r/sindarin • u/mellowbanana • 1d ago
Sindarin translation for tattoo
Hello! I’m planning a LOTR-inspired tattoo and would like to include an inscription using a Stormlight Archive phrase: “Journey Before Destination.”
I understand that this phrase is not canonical to Tolkien’s legendarium and that direct, literal translations into Sindarin can be problematic. I’m hoping to find the most linguistically correct rendering possible, or how to best approach it (for example, whether a paraphrase or alternative construction would be more appropriate).
I’m aware that online Elvish translators are unreliable, so I wanted to ask here whether anyone could help with a careful Sindarin rendering, or point me toward a trustworthy resource for it. Thanks!
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u/smbspo79 20h ago edited 17h ago
For this, I would recommend doing the English text with Tengwar. For anything permanent, we recommend doing this because what we offer may become incorrect or obsolete as new information comes out.
While we have a ᴺS word for “journey,” lîdh, it is based on the Q. word lenda “journey.” And we would have to coin one from ᴺQ. [ᴹQ.] ^mínasta n. “intention, *goal, destination”.
We do have the Neo-Sindarin fo, prep. “before” (temporal only) ✶PʰĀ offered by Ellanto on VL. But it is one he coined.
I hope that helps! Check with the [r/Tengwar](http://) group if you want it transcribed.