Song of the Kingdoms
Dhassa’hai so (1) Ne-Quin-Al
Rim’kha jah rawlith dei (2)
Paaji (a) Rawla-Kei rabi (3) ne
Ja-Kha’jay so (1) Dunei
Dar-Krinya (4) Orcrest shabar Khaj
Verkarth Do-Radhin hiicho
Krinya (4) tibe (a) sa (5) Meirvale
Helkarn rabi (3) na irzo (o)
Jo-ta’agra Al’basti beba
Rawla khajiit so (1) Bruk’ra
Jhaza Pa’alatiin so (1) ghaten
Corinthe eks eta kra (oo)
Paaji (a) paba (a) so (1) Tenmar
Torval hadal-ziir Rid-Thar diit (*)
Koomurr Khenarthia rabi (3) roh
Senchal rawlin thorjiit
Swift paws of Ne-Quin-Al
Rimmen gold rains down
Green Riverhold has farms
Blessed-moons of Dune
Clever-Smile Orcrest in Dessert
Verkarth Strong-Warrior stand
Must-smile drinks for Meirvale
Helkarn has wary eyes
Wise words Alabaster praise
River people of Bruk'ra
Pray Pa'alatiin of reverence
Corinthe carving wood
Green forests of Tenmar
Torval renowns the Mane
Sweet Khenarthia has fish
Senchal ocean traders
Notes and useful info:
Text in white includes only the names of the sixteen kingdoms, which should be assumed to be right since they have been documented in many sources (except Ne-Quin-Al, where the proper lore name is Ne Quin-al).
Text in green includes the parts that I'm certain (x) I both heard and have written correctly.
Text in red includes the parts that I'm certain (x) I heard correctly, but not certain at all about whether I have written them correctly.
Text in blue includes the parts that I’m not certain at all about what I heard, let alone what I have written.
The second and fourth verses of each stanza of the song in Ta’agra rhyme with each other. That sometimes helps and other times hinders from figuring out which word is sung each time (e.g. see first comment below).
(x) I may still be wrong. :)
Comments:
(*) It sounds more like 'ri’naldiit'. The Mane is translated into 'Rid-T’har' in the Ta'agra Project. In game, it’s encountered and treated as part of the name of the First Mane Rid-Thar-ri’Datta, since no other Mane is referred as Rid-Thar-Whatever-the-name. If 'Rid-Thar' is indeed the canon word in Ta’agra for 'Mane', then the '(d)iit' (word) suffix isn’t needed except to make the verse rhyme with the last one…
(1) 'So' seems to be used as a translation of 'of', when 'di' is used in game as 'of' (e.g. in the title of this very song 'Rithana-di-renada'). Could 'so' be an archaic version of the word? If true, then the 'Rithana-di-renada' title was probably given recently (relative to ESO events) to the song.
(2) Zerith-var uses the term 'siich’dei' after defeating a dragon, which is likely to mean 'sit down'. 'Siicho' does translate into 'sit' according to the Ta’agra Project and The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (S’rathra). The Ta’agra Project uses 'fema' for 'down', which has nothing to do with what’s spoken in the song.
(3) Should be 'rabiba' ('has') instead of 'rabi' ('I have'), according to the Ta’agra Project, unless it’s a shortened/archaic version of the word.
(4) 'Krinya' ('smile'/'must-smile') is also found written as 'krin yuj' or 'kriinya' or 'kriin yuj' or even 'kreenya' (phonetic) in other sources. 'Krin' ('smile') can be found in Ahzirr Traajijazeri, and for this reason 'krinya' is used here.
(5) 'Sa' seems to be used as a translation of 'for', when 'for' is translated as 'dorr' in the Ta’agra Project and in The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard (S’rathra). Could 'sa' be an archaic version of the word?
(o) Could it be 'nair-jo' instead? 'Jo' as a honorific refers to a male healer, scholar, mage and wise person, so its meaning could be stretched to also include 'wary'. On the other hand, honorifics are constantly used only as prefixes in the song, so this train of thought may be totally wrong. There is no canon word in Ta’agra for 'wary' or 'eyes' available (xx) at the moment. A burnt scripture and the Ta’agra Project use 'atha’a' for 'eyes', which has nothing to do with what’s spoken in the song. The Ta’agra Project has 'rasinka' (verb – 'defended'/'guarded') as a synonym for 'wary', but again that has nothing to do with what’s spoken in the song.
(oo) It’s more likely to be 'qra' instead, because 'kra' is used as an exclamation in game (Zerith-var) that is unlikely to mean 'wood'. Unless 'kra' has a different meaning when used as an exclamation and a different one as part of a sentence. There is no canon word in Ta’agra currently available (xx) for 'wood'. The Ta’agra Project uses 'drena', which has nothing to do with what’s spoken in the song.
(a) The remaining words missing are 'green', 'drinks' and 'forests', which have no canon words in Ta’agra available (xx) at the moment. The Ta’agra Project uses 'hejta' (adj.), 'toja' (verb) and 'vana’a' (noun) respectively, which have nothing to do with what’s spoken in the song.
(xx) …that I’m aware of… :)
Rithana-di-Renada
An attempt to transcribe the Ta'agra lyrics of the song, as they are heard in-game