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Found on Ardalambion, credit Helge Fauskanger:
A Elbereth Gilthoniel
This hymn is the longest Sindarin text in LotR, found near the end of the chapter "Many meetings" (LotR1/II ch. 1). The hobbits are in the house of Elrond and enter the Hall of Fire: "Even as they stepped over the threshold a single clear voice rose in song... [Frodo] stood still enchanted, while the sweet syllables of the elvish song fell like clear jewels of blended word and melody. 'It is a song to Elbereth,' said Bilbo. 'They will sing that, and other songs of the Blessed Realm, many times tonight.' " In Letters:278, Tolkien calls it a "hymn-fragment", suggesting that what we have is only one stanza of many.
The hymn is nowhere translated in LotR, except for the words galadhremmin Ennorath that are interpreted "tree-woven lands of Middle-earth" in the second footnote in Appendix E. However, Tolkien provided a translation of this song in RGEO:72, followed by some illuminating comments. This is the main source for this article.
The hymn to Elbereth (that in RGEO:70 has a Tengwar superscript Aerlinn in Edhil o Imladris, *"Hymn of the Elves of Rivendell"):
A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
** O Elbereth Star-kindler
silivren penna miriel
** (white) glittering slants down sparkling like jewels
o menel aglar elenath!
** from [the] firmament [the] glory [of] the star-host!
Na-chaered palan-diriel
** To-remote distance far-having gazed
o galadhremmin ennorath,
** from [the] tree-tangled middle-lands,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
** Fanuilos, to thee I will chant
nef aear, si nef aearon!
** on this side of ocean, here on this side of the Great Ocean!
In RGEO, Tolkien compared this hymn to the invocation uttered by Sam "speaking in tongues" in Cirith Ungol (LotR2/IV ch. 10: "then his tongue was loosed and his voice cried in a language which he did not know"...). We follow his example and will analyze this short utterance here as well. Notes Tolkien in Letters:278, "Though it is, of course, in the style and metre of the hymn-fragment [A Elbereth Gilthoniel], I think it is composed or inspired for his [Sam's] particular situation".
A Elbereth Gilthoniel o menel palan-diriel, le nallon
** O Elbereth Starkindler from firmanent gazing afar, to thee I cry
si di-nguruthos! A tiro nin, Fanuilos!
** here beneath death-horror! O look towards me, Everwhite!
Tolkien's own translation of these texts (rather free and florid):
[The hymn:] "O! Elbereth who lit the stars, from glittering crystal slanting falls with light like jewels from heaven on high the glory of the starry host. To lands remote I have looked afar, and now to thee, Fanuilos, bright spirit clothed in ever-white, I here will sing beyond the Sea, beyond the wide and sundering Sea."
[Sam's invocation:] "O! Queen who kindled star on star, white-robed from heaven gazing far, here overwhelmed in dread of Death I cry: O guard me, Elbereth!" Another translation, more literal, is given in Letters:278: "O Elbereth Starkindler from heaven gazing-afar, to thee I cry now in the shadow of (the fear of) death. O look towards me, Everwhite."
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