PAX 2008: Lost in Dwarven Translation

by Ross Miller { Aug 30th 2008 at 5:30AM }

Outside the North entrance to the PAX08 showfloor, we found two Lord of the Rings Online advertisements written in ... some code. "It must be French," we thought, admittedly forgetting our origins. Can someone translate this for us? Update: Original headline claimed this was Elvish when, in fact, it is Dwarven. Oops.

Gallery: Penny Arcade Expo 2008

Tags: pax, pax-2008, penny-arcade-expo

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Eothein @ Aug 30th 2008 5:47AM

That actually looks Dwarvish to me.

Zak Canard @ Aug 30th 2008 5:53AM

Yeah that's Tolkein Dwarvish, which makes sense with the setting being the Mines of Moria. Let's see if I've still got a copy of LotR to hand, if so I'll give the translation a go. I fancy a challenge this morning.

FatRabidRamboCow @ Aug 30th 2008 5:55AM

It's Cirth (Dwarven text) for a start but I'm trying to translate it. Not easy stuff.

j4ck 0f h34rt5 @ Aug 30th 2008 5:58AM

The sixth word on the left banner looks like "army".

benjor0x0r @ Aug 30th 2008 6:06AM

This is the rough translation of the one on the left:

"A klash of steel on stone kan lead"
"to ruin with alarming speed"
"this suden flash ma sun inspire"
"a vast & all consuming fire"

Now Ross. I am very disappointed. These translations are used to fill out a game piece that you can use to win prizes. Shame on you using you readers like that. Also, no I am not that geeky. I used my PAX Schedule Book for the translation.

sqwarlock @ Aug 30th 2008 6:09AM

The black banner reads:

"a clash of steel on stone can lead

to ruin with alarming speed

this sudden flash may soon inspire

a vast & all consuming fire"

Working on the second one now.

Obie @ Aug 30th 2008 1:28PM

Mad geek props there dude!

FatRabidRamboCow @ Aug 30th 2008 6:11AM

I got the same results as everyone else:

Translation can be found here
http://www.acondia.com/fonts/cirth/info/angerthasmoria.htm

sqwarlock @ Aug 30th 2008 6:15AM

Green is:

"this pebble from the deepest mine

may catch your gaze if it can shine

unless it may be made of glass

tempts the soul with every facet"

sqwarlock @ Aug 30th 2008 6:16AM

Oh, and this was a great way to geek out for me. I love me some Tolkien translation challenges.

benjor0x0r @ Aug 30th 2008 6:20AM

Right one reads:

"This pebel from the deepest mine"
"May katch your gaze if it kan shine"
"Unless it may be made of glass it"
"tempts the soul with every facet"

Paul @ Aug 30th 2008 6:35AM

Goddamn, I used to be able to read this fluently. Took me months of work memorizing it. Then life got in the way of my superior Drawven communication skills.

Misfit Toy @ Aug 30th 2008 10:17AM

That and staying on top a language usually requires you to have people to communicate with. Probably very dwarves around ;-)

Scott @ Aug 30th 2008 7:12AM

Maybe it's elvish written in dwarven script? Sort of the opposite of how the inscription on the gates was dwarvish written in elven script. >.>

gen-dm @ Aug 30th 2008 7:50AM

Well, Exuuuuse Me Princess!

VerM @ Aug 30th 2008 9:02AM

Awesome gratuitous Link quote!

Brittany @ Aug 30th 2008 11:46AM

Sniff, anything there about the better game....?

You know, Dungeons and Dragons online?

Evan @ Aug 30th 2008 11:38PM

Elvish? Dwarven? Klingon? They're all fake languages, so does it really matter?

Amstrad @ Aug 31st 2008 2:34AM

I wonder if I'm the only person in the world to have translated the Dwarvish alphabet using Tolkien's notes out of the front of my copy of the Hobbit..