Arwen's Elvish Quotes: Every Line Translated

Arwen Undómiel speaks less than you might expect in The Lord of the Rings — but every Elvish line she speaks carries enormous weight. She is the daughter of Elrond, granddaughter of Galadriel, and bearer of the grace of Lúthien. When she speaks Elvish, the words are precisely chosen.

Here is every line, translated word for word.

---

Scene 1: The Road to Rivendell

The Fellowship of the Ring (film). Arwen finds Frodo dying from the Morgul blade wound. She takes him on her horse and races for Rivendell.

"Frodo, im Arwen. Telin le thaed."

Frodo, im Arwen. Telin le thaed.

Word by word:

• im — I, myself
• Arwen — her name
• telin — I have come (perfect tense of tol-, to come)
• le — to you / you (indirect object)
• thaed — help, aid, assistance

Translation: "Frodo, I am Arwen. I have come to help you."

Grammar note: Sindarin places the verb before the subject in many constructions. Telin le thaed — literally "have-come I-to-you help" — follows Sindarin word order. Thaed functions as the purpose/object: "come to [give] help."

---

"Lasto beth nîn, tolo dan na ngalad."

Lasto beth nîn, tolo dan na ngalad.

Word by word:

• lasto — hear (imperative of last-)
• beth — word, voice, speech
• nîn — my, mine
• tolo — come (imperative of tol-)
• dan — back, against, returning
• na — to, toward
• ngalad — light (lenited form of calad)

Translation: "Hear my voice, come back to the light."

Grammar note: Ngalad is the lenited form of calad (light). In Sindarin, after the preposition na, certain consonants undergo mutation. C becomes g (or ng at the start of a word). This is called nasal mutation — one of the most distinctive features of Sindarin grammar.

Why this line matters: Frodo is between life and death, the darkness of the Wraith-world pulling him in. Arwen's command — come back to the light — is both practical (follow my voice, stay conscious) and cosmic (choose the living world over the shadow).

---

Scene 2: Calling the River

After the Nazgûl follow Arwen and Frodo to the Ford of Bruinen:

"Nín o Chithaeglir..."

Nín o Chithaeglir, lasto beth daer;
Rimmo nín Bruinen dan in Ulaer!

Word by word:

• nín — waters (of)
• o Chithaeglir — of the Misty Mountains (Hithaeglir with initial mutation)
• lasto — listen (imperative)
• beth — word, speech
• daer — great
• rimmo — flow (imperative of rimma-)
• Bruinen — the river Loudwater (proper name)
• dan — against
• in — the (plural)
• Ulaer — Ringwraiths (Nazgûl)

Translation: "Waters of the Misty Mountains, listen to the great word; flow, waters of Loudwater, against the Ringwraiths!"

What happens: The river rises in white-horsed waves and sweeps the Nazgûl away. In Tolkien's book, it is Gandalf (with Elrond's aid) who raises the river. In the film, Arwen does it alone — a change that has been debated among fans, but linguistically, her Sindarin is authentic Salo-constructed dialogue.

---

Scene 3: Cerin Amroth (Extended Edition / Book)

At Cerin Amroth in Lothlórien, Arwen makes her choice:

"Ú-chebin estel anim."

Ú-chebin estel anim.

Word by word:

• ú- — prefix of negation
• chebin — I have kept (hebin with initial lenition after ú-)
• estel — hope, faith, trust
• anim — for myself (an + im: "for" + "myself")

Translation: "I have not kept hope for myself."

Why this is remarkable: The grammar does most of the emotional work. Estel is not ordinary hope — it is the deepest kind, the hope that has no rational basis (see our full guide to estel). Anim — "for myself" — tells us she has kept none in reserve. She has spent it entirely. On him. On their future together.

This is not despair. This is the complete gift of everything she has.

---

Scene 4: The Evenstar

Arwen gives Aragorn the Evenstar jewel and says:

"I give hope to Men, I keep none for myself."

In the books, this is rendered in English. In Sindarin, based on the vocabulary Tolkien gives us, it would be:

Anno estel ped Edain, ú-chebin anim.
"Give hope to Men, I keep none for myself."

This line brings together two of the most important words in Elvish — estel (hope) and Edain (Men, mortals). Arwen, an immortal Elf, gives the thing that defines mortal existence — hope against death — to mortal Men. And keeps nothing.

---

Scene 5: The Grey Havens (Book)

Arwen does not go to the Grey Havens. She stays in Middle-earth while the Elves sail West. Her final act is to send Frodo in her place — to give her passage on the last ship to a mortal who has borne too much.

Tolkien gives Arwen no Elvish dialogue in this scene. Her sacrifice is expressed in English, quietly, almost without ceremony.

Some things are too large for language.

---

Learn Arwen's Sindarin

Arwen's lines are among the best entry points into Sindarin — they are short, emotionally significant, and linguistically well-documented. The Elvish for Beginners course covers the grammar behind every construction she uses.

For all film dialogue in one place, with interactive word-by-word breakdown:

Study Elvish Movie Quotes →

Lasto beth nîn. Tolo dan na ngalad.