J. R. R. Tolkien Quotations

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.

Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.

The original 'Hobbit' was never intended to have a sequel - Bilbo 'remained very happy to the end of his days and those were extraordinarily long': a sentence I find an almost insuperable obstacle to a satisfactory link.

I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

I should like to save the Shire, if I could - though there have been times when I thought the inhabitants too stupid and dull for words, and have felt that an earthquake or an invasion of dragons might be good for them. But I don't feel like that now. I feel that as long as the Shire lies behind, safe and comfortable, I shall find wandering more bearable: I shall know that somewhere there is a firm foothold, even if my feet cannot stand there again.

The proper study of Man is anything but Man; and the most improper job of any man, even saints (who at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity.

I dislike Allegory - the conscious and intentional allegory - yet any attempt to explain the purport of myth or fairytale must use allegorical language.

A pen is to me as a beak is to a hen.

Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.

It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.

You have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have.

Don't go getting mixed up in the business of your betters, or you'll land in trouble too big for you.

The wide world is all about you; you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out.

Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more numerous formerly than they are today; for they love peace and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well-farmed countryside was their favourite haunt.

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.

Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.

If you really want to know what Middle-earth is based on, it's my wonder and delight in the earth as it is, particularly the natural earth.

Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.

It may be the part of a friend to rebuke a friend's folly.

In October 1920 I went to Leeds as Reader in English Language, with a free commission to develop the linguistic side of a large and growing School of English Studies, in which no regular provision had as yet been made for the linguistic specialist.

Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.

It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.

'I wish life was not so short,' he thought. 'Languages take such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about.'

It is plain indeed that in spite of later estrangement Hobbits are relatives of ours: far nearer to us than Elves, or even than Dwarves. Of old they spoke the languages of Men, after their own fashion, and liked and disliked much the same things as Men did. But what exactly our relationship is can no longer be discovered.

They say it is the first step that costs the effort. I do not find it so. I am sure I could write unlimited 'first chapters'. I have indeed written many.

A safe fairyland is untrue to all worlds.

Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes.

A friend of mine tells that I talk in shorthand and then smudge it.

I never liked Hans Christian Andersen because I knew he was always getting at me.

Middle English is an exciting field - almost uncharted, I begin to think, because as soon as one turns detailed personal attention on to any little corner of it, the received notions and ideas seem to crumple up and fall to pieces - as far as language goes, at any rate.

Myth and fairy-story must, as all art, reflect and contain in solution elements of moral and religious truth (or error), but not explicit, not in the known form of the primary 'real' world.

A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid.

N-nothing important. That is, I heard a good deal about a ring, and a dark lord, and something about the end of the world, but please, Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't hurt me. Don't turn me into anything... unnatural.

Onen i-Estel Edain, ú-chebin estel anim.'I gave Hope to the Dúnedain, I have kept no hope for myself.'

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find themOne Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the darkness fall.

She should not die, so young and beautiful. At least, she should not die alone.

I am told that I talk in shorthand and then smudge it.

For she is a fair maiden, fairest lady of a house of queens. And yet I know not how I should speak of her. When I first looked on her and perceived her unhappiness, it seemed to me that I saw a white flower standing straight and proud, shapely as a lily, and yet knew that it was hard, as if wrought by elf-wrights out of steel. Or was it, maybe, a frost that had turned its sap to ice, and so it stood, bitter-sweet, still fair to see, but stricken, soon to fall and die?

From the Gate of Kings the North Wind rides, and past the roaring falls;And clear and cold about the tower its loud horn calls.'What news from the North, O mighty wind, do you bring to me today?What news of Boromir the Bold? For he is long away.''Beneath Amon Hen I heard his cry. There many foes he fought.His cloven shield, his broken sword, they to the water brought.His head so proud, his face so fair, his limbs they laid to rest;And Rauros, golden Rauros-falls, bore him upon its breast.''O Boromir! The Tower of Gaurd shall ever northward gazeTo Rauros, golden Rauros-falls, until the end of days.'

But they were, all of them, deceived, for another Ring was made. In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master Ring, to control all others. And into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. ""One Ring to rule them all."" One by one, the Free Lands of Middle Earth fell to the power of the Ring. But there were some who resisted. A Last Alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor and on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle Earth. Victory was near. But the power of the Ring could not be undone.

But when I say ""free"", I mean ""free"": free from bond, of chain or command:to go where you will, even, even to Mordor Saruman, if you desire.

But thats not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have just landed in them, usually - their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didnt. And if they had, we shouldnt know, because theyd have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on - and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end

He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom.

He wondered what the mans name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil at heart, or what lies or threats had lead him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really have rather stayed there in peace

God is the God of men...and of elves.

Go not to the elves for counsel, for they will say both yes and no.

He should not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.

What do you fear my lady?' 'A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond beyond recall or desire.

What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good on this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?

Surely you do not disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself? You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine per

Last of all Hurin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed; and it is sung that the axe smoked in the black blood of the troll-guard of Gothmog until it withered, and each time that he slew Hurin cried 'Aure entuluva!

Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.

I wish life was not so short, he thought. languages take such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about.

It is a dangerous business going out your front door.

Tolkien offers sympathy, surrender, friendship and, most of all, forgiveness.

The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.

There at last when the mallorn leaves were falling, but spring had not yet come, she laid herself to rest upon Cerin Amroth; and there is her green grave, until the world is changed, and all the days of her life are utterly forgotten by men that come after, and elanor and niphredil bloom no more east of the Sea.

Don't you know my name yet? That's the only answer. Tell me, who are you alone, yourself and nameless? But you are young and I am old. Eldest, that's what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.

We are a plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures.

! Elbereth Gilthoniel!silivren penna mírielo menel aglar elenath!We still remember, we who dwellIn this far land beneath the trees,Thy starlight on the Western Seas.

A star shone at the hour of our meeting.

The wise speak only of what they know, Grima son of Galmod. A witless worm have you become. Therefore be silent, and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a serving-man till th

The Road goes ever on and onOut from the door where it began.Now far ahead the Road has gone,Let others follow it who can!Let them a journey new begin,But I at last with weary feetWill turn towards the lighted inn,My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

Strider"" I am to one fat man who lives within a day's march of foes that would freeze his heart, or lay his little town in ruin, if he were not guarded ceaselessly. Yet we would not have it otherwise. If simple folk are free from care and fear, simple they will be, and we must be secret to keep them so.

The one had leaves of dark green that beneath were as shining silver, and from each of his countless flowers a dew of silver light was ever falling, and the earth beneath was dappled with the shadows of his fluttering leaves.

Cold be hand and heart and bone,and cold be sleep under stone:never more to wake on stony bed,never, till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead.In the black wind the stars shall die,and still on gold here let them lie,till the dark lord lifts his handover dead sea and withered land.

Ai! laurie lantar lassi s?rineninyalem?ne r?mar aldaroninyali ettulielle turme m?rienanduniesse la m?ruv?rionVarda tel?men falmar k?rienlaurealassion ?mar mailinon.

All your words are but to say you are a woman, and your part is in the house. But when the men have died in battle and honour, you have leave to be burned in the house, for the men will need it no more. But I am of the house of Erol and not a serving woman. I can ride and weild blade, and I do not fear either pain or death.

Fealty with love, Valor with honor, oathbreaking with vengeance.

There is only one Lord of the Ring, only one who can bend it to his will. And he does not share power.

A fool, but an honest fool, you remain, Peregrin Took. Wiser ones migth have done worse in such a pass. But mark this! You have been saved, and all your friends too, mainly by good fortune, as it is called.

In life there can be no victor, for death comes to all and smites them.

I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a serving-man till the lightning falls.

So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their ending.

Sleep! I feel the need of it. Yet my axe is restless in my hand. Give me a row of orc-necks and room to swing and all weariness will fall from me!

That is Shadowfax. He is cheif of the Maeras, lords of all horses, and not even Theoden, King of Rohan, has ever looked on a better. Does he not shine like silver, and run as smoothly as a swift stream?

Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends. I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it. And he is bound up with the fate of the Ring. My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many - yours not least.

Then let us start as soon as it is light tomorrow, if we can. The wolf that one hears is worse than the orc that one fears.

Then suddenly out of the gloom came a sharp hiss. 'What has it got in its pocketses?'

It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: someone has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them.

It needs more to make a king than a piece of elvish glass, or a rabble such as this.

It's wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope.

His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking, best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.

Be he foe or friend, be he foul or clean, Brood of Morgoth, or Bright Vala, Elda or Maia or Aftercomer, Man yet unborn upon Middle-earth, Neither law, nor love, nor league of swords, dread, nor danger, not doom Itself shall defend him from Feanor and Feanor's kin whoso hideth or hordeth, or in hand taketh, finding keepeth, or afar casteth a Silmaril. This swear we all: Death we will deal him ere day's ending. Woe unto the world's end! Our words hesar thou, Eru Allfather! To the everlasting Darkness doom us if our deed faileth. On the holy mountian hear in witness and our vow remember Manwe and Varda!

The world is full enough of hurts and mischance without wars to multiply them.

Aragorn: Hold your ground, hold your ground. Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day. This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you *stand, Men of the West!*

Advice is a dangerous gift, even to the wise from the wise, and all courses may run ill.

Then another clear voice, as young and as ancient as Spring, like the song of a glad water flowing down into the night from a bright morning in the hills, came falling like silver to meet them.

All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost.

It's the job that's never started takes longest to finish.

It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish.

It is the job that is never started that takes longest to finish.

It's like things are in the world. Hopes fail. An end comes. We have only a little time to wait now.

I do not love the bright sword for it's sharpness, nor the arrow for it's swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend

When he heard there was nothing to eat, he sat down and wept… “Why did I ever wake up!” he cried.

I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to

I do not believe this darkness will endure.

Frodo: Go back, Sam! I’m going to Mordor alone. Sam: Of course you are, and I’m coming with you!