Roman > Roman's Quotes

“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills,
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

“Criticism - however valid or intellectually engaging - tends to get in the way of a writer who has anything personal to say. A tightrope walker may require practice, but if he starts a theory of equilibrium he will lose grace (and probably fall off).”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien

“His rage passes description - the sort of rage that is only seen when rich folk that have more than they can enjoy suddenly lose something that they have long had but have never before used or wanted.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, Or, There And Back Again

“The way is shut. It was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes. The way is shut.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“Where there's life there's hope.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“Faërie contains many things besides elves and fays, and besides dwarfs, witches, trolls, giants, or dragons; it holds the seas, the sun, the moon, the sky; and the earth, and all things that are in it: tree and bird, water and stone, wine and bread, and ourselves, mortal men, when we are enchanted.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, Tolkien On Fairy-stories

“This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

“Pay heed to the tales of old wives. It may well be that they alone keep in memory what it was once needful for the wise to know.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

“Alive without breath,
As cold as death;
Never thirsty, ever drinking,
All in mail never clinking.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led. And through the air, I am he that walks unseen.

I am the clue-finder, the web-cutter, the stinging fly. I was chosen for the lucky number.

I am he that buries his friends alive and drowns them and draws them alive again from the water. I came from the end of a bag, but no bag went over me.

I am the friend of bears and the guest of eagles. I am Ringwinner and Luckwearer; and I am Barrel-rider.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“Trolls simply detest the very sight of dwarves (uncooked).”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“Towards danger; but not too rashly, nor too straight.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“A box without hinges, key, or lid,
Yet golden treasure inside is hid.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“Farewell! O Gandalf! May you ever appear where you are most needed and least expected!”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“If you're referring to the incident with the Dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“Thag you mery buch.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“I give you this toast: To the Hobbits. May they outlast the Sarumans and see spring again in the trees.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin’s Day will shine upon the key-hole.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“Fifteen birds in five firtrees,
their feathers were fanned in a fiery breeze!
But, funny little birds, they had no wings!
O what shall we do with the funny little things?
Roast 'em alive, or stew them in a pot;
fry them, boil them and eat them hot?”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“Seek for the Sword that was broken
In Imladris it dwells;
There shall be counsels taken
Stronger than Morgul-spells.
There shall be shown a token
That Doom is near at hand,
For Isuldur's Bane shall waken,
And the halfling forth shall stand.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“Yet at the last Beren was slain by the Wolf that came from the gates of Angband, and he died in the arms of Tinúviel. But she chose mortality, and to die from the world, so that she might follow him; and it is sung that they met again beyond the Sundering Seas, and after a brief time walking alive once more in the green woods, together they passed, long ago, beyond the confines of this world. So it is that Lúthien Tinúviel alone of the Elf-kindred has died indeed and left the world, and they have lost her whom they most loved.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

“It is written in my life-blood, such that it is, thick or thin; and I can no other.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“Saruman," I said, standing away from him, "only one hand at a time can wield the One, and you know that well, so do not trouble to say we!”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“The Dark Lord has Nine. But we have One, mightier than they: the White Rider. He has passed through the fire and the abyss, and they shall fear him. We will go where he leads.”
― J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

“I wisely started with a map.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien