"Across the sea" by João M. Oliveira

Across the sea

Across the sea there is a land

Where music and joy dance together

And lovers can freely give hands

And love like butterflies and flowers.

Across where the elves inhabit

There is hope in every tree

And the birds sing to strangers

And happiness welcomes them.

Ili i-alantar anai i-thenos ank i-meron

Kai i-omethai arai i-mion ak alen ineron

There the flowers are the jewels of the dwarves

And the gnomes give hands in prayer to the stars

Across the sea there is a land

Where everyone is a part of the world

And the gods touch every soul

And fill each heart with peace.

Across where the elves inhabit

There is a place for everyone

And fear is kept away with trust

And wounds are healed with care.

Ili i-lanto anai i-kuros ank i-homoen

Kai i-lankwen ipo estai lantoen

There love is the money of men

And a shadow can truly love

Alai! Amin i-arkhos anai oto uli wenai anê.

Notes: the first four sentences written in elven are translated below in the poem itself. The last sentence means: “Oh! Across the sea is where I wish to be”. This is a poem written by a human who fell in love by an elven lady who was an emissary of the elves in human lands. The lady then departed to her lands across the sea and the lover wrote this poem a few desperate months later.