דַּיֵּנוּ |    | Nánë Faren Men — a Judeo-Quenya translation of Dayenu by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer

Contributor(s):

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation) and Unknown

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31 March 2026 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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constructed languages, דיינו Daiyenu, High-Elven, Middle-Earth, פיוטים piyyuṭim, Quenya translation, זמירות zemirot

Doyen has a place in Seder tables throughout Arda, and in many communities it was read in translation. This translation into Quenya is necessary for any good Lothlórien sedarim. But to be serious, Quenya was one of several languages developed by J.R.R. Tolkien. It serves as the sacred ancestral language of the Noldorin elves in the Middle-Earth legendarium. The editor here has, to the best of his ability, developed this adaptation of the litany of thanksgiving at the culmination of Maggie into Quenya, with thanks and credit to the experts at elfdict and in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord server for their help. He has also transcribed it into a home-brewed transcription system into Hebrew script also used for his Min Yacincë translation of Ḥad Gadya, as well as his Minë mamo ista? Translation of Eḥad Mi Yodea.

Source (Hebrew)	Transliteration (Quenya, romanized)	Translation (Quenya)	Transliteration (Quenya, hebraicized)	Translation (English)
כַּמָּה מַעֲלוֹת טוֹבוֹת לַמָּקוֹם עָלֵינוּ	Rimi márë tyeller nar i iluasto menna!	      	רִמִי מָרֶי טְיֶלֶּר נַר אִאִלֻאַסְטוֹ מֶנַּה!	So many good degrees are the Omnipresent’s upon us!
אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם. וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui men ettulyanë Lenwalto, apa lá carnë tien námai, nánë faren men!	   ⸱     ⸱   	קֻי מֶן אֶטֻּלְיַנֶי לנוּאַלְטוֹ אַפַּה לָא קַרְנֶי טִאֶן נָאמַי נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had brought us out from Twonarrows [Egypt], but had not done judgments on them, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים. וְלֹא עָשָׂה בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui carnë tien námai, apa lá carnë cordontin, nánë faren men!	   ⸱    ⸱   	קֻי קַרְנֶי טִאֶן נָאמַי אַפַּה לָא קַרְנֶי קוֹרְדוֹנְטִן נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had done judgments on them, but had not done [so] on their idols, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בֵאלֹהֵיהֶם. וְלֹא הָרַג בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui carnë cordontin, apa lá nacantë minnónantain, nánë faren men!	  ⸱    ⸱   	קֻי קַרְנֶי קוֹרְדוֹנְטִן, אַפַּה לָא נַקַנְטֶי מִנּוֹאנַנְטַין נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had done [so] on their idols, but had not slaughtered their firstborn, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ הָרַג בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם. וְלֹא נָתָן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui nacantë minnónantain, apa lá men antanë armantá, nánë faren men!	  ⸱     ⸱   	קֻי נַקַנְטֶי מִנּוֹאנַנְטַין אַפַּה לָא מֶן אַנְטַנֶי אַרְמַנְטָה נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had slaughtered their firstborn, but had not given us their wealth, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ נָתָן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם. וְלֹא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui men antanë armantá, apa lá rámen hyandë i ëara, nánë faren men!	   ⸱      ⸱   	קֻי מֶן אַנְטַנֶי אַרְמַנְטָה אַפַּה לָא רָאמֶן חְיַנְדֶי אִאֶאַרַה נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had given us their wealth, but had not cleaved the sea for us, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם. וְלֹא הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui rámen hyandë i ëara, apa lá men tertulyanes parcain, nánë faren men!	    ⸱     ⸱   	קֻי רָאמֶן חְיַנְדֶי אִאֶאַרַה אַפַּה לָא מֶן טֶרְטֻלְיַנֶס פַּרְקַין נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had cleaved the sea for us, but had not brought us through it dry, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה. וְלֹא שִׁקָּע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui men tertulyanes parcain, apa lá quostanë cottor mis, nánë faren men!	   ⸱     ⸱   	קֻי מֶן טֶרְטֻלְיַנֶס פַּרְקַין אַפַּה לָא קֻאוֹסְטַנֶי קוֹטּוֹר מִס נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had brought us through it dry, but had not drowned our enemies in it, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ שִׁקָּע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ וְלֹא סִפֵּק צָׇרְכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה. דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui quostanë cottor mis, apa lá sornë sangiëmman ravandassë ter canquain yénion, nánë faren men!	   ⸱        ⸱   	קֻי קֻאוֹסְטַנֶי קוֹטּוֹר מִס אַפַּה לָא סוֹרְנֶי סַנְגִאֶמַּן רַבַֿנְדַסֶּי טֶר קַנְקֻאַין יֵנִאוֹן נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had drowned our enemies in it, but had not provided our needs in the wilderness for forty years, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ סִפֵּק צָׇרְכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה. וְלֹא הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui sornë sangiëmman ravandassë ter canquain yénion, apa lá men maitanë i menelmatson,^[1] Purposely using the more archaic form matso rather than the standard NQ matto because it sounds like “matzo” and I think that’s fun for a Pesaḥ song nánë faren men!	      ⸱      ⸱   	קֻי סוֹרְנֶי סַנְגִאֶמַּן רַבַֿנְדַסֶּי טֶר קַנְקֻאַין יֵנִאוֹן אַפַּה לָא מֶן מַיטַנֶי אִמֶנֶלְמַצוֹן נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had provided our needs in the wilderness for forty years, but had not fed us the sky-food [manna] it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן. וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui men maitanë i menelmatson, apa lá men antanë i sendaren, nánë faren men!	    ⸱      ⸱   	קֻי מֶן מַיטַנֶי אִמֶנֶלְמַצוֹן אַפַּה לָא מֶן אַנְטַנֶי אִסֶנְדַרֶן נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had fed us the sky-food [manna], but had not given us the Sabbath, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת. וְלֹא קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינָי דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui men antanë i sendaren, apa lá men amnatulyanë Oronta Sinayo, nánë faren men!	    ⸱      ⸱   	קֻי מֶן אַנְטַנֶי אִסֶנְדַרֶן אַפַּה לָא מֶן אַמְנַטֻלְיַנֶי אוֹרוֹנְטַה סִנַיוֹ נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had given us the Sabbath, but had not brought us near toward Mount Sinai, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינָי. וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui men amnatulyanë Oronta Sinayo, apa lá men antanë i Axaní, nánë faren men!	    ⸱      ⸱   	קֻי מֶן אַמְנַטֻלְיַנֶי אוֹרוֹנְטַה סִנַיוֹ אַפַּה לָא מֶן אַנְטַנֶי אִאַקְסַנִיא נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had brought us near toward Mount Sinai, but had not given us the Laws, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה. וְלֹא הִכְנִסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui men antanë i Axaní, apa lá men mitulyanë nórenna Irrahelo, nánë faren men!	    ⸱      ⸱   	קֻי מֶן אַנְטַנֶי אִאַקְסַנִיא אַפַּה לָא מֶן מִטֻלְיַנֶי נוֹארֶנַּה ישראל [אִרַּחֶלוֹ] נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had given us the Laws, but had not brought us into the land of Israel, it would be enough for us!
אִלּוּ הִכְנִסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְלֹא בָנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה דַּיֵּנוּ׃	Qui men mitulyanë nórenna Irrahelo, apa lá men carastanë oromára cilmëo, nánë faren men!	    ⸱      ⸱   	קֻי מֶן מִטֻלְיַנֶי נוֹארֶנַּה ישראל [אִרַּחֶלוֹ] אַפַּה לָא מֶן קַרַסְטַנֶי אוֹרוֹמָארַה קִלְמֶאוֹ נָאנֶי פַרֶן מֶן!	If He had brought us into the land of Israel, but had not built for us the lofty house of choice, it would be enough for us!

The Quenya in Tengwar script was rendered via Glǽmscribe – The Tolkien language transcriber using the “Quenya / Tengwar (Classical)” to “Tengwar Annatar (G)” form setting.

Notes

Notes
1	Purposely using the more archaic form matso rather than the standard NQ matto because it sounds like “matzo” and I think that’s fun for a Pesaḥ song

Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)

From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also authors his own original works and transcribes Hebrew and Aramaic text, adding niqqud and t'amim as needed.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.

Unknown

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“Of the Shape of Numenor” by Alan Lee

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו׃ (תהלים צ:יז) · "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." (Psalms 90:17)