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Expansion
One of the most useful features of the Elrond's Library site is the list of links to acquiring the translations. I have included my own list to many sites where I have successfully acquired volumes for my collection.
One of the most useful features of the Elrond's Library site is the list of links to acquiring the translations. I have included my own list to many sites where I have successfully acquired volumes for my collection.
I keep all of these organized in a Zotero bibliography, so that's the simple way I count them. In the list below, a "volume" is a single bound book, thus a one-volume LOTR counts has one volume, but a three-volume LOTR counts has three volumes. An "edition" is a single publishing group, so that both a one-volume LOTR and a three-volume LOTR count as one edition. At the present time there are a total of 1176 volumes in 678 editions from 71 different languages:
I keep all of these organized in a Zotero bibliography, so that's the simple way I count them. In the list below, a "volume" is a single bound book, thus a one-volume LOTR counts has one volume, but a three-volume LOTR counts has three volumes. An "edition" is a single publishing group, so that both a one-volume LOTR and a three-volume LOTR count as one edition. At the present time there are a total of 1176 volumes in 678 editions from 71 different languages:
LOTR (FR/TT/RK): 778 volumes, 300 editions, 59 languages
LOTR (FR/TT/RK): 778 volumes, 300 editions, 59 languages
Hobbit [H]: 134 volumes (+ 5 bound with LOTR), 132 editions, 57 languages (12 without LOTR translation)
Hobbit [H]: 134 volumes (+ 5 bound with LOTR), 132 editions, 57 languages (12 without LOTR translation)
Silmarillion [S]: 78 volumes (+4 bound with LOTR or Hobbit), 76 editions, 30 languages
Silmarillion [S]: 78 volumes (+4 bound with LOTR or Hobbit), 76 editions, 30 languages
Unfinished Tales [UT]: 23 volumes/editions, 14 languages
Unfinished Tales [UT]: 23 volumes/editions, 14 languages
Book of Lost Tales [LT]: 30 volumes, 15 editions, 8 languages
Book of Lost Tales [LT]: 30 volumes, 15 editions, 8 languages
Lays of Beleriand [LB]: 7 volumes/editions, 6 languages
Lays of Beleriand [LB]: 7 volumes/editions, 6 languages
Shaping of Middle-earth [SM]: 7 volumes/editions, 6 languages
Shaping of Middle-earth [SM]: 7 volumes/editions, 6 languages
Lost Road [LR]: 6 volumes/editions, 5 languages
Lost Road [LR]: 6 volumes/editions, 5 languages
Return of the Shadow [RS]: 5 volumes/editions, 4 languages
Return of the Shadow [RS]: 5 volumes/editions, 4 languages
Treason of Isengard [TI]: 5 volumes/editions, 4 languages
Treason of Isengard [TI]: 5 volumes/editions, 4 languages
War of the Ring [WR]: 5 volumes/editions, 4 languages
War of the Ring [WR]: 5 volumes/editions, 4 languages
Sauron Defeated [SD]: 6 volumes/editions, 3 languages. NOTE: In Spanish translations, SD is divided into two volumes, El Fin de la Tercera Edad (The End of the Third Age) and La Caída de Númenor (The Fall of Númenor). The abbreviations that I use for this division are SD-ET and SD-FN. The Spanish translation of The Fall of Númenor edited by Brian Sibley is also called La Caída de Númenor and both are credited to J.R.R. Tolkien as author. They are distinguished by editor--SD-FN is credited to Christopher Tolkien and FN is credited to Brian Sibley.
Sauron Defeated [SD]: 6 volumes/editions, 3 languages. NOTE: In Spanish translations, SD is divided into two volumes, El Fin de la Tercera Edad (The End of the Third Age) and La Caída de Númenor (The Fall of Númenor). The abbreviations that I use for this division are SD-ET and SD-FN. The Spanish translation of The Fall of Númenor edited by Brian Sibley is also called La Caída de Númenor and both are credited to J.R.R. Tolkien as author. They are distinguished by editor--SD-FN is credited to Christopher Tolkien and FN is credited to Brian Sibley.
Morgoth's Ring [MR]: 4 volumes/editions, 3 languages
Morgoth's Ring [MR]: 4 volumes/editions, 3 languages
War of the Jewels [WJ] : 3 volumes/editions, 3 languages
War of the Jewels [WJ] : 3 volumes/editions, 3 languages
Peoples of Middle-earth [PM]: 3 volumes/editions, 3 languages
Peoples of Middle-earth [PM]: 3 volumes/editions, 3 languages
History of Middle-earth Index [HI]: 1 volume/edition, 1 language
History of Middle-earth Index [HI]: 1 volume/edition, 1 language
History of the Hobbit [HH]: 1 volume/edition, 1 language
History of the Hobbit [HH]: 1 volume/edition, 1 language
Children of Hurin [HN]: 25 volumes/editions (+1 bound with LOTR), 19 languages
Children of Hurin [HN]: 25 volumes/editions (+1 bound with LOTR), 19 languages
Beren and Lúthien [BL]: 16 volumes/editions, 14 languages
Beren and Lúthien [BL]: 16 volumes/editions, 14 languages
Fall of Gondolin [FG]: 17 volumes/editions, 16 languages
Fall of Gondolin [FG]: 17 volumes/editions, 16 languages
Fall of Númenor [FN]: 2 volumes/editions, 2 languages
Fall of Númenor [FN]: 2 volumes/editions, 2 languages
Nature of Middle-earth [NM]: 3 volumes/editions, 2 languages
Nature of Middle-earth [NM]: 3 volumes/editions, 2 languages
Maps of Middle-earth [MM]: 1 volume/edition, 1 language
Maps of Middle-earth [MM]: 1 volume/edition, 1 language
Complete Guide to Middle-earth [CG]: 3 volumes, 2 editions, 2 languages
Complete Guide to Middle-earth [CG]: 3 volumes, 2 editions, 2 languages
Atlas of Middle-earth [AM]: 3 volumes/editions, 3 languages
Atlas of Middle-earth [AM]: 3 volumes/editions, 3 languages
Tales from the Perilous Realm [PR]: 8 volumes/editions, 2 languages. NOTE: Included in the numbers for PR are the five stories Roverandom [PR-R], Farmer Giles of Ham [PR-FG], The Adventures of Tom Bombadil [PR-TB], Smith of Wootton Major [PR-SW], and Leaf by Niggle [PR-LN]. These are published individually, all in one volume (under the title Tales from the Perilous Realm), and in different subgroupings (under various titles such as Sprookjes van Tolkien (Dutch, containing [PR-SW], [PR-FG], and [PR-LN]). They are also included as filler in volumes containing major works such as LOTR.
Tales from the Perilous Realm [PR]: 8 volumes/editions, 2 languages. NOTE: Included in the numbers for PR are the five stories Roverandom [PR-R], Farmer Giles of Ham [PR-FG], The Adventures of Tom Bombadil [PR-TB], Smith of Wootton Major [PR-SW], and Leaf by Niggle [PR-LN]. These are published individually, all in one volume (under the title Tales from the Perilous Realm), and in different subgroupings (under various titles such as Sprookjes van Tolkien (Dutch, containing [PR-SW], [PR-FG], and [PR-LN]). They are also included as filler in volumes containing major works such as LOTR.
Elvish Grammars [ZL]: 1 volume/edition, 1 language. These are grammars of Elvish in different languages. By their nature they are not translations from English, but written individually in every language they appear in.
Elvish Grammars [ZL]: 1 volume/edition, 1 language. These are grammars of Elvish in different languages. By their nature they are not translations from English, but written individually in every language they appear in.
Miscellaneous [ZZ]: 1 volume/edition, 1 language. These are works about Middle-earth that are not credited to one of the Tolkiens and not translated into other languages.
Miscellaneous [ZZ]: 1 volume/edition, 1 language. These are works about Middle-earth that are not credited to one of the Tolkiens and not translated into other languages.
The Collection
The Collection
The pages are arranged by the order of languages I use on my shelves. I start with English and move through the Indo-European languages most closely related to English (Germanic) to those that are the most distantly related to English (Indo-Aryan) (with geographic proximity to the British Isles resolving ties). The order moves through the non-Indopean languages roughly from west to east. Within languages the volumes are arranged by the order in which they were published. The Table of Contents contains lists by language name , by title in Unicode order, and by language family.
The pages are arranged by the order of languages I use on my shelves. I start with English and move through the Indo-European languages most closely related to English (Germanic) to those that are the most distantly related to English (Indo-Aryan) (with geographic proximity to the British Isles resolving ties). The order moves through the non-Indopean languages roughly from west to east. Within languages the volumes are arranged by the order in which they were published. The Table of Contents contains lists by language name , by title in Unicode order, and by language family.
The collection is by no means complete and not every translation in every language is represented here. As of 19 February 2026, when the Urdu translation arrived, I now have at least one copy of LOTR in every language into which all or part of it has been translated and published (at least that I know about). While I have translations of The Hobbit in some languages that do not have a LOTR translation, that has never been a focus of my collection.
The collection is by no means complete and not every translation in every language is represented here. As of 19 February 2026, when the Urdu translation arrived, I now have at least one copy of LOTR in every language into which all or part of it has been translated and published (at least that I know about). While I have translations of The Hobbit in some languages that do not have a LOTR translation, that has never been a focus of my collection.
There is one translation that has been printed, but is not included here--Esperanto. Esperanto is an artificial language so my interest in it is limited.
There is one translation that has been printed, but is not included here--Esperanto. Esperanto is an artificial language so my interest in it is limited.
The images throughout the website are scans of my copies. My current scanner is an inexpensive home multifunction printer/scanner so when the covers have foils, they don't scan well. If a cover looks "boring" and you can't see the art or text, that's often the reason. Some of the worst scans I have supplemented with a photo that shows the true colors.
The images throughout the website are scans of my copies. My current scanner is an inexpensive home multifunction printer/scanner so when the covers have foils, they don't scan well. If a cover looks "boring" and you can't see the art or text, that's often the reason. Some of the worst scans I have supplemented with a photo that shows the true colors.
Rarities
Rarities
No collection of translations of LOTR can be complete without a copy of the first published edition of the first translation (from 1954 to 1955 into Dutch). Only 3000 copies of the first edition were printed and it was never printed in that form again. While the original dust jackets of my copy (on left) are not in good condition (thus halving its value on the collector market), this is still a treasure to me. I recently purchased and installed replica dust jackets (on right), but saved the originals for archival purposes.
No collection of translations of LOTR can be complete without a copy of the first published edition of the first translation (from 1954 to 1955 into Dutch). Only 3000 copies of the first edition were printed and it was never printed in that form again. While the original dust jackets of my copy (on left) are not in good condition (thus halving its value on the collector market), this is still a treasure to me. I recently purchased and installed replica dust jackets (on right), but saved the originals for archival purposes.
The next translation of LOTR was from 1959 to 1961 into Swedish. As was common practice at the time, the softcover (on right) and hardcover (on left) were published simultaneously and include the identical text between the covers of both. 3000 total copies were printed, with the hardcover editions accounting for 30-40% of the total (the usual breakdown, but the exact number is unknown).
The next translation of LOTR was from 1959 to 1961 into Swedish. As was common practice at the time, the softcover (on right) and hardcover (on left) were published simultaneously and include the identical text between the covers of both. 3000 total copies were printed, with the hardcover editions accounting for 30-40% of the total (the usual breakdown, but the exact number is unknown).
From the very beginning I had identified several "white whales"--unique translations that were proving nearly impossible to locate. Within Europe the Macedonian translation was the hardest. After years of searching in vain, I finally made contact with a Croatian bookseller who had contacts. The full story is told on the Macedonian page, but the set that I acquired was, literally, the last set on the shelf in the publisher's warehouse. I have been unable to locate the total number which were printed.
From the very beginning I had identified several "white whales"--unique translations that were proving nearly impossible to locate. Within Europe the Macedonian translation was the hardest. After years of searching in vain, I finally made contact with a Croatian bookseller who had contacts. The full story is told on the Macedonian page, but the set that I acquired was, literally, the last set on the shelf in the publisher's warehouse. I have been unable to locate the total number which were printed.
Early on during my collecting, I focused primarily on the Germanic languages (since I speak one), but then expanded to the Slavic languages (since my wife speaks one). Almost by chance I located a seller in Minsk who happened to be the outlet for the self-published first (and at that time only) Belarusian translation. Only 500 copies were produced and they are very rarely for sale. The seller I purchased my copy from is no longer in business. That is probably not unexpected since the Lukashenko regime in Belarus has closed many independent book publishers and sellers. My wife did all the communicating with the seller in Russian.
Early on during my collecting, I focused primarily on the Germanic languages (since I speak one), but then expanded to the Slavic languages (since my wife speaks one). Almost by chance I located a seller in Minsk who happened to be the outlet for the self-published first (and at that time only) Belarusian translation. Only 500 copies were produced and they are very rarely for sale. The seller I purchased my copy from is no longer in business. That is probably not unexpected since the Lukashenko regime in Belarus has closed many independent book publishers and sellers. My wife did all the communicating with the seller in Russian.
While Macedonian was the European "white whale", the Mongolian translation from China using the traditional Bichig script was the Asian one. After many years of searching, a Chinese contact from the Tolkien Collectors Guide pointed me to an obscure site in the Inner Mongolian region of China where it was being offered for sale. I was able to get the six volumes of LOTR and the accompanying Hobbit and add them to my collection. 200o copies of LOTR were printed, but only 1000 of the accompanying Hobbit.
While Macedonian was the European "white whale", the Mongolian translation from China using the traditional Bichig script was the Asian one. After many years of searching, a Chinese contact from the Tolkien Collectors Guide pointed me to an obscure site in the Inner Mongolian region of China where it was being offered for sale. I was able to get the six volumes of LOTR and the accompanying Hobbit and add them to my collection. 200o copies of LOTR were printed, but only 1000 of the accompanying Hobbit.
The Latin translation was never actually published due to an agreement between the Tolkien Estate and the translator, but 30 copies were printed for non-profit distribution to friends and family. I doubted that I would ever even see a copy let alone own one. Then one went on auction in the UK and this became the highest-priced edition to join my collection (three and a half times what I paid for the second-highest, the Swedish first edition hardbacks above).
The Latin translation was never actually published due to an agreement between the Tolkien Estate and the translator, but 30 copies were printed for non-profit distribution to friends and family. I doubted that I would ever even see a copy let alone own one. Then one went on auction in the UK and this became the highest-priced edition to join my collection (three and a half times what I paid for the second-highest, the Swedish first edition hardbacks above).
Terminology Notes
Terminology Notes
Throughout the site I have referred to FR (The Fellowship of the Ring), TT (The Two Towers), and RK (The Return of the King). Tolkien did not think of his work as a trilogy, but as a single work divided into 6 numbered Books. When needed, I have referred to these six Books as "Books" (with a capital B). Some Japanese and Korean editions follow this pattern and publish each of Tolkien's Books as separate volumes rather than following the earliest English publication pattern which put two Books into each of three volumes. This three-volume pattern is the most common publishing standard, followed by the one-volume pattern. Some early Eastern European editions, such as the first Bulgarian and Russian editions, as well as French N, divided the six Books into two volumes. This pattern is not followed in 21st century editions, however. Some editions, such as Georgian B, have FR broken into two volumes. The Appendices are not always present, but when they are they are most commonly bound with RK. In some editions, such as Dutch E, German A, German F, and Japanese B, they are bound as a separate volume, but this is not common. A particularly interesting pattern is found in Russian L, where the Appendices are published as the Prologue to FR in the first of two volumes. In some of the latest volumes of the first Swedish translation, such as Swedish C, the Appendices are bound with three of Tolkien's minor works. At the bottom of the Table of Contents is a chart to illustrate the different publishing formats found in my collection.
Throughout the site I have referred to FR (The Fellowship of the Ring), TT (The Two Towers), and RK (The Return of the King). Tolkien did not think of his work as a trilogy, but as a single work divided into 6 numbered Books. When needed, I have referred to these six Books as "Books" (with a capital B). Some Japanese and Korean editions follow this pattern and publish each of Tolkien's Books as separate volumes rather than following the earliest English publication pattern which put two Books into each of three volumes. This three-volume pattern is the most common publishing standard, followed by the one-volume pattern. Some early Eastern European editions, such as the first Bulgarian and Russian editions, as well as French N, divided the six Books into two volumes. This pattern is not followed in 21st century editions, however. Some editions, such as Georgian B, have FR broken into two volumes. The Appendices are not always present, but when they are they are most commonly bound with RK. In some editions, such as Dutch E, German A, German F, and Japanese B, they are bound as a separate volume, but this is not common. A particularly interesting pattern is found in Russian L, where the Appendices are published as the Prologue to FR in the first of two volumes. In some of the latest volumes of the first Swedish translation, such as Swedish C, the Appendices are bound with three of Tolkien's minor works. At the bottom of the Table of Contents is a chart to illustrate the different publishing formats found in my collection.
Some one-volume Russian editions of LOTR also include The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and, more recently, The Children of Húrin. These megavolumes are called Полная История Средиземья ("The Complete History of Middle-earth"). See Russian S [H S CH] and Russian U [H S].
Some one-volume Russian editions of LOTR also include The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and, more recently, The Children of Húrin. These megavolumes are called Полная История Средиземья ("The Complete History of Middle-earth"). See Russian S [H S CH] and Russian U [H S].
When needed, I refer to the number of "volumes" as being the number of physical, individually-bound units in a particular edition. I use the term "edition" to refer to a single volume or set of volumes (from two through nine) that comprise a single published product.
When needed, I refer to the number of "volumes" as being the number of physical, individually-bound units in a particular edition. I use the term "edition" to refer to a single volume or set of volumes (from two through nine) that comprise a single published product.
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