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The Lion and the Dry River

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Written by Rínor in 2026.

Notes

Original text, provided here under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (see LINK). Retrieved on 2026-08-28. Not reviewed yet.

Note: The author does not permit that this Quenya text be used to train AI.

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Alternative versions: Sindarin.

【1】 i-Rauro ar i-Parca Sír

   

► The Lion and the Dry River

【3】 Anda parcarë tullë i-taurenna.

    

► A long drought came to the forest.

Ui ulë ter rimi aurion, ar i-sírë olanë náha.

          

► It did not rain for many days, and the river became narrow.

Varnë salquë tumpë rávaryar, ar rimi aldaron lehtaner lassentar.

          

► Brown grass covered its banks, and many trees lost their leaves.

【4】 Er lóna lemenyë ara lúva sírissë.

      

► One deep pool remained near a bend in the river.

Rauro tentanë, “Sina lóna erna nin.” Séres ara sa ilya aurë ar rávë yá hyanë lamni analender.

                   

► A lion pointed out, “This pool belongs to me.” He rested beside it each day and roared when other animals approached.

【5】 “Sina nén erna nin,” quentes.

      

► “This water belongs to me,” he said.

“Á lóya sina nómë.”

    

► “Leave this place.”

【6】 i-Arassor, lopoldi, ar hrávë polcar cendaner taurello.

         

► The deer, rabbits, and wild pigs watched from the forest.

Tulleltë lónanna ter i-lómë, mal i-rauro lornë ara i-nén.

          

► They came to the pool during the night, but the lion slept beside the water.

Ú-veryaneltë lahta se.

   

► They did not dare to pass him.

【7】 Ilya aurë, i-lóna olanë lanura.

      

► Each day, the pool became shallow.

Loxo engunë os cimbaryar, ar i-nén olanë lauca nu Anar.

           

► Mud formed around its edges, and the water grew warm beneath the sun.

i-Rauro cennë sina, mal ú-lonyes.

      

► The lion saw this, but he did not leave.

【8】 Er amaurë, vinya arasso ranyanë ló i-sírë.

        

► One morning, a young deer wandered away from the river.

Mittanes náha nando ar hirnë mixa cemen nu ramba ondoron.

          

► He entered a narrow valley and found damp earth beneath a wall of stones.

Sestanes hlarya pá i-ondor ar hlassë nén levila cata se.

          

► He placed his ear against the stones and heard water moving behind them.

【9】 i-Arasso nahamnë hyanë lamni.

    

► The deer called the other animals.

Sampeltë pattalintainen ar nyanþeltë cemen nappantainen.

      

► They dug with their hooves and scratched the earth with their claws.

Rumneltë rimi nícë ondoron, mal höa ondo lemenyë opo i-nén.

           

► They moved many small stones, but a large stone remained before the water.

【10】 i-Arasso mennë i-rauronna.

   

► The deer went to the lion.

【11】 “Hirnemmë nén cata ramba ondoron.” quentes,

       

► “We found water behind a wall of stones,” she said,

“Pótolyar samir i-poldorë rumë telda ondo.”

      

► “Your paws have the strength to move the final stone.”

【12】 i-Rauro ortanë carya.

   

► The lion raised his head.

【13】 “Qui latyan i-nén, ernuvas nin?”

     

► “If I open the water, will it belong to me?”

【14】 “Fó,” i-arasso quentë.

    

► “No,” the deer replied.

“i-Nén ernuva ilya laman.”

    

► “The water will belong to every animal.”

【15】 “Tallo á rumë i-ondo indë,” quentë i-rauro.

        

► “Then move the stone yourselves,” said the lion.

【16】 i-Arasso rallë i-nando.

   

► The deer returned to the valley.

i-lamni cacarraner mólenta, mal i-höa ondo ú-rumnë.

        

► The animals continued their work, but the large stone did not move.

【17】 i-Neuna amaurë, i-rauro patanë lónaryanna.

      

► The following morning, the lion walked to his pool.

Ú nén lemenyë.

   

► No water remained.

Sampes i-loxossë, mal cemen nu nánes parca.

        

► He dug into the mud, but the earth beneath it was dry.

【18】 i-Rauro lonyë i-cumna sírë ar hilyanë i-runyar arasso.

        

► The lion left the empty river and followed the tracks of the deer.

Yá mittanes i-nando, cennes i-lamni ara ramba ondoron.

         

► When he entered the valley, he saw the animals beside the wall of stones.

Pelcontar pamper mólentallo.

   

► Their legs trembled from their labor.

Rimi sámer nahti pattalintassen ar nappantassen.

      

► Many had wounds upon their hooves and claws.

【19】 i-Lamni quilinder yá cenneltes.

    

► The animals stayed silent when they saw him.

【20】 i-Rauro patanë rambanna.

   

► The lion walked to the wall.

Sampes os i-höa ondo ar nirnë almorya pá sa.

         

► He dug around the large stone and pressed his shoulder against it.

i-Ondo coronyë au, ar ringa nén sirnë i-latyallo.

         

► The stone rolled away, and cold water flowed from the opening.

【21】 i-Lamni pataner au.

   

► The animals stepped away.

Horaneltë i-rauro eccanë i-nén elta.

     

► They expected the lion to proclaim the water his.

【22】 i-Rauro nútanë carya sucë.

    

► The lion lowered his head to drink.

Tallo cennes vinya arasso tarila ara amilya.

       

► Then he saw a young fawn standing beside its mother.

i-Vinya arasso nánë nípa, ar antorya nánë parca.

         

► The fawn was weak, and its mouth was dry.

【23】 i-Rauro ortanë carya ar patanë ló i-nén.

       

► The lion raised his head and walked away from the water.

【24】 “Á sucë,” quentes.

    

► “Drink,” he said.

【25】 i-Vinya arasso suncë minya.

    

► The fawn drank first.

Tallo i-hyanë lamni ócomner os i-sírë.

      

► Then the other animals gathered around the stream.

i-Rauro harnë nu alda.

    

► The lion waited beneath a tree.

【26】 Epë ilya laman suncë, i-rauro rallë i-nenenna.

        

► After every animal drank, the lion returned to the water.

【27】 i-Vinya arasso tarnë ara sa.

     

► The young deer stood beside him.

【28】 “Maro horanelyë me?” quentes.

    

► “Why did you wait?” he asked.

【29】 i-Rauro tirnë i-sírë ar quentë, “Soiciënya erna nin. i-Nén ú-erna nin.”

             

► The lion looked at the stream and replied, “My thirst belongs to me. The water does not.”

【30】 Tana andúnë, nén mittanë i-enwina ráva ata.

        

► That evening, water entered the old riverbed again.

i-Rauro ú-varyanë i-sírë.

   

► The lion did not guard the river.

Varyanes i-tië ara sa lan i-lamni suncer.

       

► He guarded the path beside it while the animals drank.

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