forms) in its use of the two-hemistich structure. In some medieval Welsh meters, the two parts of a line are metrically and semantically paired, either in parallelism or in antithesis.

The Sindarin linnod follows this principle: the two hemistichs typically stand in semantic relationship to each other — one may affirm and the other deny, one may establish and the other resolve, or both may develop the same image from different angles.

Rhythm

Tolkien does not prescribe a strict metrical foot pattern for the linnod (unlike, say, classical Latin meters which specify every syllable as long or short). The tendency is toward dactylic rhythm (one heavy syllable + two light: ¯˘˘), which creates a forward-moving, somewhat elegiac feel — appropriate to Sindarin's aesthetic of beauty tinged with sorrow (melancholy is the right word for much Elvish verse).

However, the 7-syllable count is the firm constraint, and rhythm should be pleasant to the ear rather than mechanically regular.

The Only Attested Linnod: Gilraen's Prophecy

The Text

Tolkien provides exactly one attested example of the linnod form: Gilraen's cornor or saying, recorded in LotR Appendix A. Gilraen was Aragorn's mother; this is the verse she spoke near her death, having sent her son away to live among strangers.

Sindarin text:

Ónen i-Estel Edain, ú-chebin Estel anim.

Translation:

"I gave Hope to the Dúnedain; I have kept no hope for myself."

Syllable Count and Scansion

Hemistich 1:    Ó · nen · i · Es · tel · E · dain
                1    2    3   4    5    6    7
                
Hemistich 2:    Ú · che · bin · Es · tel · a · nim
                1    2     3    4    5    6    7

The caesura falls after Edain. Both hemistichs are exactly 7 syllables.

Stress pattern: Sindarin stress falls on the penultimate syllable if it is heavy (contains a long vowel, diphthong, or consonant cluster), otherwise on the antepenultimate. In poetry, primary stress may be marked by length and pitch in chanting:

Hemistich 1: ÓNen i-ÉStel Édain
Hemistich 2: Úchebin ÉStel ánim

The stresses fall in a roughly dactylic pattern, confirming Tolkien's compositional intent.

Word-by-Word Analysis

Word 1: Ónen

Form: 1st person singular past tense of anna- (to give)
Source: directly attested in LotR Appendix A and confirmed in VT44/21
Note: the long Ó- is a vowel augment on the past stem (see Supplement 2, §8); the past 3sg is aun, but the 1sg shows this different augmented form ón- + personal suffix -en
The long ó carries the first syllable stress: ÓN·en

Word 2: i-Estel

Form: definite article i (singular) + noun Estel (Hope, Trust)
Mutation: E- initial words take no consonant mutation from i, but the article hyphenates when the noun begins with a vowel
Estel is a key Sindarin concept: not just "hope" in the sense of optimistic expectation (amdir, lit. "looking up"), but hope as trust in the ultimate goodness of things, hope grounded in faith rather than foresight. Aragorn's childhood name given by Elrond was Estel — the hope of the Dúnedain.
i-Estel = "the Hope" (meaning Aragorn himself, or the hope he represents)

Word 3: Edain

Form: plural noun Edain (Men, the Dúnedain specifically; plural of adan)
Note: no preposition is used; the dative relationship ("to the Dúnedain") is expressed purely through word order and context — a poetic compression
adan → Edain: i-affection: a in open syllable shifts to e under plural -î; then ai is restored as the final syllable: Atan-î → Etain-i → Edain. The voiced d for earlier t is a lenition in medial position.

Word 4: ú-chebin

Form: negation prefix ú- + 1sg aorist of heb- (to keep, retain) with soft mutation
ú- is the Sindarin verbal negation prefix (distinct from al- "not at all" and avo "don't")
Soft mutation: ú- triggers soft mutation on the following consonant: heb- initial h → ch [x] (aspirated form)
hebin (1sg aorist): heb- + -in → hebin; then with ú-: ú-chebin
Full form: "I do not keep / I have kept [nothing]"
The present tense chebin with perfect meaning: Sindarin can use the present/aorist with perfect force, especially with negation

Word 5: Estel

Second occurrence: now without the article i, the noun is indefinite — "any hope," "hope [at all]"
The contrast between i-Estel (definite, the specific Hope = Aragorn) and Estel (indefinite, no hope in general) is deliberate and profound: she gave away the definite article as well as the noun

Word 6: anim

Form: an (preposition "for") + im (reflexive/emphatic pronoun "self")
anim = "for myself" — this compound is elsewhere attested and is a formulaic expression
Contrasts with Edain (to the Men): I gave to THEM, I kept nothing for MYSELF

Poetic Analysis

The verse has a perfect antithetical parallelism:

Hemistich 1	Hemistich 2
Ónen (I gave)	ú-chebin (I kept not)
i-Estel (the Hope — definite)	Estel (hope — indefinite)
Edain (to the Dúnedain)	anim (for myself)

Every element of Hemistich 1 has a counter-element in Hemistich 2. The verb is antithetical (gave/kept-not). The object is antithetical (specific/indefinite). The beneficiary is antithetical (they/myself). In 14 syllables, Tolkien captures a mother's complete sacrifice and her complete desolation.

This is not a simple lament. It is a resignation — Gilraen knows she chose to send her son away, and she does not regret it; but she also knows what it cost her. The word Estel used for Aragorn's name and then as the common noun for hope creates a pun that only works in Sindarin: "I gave the-Hope to the Men; I have kept no hope for myself." The capital letter in English translations misses this because English must capitalize proper nouns differently.

The A Elbereth Hymn — The Aerlinn Form

About the Aerlinn

Aerlinn (plural aerlinn or aerlyn with i-affection) means "holy song, sacred hymn." From aer (holy, sacred) + linn (a song, a melodic passage). Unlike the linnod's strictly defined structure, the aerlinn is a more flexible longer form — a sustained praise-song or invocation.

The A Elbereth Gilthoniel hymn appears in two versions in LotR:

Version 1 (sung by Elves in the Shire): Book I Chapter 3, "Three is Company"
Version 2 (sung by Sam in Cirith Ungol): Book VI Chapter 1, "The Tower of Cirith Ungol"

The two versions overlap partially and differ in some lines. Together they represent the longest sustained attested Sindarin text in existence, making close study of them essential for any serious Sindarin learner.

Full Text: Version 1 with Scansion

A  El·be·reth  Gil·tho·ni·el        8 syllables
si·liv·ren  pen·na  mí·ri·el         7 syllables
o  me·nel  ag·lar  e·le·nath!        8 syllables
Na·cha·ered  pa·lan·dí·ri·el         8 syllables
o  ga·ladh·rem·min  en·no·rath,      8 syllables
Fa·nu·i·los,  le  lin·na·thon        8 syllables
nef  ae·ar,  sí  nef  ae·a·ron!      8 syllables

The dominant meter is iambic tetrameter (four iambic feet = eight syllables, with unstressed syllable first): ˘¯ ˘¯ ˘¯ ˘¯. Line 2 scans as 7 syllables — a catalectic (shortened) line, a deliberate variation. Lines with 8 syllables may have occasional feminine endings (extra unstressed syllable at line end), which also vary the strict count slightly in performance.

Line-by-Line Analysis

Line 1: A Elbereth Gilthoniel

A: vocative particle — "O!" Used to address someone directly; signals invocation
Elbereth: name of a Vala (one of the angelic powers), the queen of the stars. Sindarin el- (star) + bereth (queen, consort)
Gilthoniel: another name/epithet for Elbereth — the Star-kindler. Gîl (star, as a single bright point of light) + thon- (tan- kindle) + -iel (feminine agentive suffix: "she who"). So: "she who kindles stars"
Scansion: A El-be-reth Gil-tho-ni-el — 8 syllables, stress on reth and ni
Note: both Elbereth and Gilthoniel are vocative; the Elves address Varda by both names simultaneously in a solemn invocation formula

Line 2: silivren penna míriel

silivren: adjective "sparkling/glittering like glass." From silivren cf. silivren → silif (silver-glass) + -ren (adjectival suffix "having the quality of"). Modifies the stars implicitly.
penna: 3sg continuative present of penn- — "she/it slants down, pours down." The stars' light pours down from heaven. This is a beautiful choice: not just "shining" but actively flowing downward.
míriel: another adjective/participle, "glittering like jewels." From mîr (jewel, treasure) + -iel (participial/adjectival suffix). This creates the image of the sky as a field of glittering gemstones.
The line has no main subject explicitly — the subject is understood as the starlight/glory of Elbereth being praised
Scansion: si-liv-ren pen-na mí-ri-el — 7 syllables

Line 3: o menel aglar elenath!

o: preposition "from, out of"
menel: the heavens, the sky (specifically the sky as a vault or firmament). Root men- (go) + el- (star) + -el? Or a compound meaning "the star-path/the way of stars." Attested term.
aglar: brilliance, glory. Root gal- (shine). A strong, bright noun — not mere light but radiant glory.
elenath: ALL the stars collectively. Elen (star) + -ath (collective suffix, meaning "all the [things]"). So elenath = "all the stars, the entire host of stars, the starry heavens." This is subtly different from elenath as "each star individually" — the -ath collective suffix marks the whole group as a unity.
The exclamation mark signals this as an exclamatory phrase: "the glory of all the stars!" — an outburst of praise
Grammatically: o menel (prepositional phrase) + aglar elenath (apposition? or aglar o elenath with elided o?) — most likely the line is a free-standing exclamatory phrase, not a full sentence

Line 4: Na-chaered palan-díriel

Na-: here a verbal prefix meaning "having [done]" — a perfect/resultative prefix creating a participial meaning
chaered: "distance, remoteness." Lenited form of haered (h → ch under soft mutation from na-). The root is haer (far away) + -ed nominal suffix.
palan-: prefix meaning "afar, far and wide, to a great distance." Attested in compound words; related to palan-tír (far-seer, cf. palantír).
díriel: perfective active participle of dir- (to gaze steadily, to watch attentively). Dír- + -iel (perfective feminine participle). "Having gazed afar."
Full line: "Having gazed afar into the distance" — describing Elbereth's act of watching from Valinor toward Middle-earth
The compound prefix palan-díriel is a Tolkienian formation combining directional adverb and verbal participle — a type of compound natural to Sindarin (cf. English "far-seeing")

Line 5: o galadhremmin ennorath,

o: preposition "from" (same as line 3)
galadhremmin: a beautiful compound adjective — "entangled with trees, tree-tangled." Galadh (tree) + remmen (meshed, entangled, past participle of a verb rem- to weave/ensnare; cf. remmen in other compounds). The compound means "enmeshed in trees" — describing the forests of Middle-earth.
ennorath: "middle-lands, the middle regions." Ennor (middle-earth, midland) + -ath (collective/general suffix). Literally "all the middle-lands." This is Tolkien's Sindarin version of Endor / Middle-earth.
Line: "From tree-entangled Middle-earth" — the preposition phrase establishes the speaker's perspective: Sam is singing from within the forests and lands of Middle-earth, looking up toward Varda's sky

Line 6: Fanuilos, le linnathon

Fanuilos: another epithet of Varda/Elbereth — "ever-white peak" or "the ever-white pinnacle." Fan- (cloud, high white thing) + uil- (ever, always) + -os (augmentive/nominal suffix). The name evokes the white peak of Taniquetil, the highest mountain in Arda, where Varda dwells.
le: reverential 2nd person pronoun, here functioning as the indirect object or dative: "to thee"
linnathon: DIRECTLY ATTESTED S. form — 1sg future of linna- (to sing). Linna- + -tha- (D-class future infix) + -on (1sg suffix). "I will sing." This is one of the most important attested verb forms in Sindarin, confirming both the D-class future pattern and the 1sg future suffix -on.
Line: "Fanuilos, to thee I will sing" — the moment of personal declaration within the hymn

Line 7: nef aear, sí nef aearon!

nef: preposition "on this side of, hither of." Indicates the speaker is on this side, not on the other side of whatever is named.
aear: the sea, the ocean. A full Sindarin word for the sea (cf. Aear in many place names).
sí: adverb "here, now." Both spatial (here in this place) and temporal (now at this moment).
aearon: "great sea, the Great Ocean." Aear + -on (augmentive suffix, making a larger or more grand version of the base word). So aearon = the Great Ocean = Belegaer, the sea between Middle-earth and Valinor.
The repetition nef aear, sí nef aearon is a figure of intensification: "on this side of the sea, here on this side of the Great Sea" — same concept, amplified. The speaker is emphatically here, on this near shore, calling across the waters to Varda on the other side.
The final exclamation mark shows this is a cry, not a quiet statement.

Meter and Rhyme Analysis

The full hymn (Version 1) rhymes on a complex but intentional scheme:

Line	End word	Rhyme note
1	Gilthoniel	-el
2	míriel	-el (rhymes with line 1)
3	elenath	-ath
4	díriel	-el (rhymes with lines 1-2)
5	ennorath	-ath (rhymes with line 3)
6	linnathon	-on
7	aearon	-on (rhymes with line 6)

Rhyme scheme: A A B A B C C — a sophisticated interweaving where the -el rhyme returns after the -ath interruption, before the final -on couplet closes the hymn.

Tolkien also uses internal alliteration and assonance:

s- alliteration: silivren (line 2), sí (line 7)
el- sound echoes: Elbereth, elenath, Fanuilos
-iel endings: míriel, díriel — the feminine participial suffix creates a distinctive sonic signature
Long î (long i) sounds: míriel, díriel, Fanuilos (ui diphthong) — high front vowels dominate the middle of the hymn, then resolve into the back/round -on endings

Poetic Devices in Tolkien's Sindarin

1. Alliteration

Medieval Celtic and Germanic poetry both use alliteration (repetition of initial consonants) as a structural principle. Tolkien employs it in Sindarin verse, though less rigidly than in Old English Beowulf:

s-: silivren ... sí ... connects the sparkling quality (line 2) to the present moment (line 7)
In Gilraen's linnod: the E- sounds in Estel repeat across the caesura, and the -in sounds of Ónen/chebin/Edain/anim create cohesion

2. Assonance

Vowel echo — the repetition of similar vowel sounds within or across lines — is perhaps more prominent than consonant alliteration in Sindarin verse, because Sindarin's rich vowel system (including the distinctive diphthongs ae, ai, oe, ui) gives the poet more phonological material to work with:

Long î pattern in lines 2 and 4: míriel / díriel
ae sounds: aear and aearon in the last line create a sonorous closure

3. Parallelism and Antithesis

As shown in the linnod analysis, Sindarin poetry favors structuring hemistichs or half-lines in parallel or antithetical pairs:

Parallel: nef aear, sí nef aearon (same structure, intensified)
Antithetical: Ónen ... ú-chebin (gave / did not keep)

4. Compound Adjectives

Tolkien frequently creates compound descriptive adjectives that pack meaning densely:

galadhremmin "tree-entangled"
palan-díriel "far-gazing (having gazed far)"
silivren "glass-sparkling"

These compounds are a hallmark of Sindarin poetic diction and are what give Tolkien's Elvish verse its distinctive compressed, jewel-like quality.

5. Genitive Inversion

In ordinary Sindarin prose, the genitive comes after the head noun: aglar elenath = "glory of-all-stars" = "the stars' glory" (head noun first, then genitive modifier). This is VSO-family syntax. In poetry, Tolkien occasionally inverts this for rhythmic reasons, placing the qualifier before the head — but the standard order is maintained in the hymn as quoted.

6. The Vocative Particle A

The particle A (or ai in some contexts) is the Sindarin vocative/invocative particle — it signals direct address, especially in solemn or emotional contexts. It is a poetic marker; everyday direct address in Sindarin may simply use the person's name without A, but the particle raises the register to formal/reverent/lyrical.

Composing Your Own Linnod: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Find Your Core Antithesis or Parallel

The linnod lives or dies by the relationship between its two hemistichs. Before you write a single Sindarin word, decide:

Are the two hemistichs antithetical (one affirms, one denies or contrasts)?
Are they parallel (same idea, two angles)?
Are they progressive (second deepens or resolves the first)?

Antithesis tends to produce the most powerful linnyd. Gilraen's is antithetical: gave / did not keep.

Write the emotional core in English first: "I [verb] [thing] [to/for X]; I [contrasting verb] [related thing] [to/for Y]"

Step 2: Draft in English, Then Translate

English draft: "I sang your name in darkness; you heard nothing"

Sindarin rough draft: Glirinen eneth lín i dûr; law hennin sîn — count syllables: Glirnin (3) e-neth (2) lîn (1) i-dûr (2) = 8 — too many. Need 7. Revise.

Step 3: Count Syllables Ruthlessly

Every syllable counts. Diphthongs (ae, ai, oe, ui, au, ia, io, etc.) count as one syllable, not two. Long vowels (â, ê, î, ô, û) count as one syllable.

Consonant clusters at syllable boundaries: aglar = ag-lar = 2 syllables. ennorath = en-nor-ath = 3 syllables. When in doubt, each vowel nucleus = one syllable.

Adjustments to reach 7:

Too many syllables: Drop the article i if meaning is clear; use pronouns instead of full nouns; use a shorter synonym; use elision (a + vowel → one syllable)
Too few syllables: Add the article i or in; use a longer form of a word; add an adverb (anann "long," lim "swiftly")

Step 4: Apply All Mutations

This is where many Neo-Sindarin composers make errors. Work through the completed verse and check:

Article i before noun: → soft mutation on the noun
Direct object of verb: → soft mutation
After preposition o, na, nu: → soft mutation
After plural article in: → nasal mutation
Genitive en + noun: → soft mutation
Compound adjective + noun: → second element may be in construct form

Step 5: Check Verb Forms

For each verb:

Is it the right tense? (Past for completed action; aorist for habitual/general; continuative for ongoing)
Is the person suffix correct?
Is the stem the right class?

Step 6: Read Aloud

Compose by ear as much as by grammar rule. A grammatically correct Sindarin verse that sounds harsh or clumsy has missed something. Read the verse aloud several times. If it doesn't sound like Elvish poetry to you — with its liquid consonants, its diphthongs, its combination of softness and precision — revise.

Worked Example: Composing a Linnod

Theme: I watched the stars but could not reach them.

English antithesis: "I gazed toward the stars; I could not grasp them"

Hemistich 1 draft: "I gazed toward the stars"

tiron i elenath → ti-ron (2) + i (1) + e-le-nath (3) = 6 syllables. Need 7.
Add adverb palan (afar): palan-tiron i elenath → pa-lan (2) + ti-ron (2) + i (1) + e-le-nath (3) = 8. Too many.
Try: tiron anin elenath → ti-ron (2) + a-nin (2) + e-le-nath (3) = 7. ✓
anin = "toward the" (an + in → anin); anin + elenath → nasal mutation: e- initial, vowel, so no consonant mutation
H1: Tiron anin elenath ✓ (7 syllables)
tiron = I gaze, I watch (aorist 1sg of tir-: tir- + -on → tiron). ᴺS.

Hemistich 2 draft: "I could not grasp them"

"cannot grasp" — cen- means "see"; we need "grasp/reach." Use cab- (leap, reach?) — not quite. Gar- means "hold, have" — "I could not have/hold them." ú-garon hain → ú-ga-ron (3) + hain (1) = 4. Too short.
Expand: ú-garon hain anim → ú-ga-ron (3) + hain (1) + a-nim (2) = 6. One short.
a ú-garon hain anim → a (1) + ú-ga-ron (3) + hain (1) + a-nim (2) = 7. ✓
a = "and/but" (coordinating conjunction); ú-garon = I cannot hold/grasp (ú- + garon, 1sg aorist of gar- with soft mutation: g → stays g — wait, ú- triggers soft mutation: gar- initial g → soft mutation of g is deletion: ú- + gar- → ú-'aron? This is debated. Safer: use ú-gar for negated gar- without the extra layer: check the ú- mutation rules carefully)
Alternative verb: use men- (go/reach) in the sense "go to": ú-menin anin elenath — "I do not go to the stars" — more literal but less poetic
Final version attempt: Tiron anin elenath, a ú-'aron hain anim

Mutation check:

tiron: 1sg aorist verb — no mutation needed on verb itself ✓
anin elenath: an (for/toward) + in (plural article) = anin; elenath begins with vowel, so no consonant mutation applies ✓
ú-'aron: ú- + gar-: if ú- triggers soft mutation of g → deletion → ú-'aron. The apostrophe marks the deleted g. ᴺS. construction; mark clearly.
hain: 3pl object pronoun (them), no mutation context ✓
anim: an + im — set phrase, no additional mutation ✓

Syllable recheck:

H1: Ti-ron-a-nin-e-le-nath = 7 ✓
H2: a-ú-a-ron-hain-a-nim = 7 ✓ (treating ú- as one syllable even with elided g)

Final linnod (ᴺS.):

Tiron anin elenath, a ú-'aron hain anim.

"I gaze toward the stars, but I cannot grasp them for myself."

Label: ᴺS. — tiron is reconstructed (1sg aorist of tir-), ú-'aron is a reconstructed negated form, hain is attested, anim is attested.

Sam's Cry in Cirith Ungol

Version 2 of the A Elbereth hymn, as Sam sings it in desperation in the Tower of Cirith Ungol, diverges from Version 1:

Sindarin text:

A Elbereth Gilthoniel
o menel palan-diriel,
le nallon sí di-nguruthos!
A tiro nin, Fanuilos!

Translation: "O Elbereth Star-kindler, from heaven gazing far, to thee I cry now under death-shadow! O look toward me, Fanuilos!"

New Vocabulary and Grammar

Line 2: o menel palan-diriel

palan-diriel: note the difference from Version 1's Na-chaered palan-díriel. Here there is no Na- prefix — the line is simpler: "from heaven gazing-afar." Same compound but with different syntactic context.

Line 3: le nallon sí di-nguruthos

le: "to thee" (reverential pronoun, dative)
nallon: 1sg aorist of nalla- (to cry out, lament). Nalla- + -on → nallon. ᴺS. but strongly supported.
sí: "now, here" (temporal/locative adverb)
di-: preposition "under, beneath" (triggers soft mutation on following noun)
nguruthos: nasal mutation of guruthos. Guruthos = "death-dread, the shadow/horror of death." From guruth (death; root ÑGUR-) + -os (abstract/augmentive nominal suffix). Under nasal mutation from a preceding element: g → ng (voiced velar → prenasalized). But what triggers nasal mutation here? The preposition di- triggers soft mutation, not nasal mutation. So the ng- spelling is either: (a) a retained initial cluster from the original nasal root *ŋg-, or (b) a different analysis.
Most scholars analyze nguruthos as simply retaining the original initial ng- from PE *ÑGUR- (the nasal velar root), not as a mutation — this is the initial consonant of the word itself, not a mutation result
Full line: "To thee I cry now under [the] shadow of death!"

Line 4: A tiro nin, Fanuilos

A: vocative particle again
tiro: imperative of tir- (to watch, to look toward). Tir- + -o → tiro!. "Look! Watch!" Imperative 2sg.
nin: 1sg object pronoun "me" (dative/accusative). "Look at/toward me."
Fanuilos: vocative of the name (same as Version 1 line 6)
Full line: "O look toward me, Fanuilos!" — Sam's desperate personal plea, as opposed to the more general praise in Version 1

Comparing Versions 1 and 2

The emotional shift between the two versions is profound and deliberate:

Version 1 (Shire Elves singing)	Version 2 (Sam alone in darkness)
Celebratory, communal praise	Desperate, personal plea
"I will sing to thee" (linnathon)	"I cry to thee" (nallon)
From tree-tangled Middle-earth (landscape)	Under the shadow of death (peril)
"Ever-white, to thee I will sing"	"Look toward me" (direct personal request)
Future tense (linnathon = will sing)	Present tense (nallon = I cry now)

Sam unconsciously adapts the hymn he learned in Rivendell to his immediate situation. He does not change the structure or the address — Elbereth, Fanuilos — but he shifts from collective praise to individual supplication. This is one of Tolkien's most delicate moments: showing how liturgical/poetic language, deeply memorized, surfaces in extremity and is adapted to need.

Reading Sindarin Poetry Aloud

General Principles

Tolkien designed Sindarin for oral performance. Reading it silently misses half its art. For A Elbereth, the traditional chanting style:

Set a deliberate pace — do not rush. Long vowels should be noticeably longer than short vowels (approximately 2:1 ratio in duration).
Stress the penultimate heavy syllable — if a word has a long vowel, diphthong, or consonant cluster in the penultimate syllable, that syllable receives stress: Gilthoniel = gil-THO-ni-el (stress on tho because it's heavy). Elbereth = EL-be-reth (stress on el, the antepenultimate, because be- is light).
Diphthongs ae and oe: Begin on the a/o position (low-mid back), glide forward to e [ɛ]. Smooth glide, not two separate vowels.
th is always [θ] (as in English "thin"), never [ð] (as in "the") in Sindarin verse. Gilthoniel, elenath, ennorath — all voiceless [θ].
dh is always [ð] (as in English "the") — the voiced counterpart. Not common in this hymn but appears in other Sindarin texts.
The A vocative particle is not a full syllable in strict metrical terms — it functions as an anacrusis (an upbeat before the meter begins). Do not stress it heavily; let it float before Elbereth.

Pronunciation Guide for the Hymn

Word	IPA pronunciation
Elbereth	[ˈɛlbɛrɛθ]
Gilthoniel	[gɪlˈθonɪɛl]
silivren	[sɪˈlɪvrɛn]
penna	[ˈpɛnna]
míriel	[ˈmiːrɪɛl]
menel	[ˈmɛnɛl]
aglar	[ˈaglɑr]
elenath	[ˈɛlɛnaθ]
galadhremmin	[gɑˈlɑðrɛmmɪn]
ennorath	[ɛnˈnorɑθ]
Fanuilos	[fɑˈnuɪlos]
linnathon	[ˈlɪnnaθon]
nef	[nɛf]
aear	[ˈaɛar] — two syllables
aearon	[ˈaɛaron] — three syllables

Practice: Write Your Own Linnod

Choose one of the following themes and compose a linnod (14 syllables, 7+7, with caesura). Apply all mutations correctly. Label all ᴺS. forms.

Farewell: "I leave this land; I will not return" — use ego (go, get out), nef (this side of), edrad (passing through), law (no), toltho (will come back?)
Memory: "I remember the starlight; the night does not fear me" — use eglerio (glorify/remember in the sense of keeping memory alive), elenath, dûr (dark), ú- (negation)
Determination: "The shadow grows; but I am not broken" — use gwath (shadow), goeol (fearful), na- (to be), ú- + brenia- (endure)
Free choice: Express any emotion in a linnod. Aim for the antithetical structure that makes Gilraen's verse so powerful.

After composing, share with the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord community for feedback from other learners and experts.

This supplement draws on Tolkien's own texts (LotR Book I Ch. 3, Book VI Ch. 1, Appendix A), Tolkien's linguistic essays in Vinyar Tengwar and Parma Eldalamberon, and the analytical work of Helge Fauskanger (ardalambion.com), Thorsten Strack (realelvish.net), and Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne (the editors of Vinyar Tengwar).