J.R.R. Tolkien Quotes (232 Quotes)

Don't ever laugh at live Dragons, Bilbo you fool!

Short cuts make for long delays.

A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship.

The whole thing is quite hopeless, so it's no good worrying about tomorrow. It probably won't come.

If this is victory, then our hands are too small to hold it.

There are other men, and other lives, and time still to be.

Shall we mourn here deedless forever a shadow-folk mist-haunting dropping vain tears in the thankless sea

I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to

We are sitting on a field of victory enjoying a few well earned comforts.

The strongest must seek a way, say you? But I say: let a ploughman plough, but choose an otter for swimming, and for running light over grass and leaf, or over snow- an Elf!

Don't tell us about dreams - dream dinners aren't any good and we can't share them.

So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.

And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring? passed out of all knowledge.

Then shouldering their burdens, they set off, seeking a path that would bring them over the grey hills of the Emyn Muil, and down into the Land of Shadow.

If this nice friendliness would spread out in Mordor, half our trouble would be over.

To the dismay of those that stood by, about the body of Saruman a grey mist gathered, and rising very slowly to a great height like smoke from a fire, as a pale shrouded figure it loomed over the Hill. For a moment it wavered, looking to the West; but out of the West came a cold wind, and it bent away, and with a sigh dissolved into nothing.

Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashipn the theme of Iluvatar to a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the places of the dwelling of Iluvatar were filled to overflowing, and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void.

If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end, as to be worthy of remembrance.

We meet again, at the turn of the tide. A great storm is coming, but the tide has turned.

The Sword of Elendil was forged anew by Elvish smiths, and on its blade was traced a device of seven stars set between the crescent Moon and rayed Sun, and about them was written many runes; for Aragorn son of Arathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor. Very bright was that sword when it was made whole again; the light of the sun shone redly in it, and the light of the moon shone cold, its edge was hard and keen. And Aragorn gave it a new name and called it Andúril, Flame of the West.

Farewell! O Gandalf! May you ever appear where you are most needed and least expected!

Sorry! I don't want any adventures, thank you. Not Today. Good morning! But please come to tea -any time you like! Why not tomorrow? Good bye!

And still Meriadoc the hobbit stood there blinking through his tears, and no one spoke to him, indeed none seemed to heed him. He brushed away the tears, and stooped to pick up the green shield that Eowyn had given him, and he slung it at his back. Then he looked for his sword that he had let fall; for even as he struck his blow his arm was numbed, and now he could only use his left hand.

There were fissures and chasms in the walls and floor, and every now and then a crack would open right before their feet. The widest was more than seven feet across, and it was long before Pippin could summon enough courage to leap over the dreadful gap.

In account after account of exorcisms the demonic voices will propound nihilism of one variety or another.

We set out to save the Shire, Sam and it has been saved - but not for me.

A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night.

No onslaught more fierce was ever seen in the savage world of beasts, where some desperate small creature armed with little teeth, alone, will spring upon a tower of horn and hide that stands above its fallen mate.

You must understand, young Hobbit, it takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say.

There are fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.

Gandalf thought of most things; and though he could not do everything, he could do a great deal for friends in a tight corner.

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.

Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn!

What does your heart tell you?

In that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him.

A sister they had, Galadriel, most beautiful of all the house of Finwë; her hair was lit with gold as though it had caught in a mesh the radiance of Laurelin.

And he smote the Balrog upon the mountainside.

Speak, or I will put a dint in your hat that even a wizard will find hard to deal with!

There are many things in the deep waters; and seas and lands may change. And it is not our part here to take thought only for a season, or for a few lives of Men, or for a passing age of the world. We should seek a final end of this menace, even if we do not hope to make one.

Gandalf, dwarves and Mr. Baggins! We are met together in the house of our friend and fellow conspirator, this most excellent and audacious hobbit-may the hair on his toes never fall out!

Surely you don't disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself? You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!

Haldir had gone on and was now climbing to the high flet. As Frodo prepared to follow him, he laid his hand upon the tree beside the ladder: never before had he been so suddenly and so keenly aware of the feel and texture of a tree's skin and of the life within it. He felt a delight in wood and the touch of it, neither as forester nor as carpenter; it was the delight of the living tree itself.

Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.

It is the way of my people to use light words at such times and say less than they mean. We fear to say too much. It robs us of the right words when a jest is out of place.

All have their worth and each contributes to the worth of the others.

And sometimes you didn't want to know the end… because how could the end be happy?

That there is some good in this world, Mr.Frodo, and that it's worth fighting for! -Sam Gamgee

There was a fire in the wide hearth before them, and it was burning with a sweet smell, as if it were built of apple-wood.

Hail, Lord and Steward of Minas Tirith, Denethor son of Ecthelion! I am come with counsel and tidings in this dark hour.

That was Thorin's style. He was an important dwarf. If he had been allowed, he would probably have gone on like this until he was out of breath, without telling anyone there anything that was not known already. But he was rudely interrupted.