DWARVEN SAYINGS "Never injure your pride by substituting your axe for a smith's hammer.": A dwarven proverb meaning "the right tool for the right job." "People die for wealth and birds die for food.": An Dwarven proverb that speaks to what is truly of value. "The Gods look after fools, children, and drunkards... humans usually count for two out of three.": A Dwarven saying that expresses their general opinion of the human race. "An elf’s tongue will talk the Timelight round." "Between the pickaxe and the rockface..." "Certain as the (immovable object) is still in place." "Discussion gathers no gems." "Give me a year and a hundred of my kin and I would make this a place that armies would break upon like water." "It's no hair off my chin." "Give me a row of orc necks and room to swing and all weariness will fall from me!" "When the mountain crumbles..." dwarven equivalent of "Snowball's chance in hell" "Even a clot of sand can sharpen an axe" - don't underestimate small things "Shale-spined lot you are" Talc! also makes a good short expletive and probably refers to anything of little substance "Its nought but talc to me boy!" "All trees are felled at ground level," which is better translated as "When his hands are higher than your head your teeth are at a level with his groin." "Today is a good day for somone else to die!" "There is nothing as sure in the world as the glitter of gold and the treachery of an elf." "It is the thing, and the whole of the thing". "He has seen the light." (A deep dwarven ethnic slur against common dwarves who have been outside of a mine.) "Where there is trouble, you will always find a troll/elf/goblin etc." "The water'll find its own way down." Basically saying don't be hasty, take things at their appropriate pace. The comment itself refers to water seeping through the ground, even through solid stone. "Drink your water. It is best to keep your mind and your urine clear." --Just generally good advice. "Ore" can mean an untested person, someone "green." "It seems that our recruiters mined some rather scant ore. Come, let us see what the fire can make of you!" [something which has to be true] or I'm a bearded gnome!
"Better to delve too deeply than never to delve at all." - dwarven optimism, or stoicism: Sitting at home doing nothing is worse than whatever terrors the deep places of the world may hold. Well, frost my beard! Cinder my whiskers... "He who so sheds dwarf blood, by dwarf shall his blood be shed" General refference to how vindictive dwarves can be when wronged. "Not every stone is a gem, not every rock holds value, but even the lowest rock can hide a geode." Dwarven saying pertaining to finding value in something where you least expect it. "Sulphours air, beware. Dead canary do not tarry." Reffering specifically to the bad air found in some mines and in general to not hanging around bad situations. And a good dwarven pre battle speech. "From this moment my kinsmen, we are dead. We march forth as a hammer striking an anvil to create something worth being alive for." "May your beard grow long and your axe stay sharp" "An ale in the hand is worth 2 in the keg." "Blood and shale!" When I was young, my father taught me three things. Never accept a gift from an Elf, never trust gold that glitters in darkness, and NEVER forget a grudge. "Fit for Goblins"- Unspeakably bad "Not fit for Goblins"- even worse dwarven view on trees in general: "food for the mines" Let's go shorten some orcs! "They will all look up to us after their legs are chopped off," pretty clear. "Go dig Karst," basically 'go f___ yourself' for dwarves it's a formation type in which valuable or useful materials are seldom found. "Do Not Mine a Volcano" warning to lay off anything sensitive and likely to cause an explosion both figurative and literal. "Blood calls for blood and retribution in full kind" pretty clear, Dwarves can really hold a grudge after all especially against non-dwarves. "When humans and their gold are swiftly parted look to your money purse" everyone knows that dwarves always have a little extra just in case, that doesn't mean dwarves want to give it up. "Orc-forged" being their way of calling something "crap." As in "You're not hunting any trolls with that orcforged helm!" "Were you born in a slag-heap?" is as good as being born in a barn. "Well, shave my beard and blunt my axe..." "I'd rather mine coal than..." to head the list of things that dwarves would rather do, coal-mining being thought of as the province of dwarven clans facing hard times or are poor.
He who fears death, fears coming to the all father. Never add insult to injury when you could add injury to injury. If your dad doesn't have a beard you've got two mothers - general insult to elves, but is used on others if the situation allows it. "An ale in the gut is worth two in the mug." No one is more just than the dead, for the dead are always sober. "Well, ain't he the bellows?" Used about someone believed to be full of "hot air"...the dwarven equivalent of saying someone's "full of s***". "May your forges burn hot and your ales run cold." a general parting of good will/well wishing. Also, in the same vein, "Hot forges and cold steel to you." "A man tests his own steel before he allows an enemy to test it." -(Two fairly obvious meanings). "A bite hurts more when there are a thousand teeth" -Referring to dwarven togetherness/cooperativeness. "Weak as a goblin's heart"- not macho, lacking in Dwarven courage. "Cold as a mind-flayer's kiss"- calculating, Machiavellian "Like a drow's arse in a coal mine"- 1) extremely black/dark or 2) vanishingly rare "When my great-grandfather's beard was soft as an ermine's pelt"- a long, long time ago "Don't tell me how to dig a hole!"- stop telling me how to do things I already know how to do far better than you do. "It 'twer halfling-made" - dwarven phrase to referring to stolen goods "A stone face makes a poor door" - about being uncoperative "A lone column supports nothing" - about teamwork "The stouter stone shatters the lesser" - stoicism in the face of adversity "shale and (moon)shine" - worthless "elf-crafted" - a decorative item with no useful purpose "grave-stone" - an unsupported or unsafe structure "You've Gnomed it up"- to take something- a mechanism, a plan, a meal, a relationship, anything- and make it needlessly complex. (It may or may not still be functional.) "You're just poking the troll" a reference to trollish regenerative capabilities, it means to use a temporary solution to a problem. "All ale and no ore" someone who talks a lot about his wealth but seemingly never has any, a miser, mooch or con "All ale and no steel" someone who can talk a good fight- especially in a bar- but is a poor combatant, a blowhard coward In the same vein, I'll add: "Stop being kobold." or "You're acting kobold."-conniving, sneaky, cowardly, or dishonorable. Could apply to any matter, but especially when referring to combat.
"Gnome-nosed" a slang slander against an unattractive dwarven female - likely to end in a brawl (which often ends in a wedding). "Your mother is a goblin!" - enough said "My mother's beard is longer than yours!" - meaning the dwarf thinks you are too young or inexperienced. "Tree miner" - a quick reference to an elf said in mixed (non-dwarvish) company when a straight insult would be less than prudent. "I'd rather mine trees!" - Never! "When Grumush becomes my patron!" - When Hell freezes over "Slag!" - Dwarvish curse "I've never met a human I couldn't ignore" - comment on the human lack of long term thinking. "A gold nugget the size of your fist is less impressive when held up next to the vein" - Don't count your chickens before they hatch "Humans and halflings are like overgrown children, unfortunately they are children that know how to swing weapons." - Dwarven commentary on the younger races. "A hammer or pick can be used in war or peace, but an axe is only for blood!" "Worse than a troll's breath!" "Elves are like mold, they are quiet, soft and slagging everywhere!" - commentary on the elvish race "The dead don't lie." - hold your tongue (with the implication that if you don't you won't need to.) "As useful as a mud fortress!" - worthless "Copper and gold both shine!" - all that glitters is not gold. "Even a pebble has it's place." - Dwarvish moral to a child's parable - meaning size doesn't always matter. "Puffballs or Stems" - meaning either is fine or whatever, (refers to mushrooms) "You hit like an elf" - derogatory term meaning you are a sissy. "Fool's gold is still metal" - Every cloud has a silver lining. "Traded ore for Orcs"- you've made an extremely bad deal "Greased the handle of your axe (or hammer)"- a bad situation is about to get worse "Has your forge gone cold?"- are you some kind of idiot? "Sand or Grit"- it makes no real difference to me. "A giant's wedding" - a hullabaloo, a chaotic situation. Can be used to describe a tavern brawl, a disastrous melee, or a good party (or all three at once). "A troll's gift" - a white elephant, an unwanted responsibility "There's never just one goblin" - can be used either in an exasperated, "when it rains, it pours" sense, or as a word of warning when less sensible folk are ready to let down their guard. "Chant without drums" - empty talk, bluster, especially hollow saber-rattling "Gone over the mountain" - either literally far away or figuratively a little crazy, out there
"A fellow with two clans" - someone untrustworthy, a double dealer. But: "a dwarf for all clans" - a universally liked and trusted individual, a man for all seasons "Bread without beer" - something incomplete or insufficient "An ettin's secret" - common knowledge "An ettin's marriage" - a situation in which too many people are involved; too many cooks spoiling the soup; the presence of a third wheel "You should get some sun." - Take a long walk off a short pier. Go away. "You don't forge steel in the home fire." - to encourage daring and heroism. "Stale air" - Old hat "Words on paper" - a meaningless statement, a promise without value "Iari's well" - Pandora's box, or a situation with no foreseeable resolution. "Fishing in Iari's well" - engaging in a hopeless endeavor With hammers might I'll make things right "Bah. You could be crapping rocks." Dwarven version of "It isn't so bad/It could be worse." "That's not gold you're pissing.": you're not as great as you think you are "Elvish ore"- slang for wood. "Constant rain wears away stone.": A dwarven expression indicating the value of persistence. "Gold in the ground is yet rock.": A dwarven proverb used in the same manner as "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". "His beard is longer than his years.": A dwarven phrase used to indicate that a person is wiser than their age would indicate. "Teeth of stone- that's a big troll!" "Upon the One Metal I forge our bond." "We will stand as the Forever Stone and our foes will fall before us!" "Iron and bone!" "Lord of beer and piss! I can barely stand for the stone crumbles." "The nail that sticks out gets hammered" "FEAR NOT DEATH, FOR WE ALL BECOME ONE WITH THE STONE WE SPRANG FROM!" "Honored ancestor, I ask that I may go with your wisdom." "May your feet always land softly and firmly on the ground." "Your ethics are strange elf, but your will is stone." "Strike while the iron is hot!" "Failure/Retreat/Defeat? We know no failure/retreat/defeat! Even the Dead fight on in Hammerfast!"
"Weaker than Elven/Goblin/Kobold Ale!" "Your resolve is brittle as sandstone!" One element from Discworld that always stuck with me was the mythical dwarven figure Agi Hammerthief. He's a trickster who brings ill fortune -- from a collapsing tunnel to a missing pick -- to dwarves. I can see his figuring in dwarven speech in much the same way Santa Claus or the Fairy Godmother does in ours; a patently mythical figure. 'For the last time, who moved my shield? None of you? Must have been Agi Hammerthief, then!' "This I swear to you in stone and steel. Such an oath will not be forgotten in the times to come." "You can't forge a masterpiece without throwing away some dross." "Problems are like steel on an anvil: You need to hammer them in order to turn them in whatever outcome you want to" Denoting, of course, problems and tribulations. "Never trust a beardless in a forge and a quarry" Denoting non-dwarven metal and stonecraft "Goblin fondler!" "Crack my anvil!" "Shatter my shield!" "Well, that just snaps my haft." "as cold as a forge" "as dull as an axe" "smooth as Moradin's chin" "as welcome as giants" "He's as useless as a cold forge" "Her tongue is sharper than my axe" "That's shattered the supports" "There's more than one way to sink a shaft" "Rust and tarnish!" "Cave-ins and rockfalls!" "Orcs and giants!" And for feeling pride: "My descendants will invoke my name!" "As stone endures" (goodbye/exclamation)
Dwarven Song Far over the Misty Mountains cold, To dungeons deep and caverns old. The pines were roaring on the height, The winds were moaning in the night, The fire was red, it flaming spread, The trees like torches blazed with light.
FULL VERSION Far over the Misty Mountains cold, To dungeons deep and caverns old, We must away, ere break of day, To seek our pale enchanted gold. The dwarves of yore made mighty spells, While hammers fell like ringing bells, In places deep, where dark things sleep, In hollow halls beneath the fells. For ancient king and elvish lord There many a gleaming golden hoard They shaped and wrought, and light they caught, To hide in gems on hilt of sword. On silver necklaces they strung The flowering stars, on crowns they hung The dragon-fire, on twisted wire They meshed the light of moon and sun. Far over the Misty Mountains cold, To dungeons deep and caverns old, We must away, ere break of day, To claim our long-forgotten gold. Goblets they carved there for themselves, And harps of gold, where no man delves There lay they long, and many a song Was sung unheard by men or elves. The pines were roaring on the heights, The wind was moaning in the night, The fire was red, it flaming spread, The trees like torches blazed with light. The bells were ringing in the dale, And men looked up with faces pale. The dragon's ire, more fierce than fire, Laid low their towers and houses frail. The mountain smoked beneath the moon. The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom. They fled the hall to dying fall Beneath his feet, beneath the moon. Far over the Misty Mountains grim, To dungeons deep and caverns dim, We must away, ere break of day, To win our harps and gold from him!
The wind was on the withered heath, But in the forest stirred no leaf: There shadows lay be night or day, And dark things silent crept beneath. The wind came down from mountains cold, And like a tide it roared and rolled. The branches groaned, the forest moaned, And leaves were laid upon the mould. The wind went on from West to East; All movement in the forest ceased. But shrill and harsh across the marsh, Its whistling voices were released. The grasses hissed, their tassels bent, The reeds were rattling--on it went. O'er shaken pool under heavens cool, Where racing clouds were torn and rent. It passed the Lonely Mountain bare, And swept above the dragon's lair: There black and dark lay boulders stark, And flying smoke was in the air. It left the world and took its flight Over the wide seas of the night. The moon set sale upon the gale, And stars were fanned to leaping light. Under the Mountain dark and tall, The King has come unto his hall! His foe is dead, the Worm of Dread, And ever so his foes shall fall! The sword is sharp, the spear is long, The arrow swift, the Gate is strong. The heart is bold that looks on gold; The dwarves no more shall suffer wrong. The dwarves of yore made mighty spells, While hammers fell like ringing bells In places deep, where dark things sleep, In hollow halls beneath the fells. On silver necklaces they strung The light of stars, on crowns they hung The dragon-fire, from twisted wire The melody of harps they wrung. The mountain throne once more is freed! O! Wandering folk, the summons heed! Come haste! Come haste! Across the waste! The king of freind and kin has need. Now call we over the mountains cold, 'Come back unto the caverns old!' Here at the gates the king awaits, His hands are rich with gems and gold. The king has come unto his hall Under the Mountain dark and tall.
The Worm of Dread is slain and dead, And ever so our foes shall fall! Farewell we call to hearth and hall! Though wind may blow and rain may fall, We must away, ere break of day Far over the wood and mountain tall. To Rivendell, where Elves yet dwell In glades beneath the misty fell. Through moor and waste we ride in haste, And whither then we cannot tell. With foes ahead, behind us dread, Beneath the sky shall be our bed, Until at last our toil be passed, Our journey done, our errand sped. We must away! We must away! We ride before the break of day!
