Translated into Quenya by Chaered in 2026.
The emperor's new suit, by Hans Christian Andersen. Translation ongoing. Not reviewed yet.
Danish text via LINK, title "Keiserens nye Klæder". The Quenya translation mostly closely follows the English version, but sometimes also the Danish original.
Words missing: in his cabinet, unpardonably, courtier, including, statesman, attendant, advise, appoint, scissors, master of ceremonies, chamberlain, train (clothing), incomparable, Good heavens!, still greater.
Also available as a 📱narrow screen version, or for 🁰word-aligned analysis.
Alternative versions: Danish.
| No. | Quenya | Tengwar | Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I Tararanwa Vinya Ohampë | | The Emperor's New Suit |
| 2 | |||
| 3 | Andanéya engë tararan, ye sannë tandë pá vinya hampi i auquaptanes quanna malta ñetiën tai; reä mínastarya nánë vóreä návë mai-vaina. | | Many, many years ago lived an emperor, who thought so much of new clothes that he spent all his money in order to obtain them; his only ambition was to be always well dressed. |
| 4 | Únes riþë ohtalliërya, ar tirmen únes lalta se; i erinqua natto, nanwavë, os ya sannes aima, nánë etemenë ar apanta vinya ohampë. | | He did not care for his soldiers, and the theatre did not amuse him; the only thing, in fact, he thought anything of was to drive out and show a new suit of clothes. |
| 5 | Aunes vacco ilya réo lúmen; ar ve nai mo quetë pá aran “Nás ?? ?? ??,” hapallë ecë mo quetë pá sé, “I tararan ná ??-þamberyassë.” | | He had a coat for every hour of the day; and as one would say of a king "He is in his cabinet," so one could say of him, "The emperor is in his dressing-room." |
| 6 | |||
| 7 | I túra osto yassë marnes nánë anneþya; ilaurë linë aianor ilyë ambaro yondillon ananyer, | | The great city where he resided was very gay; every day many strangers from all parts of the globe arrived. |
| 8 | Umaurë cuptamo atta tullë sina ostonna; carnettë lië savë i nattë lanahtu, ar eccannettë i polittë yavë i arifinda lannë ya ecë novë. | | One day two swindlers came to this city; they made people believe that they were weavers, and declared they could manufacture the finest cloth to be imagined. |
| 9 | Quilentar ar cantiëltar, equet, ú rië nár anvanimë, mal i hampi carina lannettanen samir i elmendeä cumë i naltë alacénima ilquenen ye lá camaitë arestaryan hya ?? auca. | | Their colours and patterns, they said, were not only exceptionally beautiful, but the clothes made of their material possessed the wonderful quality of being invisible to any man who was unfit for his office or unpardonably stupid. |
| 10 | |||
| 11 | “É nás elmendeä lannë,” sannë i tararan. | | "That must be wonderful cloth," thought the emperor. |
| 12 | “Qui coluvanyë ohampë sina lanneo, ecuva nin tuvë manë lië altarniënyassë lár camaiti tarmentan, ar hetya i finyar ar i aucar. Mauranyë i lanyar sina lannë inyen ú-pusto.” | | "If I were to be dressed in a suit made of this cloth I should be able to find out which men in my empire were unfit for their places, and I could distinguish the clever from the stupid. I must have this cloth woven for me without delay." |
| 13 | Ar ánes höa notasta tyelpeo i cuptamonta, nollo, i cé yestúvanettë móta ú roviéno lúmë. | | And he gave a large sum of money to the swindlers, in advance, that they should set to work without any loss of time. |
| 14 | Pannettë lanwa atta, ar nentanettë móta ricútë, mal carnettë aqua alla i lanwatsë. | | They set up two looms, and pretended to be very hard at work, but they did nothing whatever on the looms. |
| 15 | Iquiryanettë arifinda samin ar i ammirwa maltaina lannë; haitanettë ar hempettë ilqua intun, ar mótanettë i cumna lanwassë tenna telwa lómë. | | They asked for the finest silk and the most precious gold-cloth; all they got they did away with, and worked at the empty looms till late at night. |
| 16 | |||
| 17 | “Lai merin ista mallë cárattë empatyellë pá i lannë,” sannë i tararan. | | "I should very much like to know how they are getting on with the cloth," thought the emperor. |
| 18 | Mal felles faren penë aþië yá rennes i mo ye lá camaitë arestaruan únë polë cenë sa. | | But he felt rather uneasy when he remembered that he who was not fit for his office could not see it. |
| 19 | Véravë, sannes i uis mauranë þorya aima], mal sannes i ná saila i mentassë hyana minya na cenë yaitë i natto. | | Personally, he was of opinion that he had nothing to fear, yet he thought it advisable to send somebody else first to see how matters stood. |
| 20 | Ilquen i ostossë sintë mana elmendeä valandë i lannë sámë, ar illi náner sérencë ceniën mallë ulcë hya aucë armarontar náner. | | Everybody in the town knew what a remarkable quality the stuff possessed, and all were anxious to see how bad or stupid their neighbours were. |
| 21 | |||
| 22 | “Leltuvanyë óripanta enwina arandurinya i lanahtunna,” sannë i tararan. | | "I shall send my honest old minister to the weavers," thought the emperor. |
| 23 | “Ecuva sen alyavë namë mallë nemë i nat, pan nás handa, ar alquen hanya arestarya han issë. | | "He can judge best how the stuff looks, for he is intelligent, and nobody understands his office better than he." |
| 24 | |||
| 25 | I márë enwina arandur mittanë i þambë yassë i cuptamot handë pó i cumnë lanwar. | | The good old minister went into the room where the swindlers sat before the empty looms. |
| 26 | “Eru meneldë!” sannes, ar apantanë hendurya panta, “Uinyë polë cenë aiqua,” mal únes quetë sa. | | "Heaven preserve us!" he thought, and opened his eyes wide, "I cannot see anything at all," but he did not say so. |
| 27 | Yúyo cuptamot iquiryanë sen tulë arë, ar máquentë sen ma elemmes i finda cantië ar i vanimë quili, lan leptentanettë i cumnë lanwar. | | Both swindlers requested him to come near, and asked him if he did not admire the exquisite pattern and the beautiful colours, pointing to the empty looms. |
| 28 | I almelóra enwina arandur rincë ya polles, mal uis pollë cenë aima, pan pennë aima ceniën. | | The poor old minister tried his very best, but he could see nothing, for there was nothing to be seen. |
| 29 | “A horro,” sannes, “ma nai nanyë tallë auca? Allumë sániévanen san, ar möa i alquen ista sa! Ma ecë i uinyë camë arestanya? Vá, vá, ui ecë nin quetë i uinyë pollë cenë i lannë.” | | "Oh dear," he thought, "can I be so stupid? I should never have thought so, and nobody must know it! Is it possible that I am not fit for my office? No, no, I cannot say that I was unable to see the cloth." |
| 30 | |||
| 31 | “Sí, ma uilyë merë quetë aima?” equë sitwa cuptamo, lan nentas lanya caraitë. | | "Now, have you got nothing to say?" said one of the swindlers, while he pretended to be busily weaving. |
| 32 | |||
| 33 | “A, nás ammaireä, mimírë,” máquentë i enwina arandur lan tirnes ter hencalcaryat. | | "Oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful," replied the old minister looking through his glasses. |
| 34 | “Yé vanima cantië, yé alcarinquë quili! Quetuvanyë i tararan i laca tyásanyë i lannë.” | | "What a beautiful pattern, what brilliant colours! I shall tell the emperor that I like the cloth very much." |
| 35 | |||
| 36 | “Hlarië ta fasta met,” equë i lanahtu, ar ostencettë sen i quili ar rastanettë i minima cantië. | | "We are pleased to hear that," said the two weavers, and described to him the colours and explained the curious pattern. |
| 37 | I enwina arandur lastanë ciminquavë, i cé ecúvanë sen nyarë i tararanen ya quentettë; ar tallë carnes. | | The old minister listened attentively, that he might relate to the emperor what they said; and so he did. |
| 38 | |||
| 39 | Sí i cuptamot iquiryanë amba telpë, samin ar mailtainai lannë, i mauranettë laniën. | | Now the swindlers asked for more money, silk and gold-cloth, which they required for weaving. |
| 40 | Hempettë ilqua intun, ar ú erinqua lanya tullë areä i lanwanna, mal tainanettë, ve tenta, mótailat i cumna lanwatsë. | | They kept everything for themselves, and not a thread came near the loom, but they continued, as hitherto, to work at the empty looms. |
| 41 | |||
| 42 | Rongo cato, i tararan tulyanë enta hóripanta ?? i lanahtunna na cenë mallë cárattë empatyellë, ar ma i lannë nánë amna ritina. | | Soon afterwards the emperor sent another honest courtier to the weavers to see how they were getting on, and if the cloth was nearly finished. |
| 43 | Ve i enwina arandur, tirnes an tirnes mal uis pollë cenë aima, pan pennë aima ceniën. | | Like the old minister, he looked and looked but could see nothing, as there was nothing to be seen. |
| 44 | |||
| 45 | “Ma nemilyes vanima lapil lanneo?” máquentë i cuptamot, lan tannettë ar rastanettë i mimírima cantië, ya, aimanen, ui engë. | | "Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?" asked the two swindlers, showing and explaining the magnificent pattern, which, however, did not exist. |
| 46 | |||
| 47 | “Lanyë auca,” equë i nér. | | "I am not stupid," said the man. |
| 48 | “Epetai mára arestanya ná, ya uinyë cama? | | "It is therefore my good appointment for which I am not fit. |
| 49 | Nás anhyanya, mal möa nin ui lavë aimon ista sa;” ar laines i lannë, ya únes cenë, ar eccannes alasserya pá i vanimë quili ar i finda cantië. | | It is very strange, but I must not let any one know it;" and he praised the cloth, which he did not see, and expressed his joy at the beautiful colours and the fine pattern. |
| 50 | “Nás ammaira,” eques i tararánen. | | "It is very excellent," he said to the emperor. |
| 51 | |||
| 52 | Ilquen quanna ostossë lanquentë pá i mírima lannë. | | Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious cloth. |
| 53 | Teldavë i tararan merin insë cenë sa, lan en nánes lanwassë. | | At last the emperor wished to see it himself, while it was still on the loom. |
| 54 | Ó ????, ?? i attië i nollo naiénë sassë, mennes finca cuptamonta, i sí mótanë tá ricítë ve pollettë, mal ú yuhtiéno ipsin. | | With a number of courtiers, including the two who had already been there, he went to the two clever swindlers, who now worked as hard as they could, but without using any thread. |
| 55 | |||
| 56 | “Ma nás maireä?” equë i enwina ?? atta i ecéniénë sassë fai. | | "Is it not magnificent?" said the two old statesmen who had been there before. |
| 57 | “?? ?? ?? ?? i quili ar i cantië.” | | "Your Majesty must admire the colours and the pattern." |
| 58 | Ar tá leptentanettë i cumnë lanwar, pan nóvettë í hyanar poller cenë i lannë. | | And then they pointed to the empty looms, for they imagined the others could see the cloth. |
| 59 | |||
| 60 | “Mana si?” sannë i tararan, “Inyë aqua ui cenë aima. Ta ná rúcima! Ma nanyë auca? Ma uinyë cama ná tararan? Ta cé nauva i arinaira natto ya ecë tulluë nin.” | | "What is this?" thought the emperor, "I do not see anything at all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be emperor? That would indeed be the most dreadful thing that could happen to me." |
| 61 | |||
| 62 | “Naitië,” eques, lan quernes i lanahtunna, “mainaminyë lannetta rainavë;”, quassë carya illaina, ar tirnes i cumna lanwa, pan munnes quetë i cenis alla. | | "Really," he said, turning to the weavers, "your cloth has our most gracious approval;" and nodding contentedly he looked at the empty loom, for he did not like to say that he saw nothing. |
| 63 | Ilyë ????, i náner ósë, tirner an tirner, ar anahtai uiltë pollë cenë ?? ?? ?? i ??, quenteltë, ve i tararan, “Nás ?? ??.” | | All his attendants, who were with him, looked and looked, and although they could not see anything more than the others, they said, like the emperor, "It is very beautiful." |
| 64 | Ar illi ?? ?? ?? colë i vinya ?? hampi velca combantassë ya ron tulluvanë. | | And all advised him to wear the new magnificent clothes at a great procession which was soon to take place. |
| 65 | “Nás maireä, vanima, elmendeä,” ?? ?? ?? ??; ilquen nemnë avalda, ar i tararan ?? i cuptamo atta ve “Altarnië Aralliéno Lanahtu.” | | "It is magnificent, beautiful, excellent," one heard them say; everybody seemed to be delighted, and the emperor appointed the two swindlers "Imperial Court weavers." |
| 66 | |||
| 67 | Quanna lómë nó i ré yá i combanta tullúnë, i cuptamot nentanë móta, ar urtanë olla lícumar enenquë. | | The whole night previous to the day on which the procession was to take place, the swindlers pretended to work, and burned more than sixteen candles. |
| 68 | Möa io lië cenë i móteánettë ritiën i tararanwa vinya ohampë. | | People should see that they were busy to finish the emperor's new suit. |
| 69 | Nentanettë ?? ?? i lannë ?? i lanwa, ar ?? ?? ?? i ?? ?? ????, ar þermettë nelmainen pen lanya, ar quentettë teldavë: “I tararanwa vinya ohampë sí ná ferya.” | | They pretended to take the cloth from the loom, and worked about in the air with big scissors, and sewed with needles without thread, and said at last: "The emperor's new suit is ready now." |
| 70 | |||
| 71 | I tararan, ó ilyë arquenyar, insë tullë tanna; i cuptamot rassë rancutta ama vequi hempettë ma máttatsë ar quentë: “Ela i telcohan!” “Sissë eä i vacco!” ar “Si ná i collo!” ar tallë ener. | | The emperor and all his barons then came to the hall; the swindlers held their arms up as if they held something in their hands and said: "These are the trousers!" "This is the coat!" and "Here is the cloak!" and so on. |
| 72 | “Ilya ná ta alalunga ve filet, ar mo é appa vequi colë alla hröassë; mal sa ela ná elmalta” | | "They are all as light as a cobweb, and one must feel as if one had nothing at all upon the body; but that is just the beauty of them." |
| 73 | |||
| 74 | “É!” equë ilyë arqueni; mal uiltë pollë cenë ma, pan ui engë ma ceniën. | | "Indeed!" said all the courtiers; but they could not see anything, for there was nothing to be seen. |
| 75 | |||
| 76 | “Mecinquë i tararaniqua meletya þimya ilqua,” equë i cuptamot, “itai ecë ment aþya meletya vaimatiën i vinya ohampë opo i alta angal?” | | "Does it please your Majesty now to graciously undress," said the swindlers, "that we may assist your Majesty in putting on the new suit before the large looking-glass?" |
| 77 | |||
| 78 | I tararan þimyanë, ar i cuptamot nentanë sesta i vinya ohampë senna, satta min an enta; ar i tararan quernë ar tirnë insë aimen i angalassë. | | The emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put the new suit upon him, one piece after another; and the emperor looked at himself in the glass from every side. |
| 79 | |||
| 80 | “Yé mai léleäntë! Yé mai cámaltë!” equë ilyar. | | "How well they look! How well they fit!" said all. |
| 81 | “Yé vanima cantië! Yé findë quili! Ta ná maireä ohampë!” | | "What a beautiful pattern! What fine colours! That is a magnificent suit of clothes!" |
| 82 | |||
| 83 | I ?? ?? i ?? sinwatanë í colindor i telumetto, ya colúvaner i combantassë, nár feryë. | | The master of the ceremonies announced that the bearers of the canopy, which was to be carried in the procession, were ready. |
| 84 | |||
| 85 | “Nanyë ferya,” equë i tararan. | | "I am ready," said the emperor. |
| 86 | “Ma é ohampenya canta nin elmendeävë?” | | "Does not my suit fit me marvellously?" |
| 87 | Tá quernes enta i angalanna, itai lië sanúvaner sana i elmeäs hampiryar. | | Then he turned once more to the looking-glass, that people should think he admired his garments. |
| 88 | |||
| 89 | I ??, yain möa colë i ??, rahtaner mántat hunenna vaqui ortaneltë ??, ar nentaner hepë ma mántatsë; ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? i ?? ?? ?? ?? ??. | | The chamberlains, who were to carry the train, stretched their hands to the ground as if they lifted up a train, and pretended to hold something in their hands; they did not like people to know that they could not see anything. |
| 90 | |||
| 91 | I tararan patanë i combantassë nu i vanima telumet, ar ilquen ye cennë se i mallessë ar ter i lattini holtunë: “Ela, i tararanwa vinya ohampë ná ??! Yé anda ?? samassë! Yé mai cameltes!” | | The emperor marched in the procession under the beautiful canopy, and all who saw him in the street and out of the windows exclaimed: "Indeed, the emperor's new suit is incomparable! What a long train he has! How well it fits him!" |
| 92 | Alquen mernë hyanain ista i cennes alla, pan sá uis canantë arestarya hya nánes acca auca. | | Nobody wished to let others know he saw nothing, for then he would have been unfit for his office or too stupid. |
| 93 | Allë tararanwë hampi yáviéner tandë elmië. | | Never emperor's clothes were more admired. |
| 94 | |||
| 95 | “Mal colles aqua alla,” equë níca hína teldavë. | | "But he has nothing on at all," said a little child at last. |
| 96 | “?? ??! á lasta i óma cámalóra híno,” equë i atar, ar mo hlussanë hyanan ya i hína equétië. | | "Good heavens! listen to the voice of an innocent child," said the father, and one whispered to the other what the child had said. |
| 97 | “Mal colles aqua alla,” holtuner teldavë quannë lië. | | "But he has nothing on at all," cried at last the whole people. |
| 98 | Ta hlincë mina i tararanwa indo, pan nemnë sen i náneltë térë; mal sannes insen, “Sí möa ni tavë tenna tel.” | | That made a deep impression upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but he thought to himself, "Now I must bear up to the end." |
| 99 | Ar i ?? pataner ?? ?? orhaldiénen, vequi collentë i ?? ya únë eä. | | And the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity, as if they carried the train which did not exist. |
Using "cuptamo" for swindler, is a stretch.
Using "arquen" for baron and courtier; no exact Quenya match, Danish original has "cavaler" for both, which could be "roquen".
—generated by quettali version 0.34.28