daily tolkien quotes

“The riddle-game was sacred and of immense antiquity, and even wicked creatures were afraid to cheat when they played at it.”

The treacherous are ever distrustful.

Strange are the turns of fortune! Often does hatred hurt itself.

I don’t know how long we shall take to - to finish. We were miserably delayed in the hills. But Samwise Gamgee, my dear hobbit - indeed, Sam my dearest hobbit, friend of friends - I do not think we need give thought to what comes after that. To do the job as you put it - what hope is there that we ever shall? And if we do, who knows what will come of that? If the One goes into the Fire, and we are at hand? I ask you, Sam, are we ever likely to need bread again? I think not. If we can nurse our limbs to bring us to Mount Doom, that is all we can do. More than I can, I begin to feel.

He had hardly saved the Ring from the proud grasp of Boromir, and how he would fare now among so many men, warlike and strong, he did not know. Yet he felt in his heart that Faramir, though he was much like his brother in looks, was a man less self-regarding, both sterner and wiser.

Mithrandir was lost! An evil fate seems to have pursued your fellowship. It is hard indeed to believe that one of so great wisdom, and of power - for many wonderful things he did among us - could perish, and so much lore be taken from the world.

But in front a thin veil of water was hung, so near that Frodo could have put an outstretched arm into it. The level shafts of the setting sun behind beat upon it, and the red light was broken into many flickering beams of ever-changing colour. It was as if they stood at the window of some elven-tower, curtained with threaded jewels of silver and gold, and ruby, sapphire and amethyst, all kindled with an unconsuming fire.

Not long now can Gondolin remain hidden, and being discovered it must fall.

But our stories cannot be expected always to rise above our common level. They often do. Few lessons are taught more clearly in them than the burden of that kind of immortality, or rather endless serial living, to which the “fugitive” would fly.

I did not desire such lordship. I desired things other than I am, to love and to teach them, so that they too might perceive the beauty of Eä, which thou hast caused to be. For it seemed to me that there is great room in Arda for many things that might rejoice in it, yet it is for the most part empty still, and dumb. And in my impatience I have fallen into folly.

Faërie is a perilous land, and in it are pitfalls for the unwary and dungeons for the overbold.

Let the unseen days be. Today is more than enough.

The wolf that one hears is worse than the orc that one fears.

There is a seed of courage hidden (often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit, waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow.

The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.

Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.

We men and women are all in the same boat, upon a stormy sea. We owe to each other a terrible and tragic loyalty.