Is the phrase from “The Lord Of The Rings. The Two Towers” spoken by some orc of Mordor in debased variant of Black Speech to express disapproval of Isengard's orcs holding Merry and Pippin captured (Book Three, Chapter III: The Uruk-hai).
Uglúk u bagronk sha pushdug Saruman-glob búb-hosh skai
It's translations illustrate how often Tolkien changed his mind during the work. They are listed hear in order of publication:
The table of word-to-word translations (in order from newer to older):
Black Speech word | English translations | Etymology |
---|---|---|
bagronk | 4) torture chamber, 5) dungeon, 2) dung-pit, 3) cesspool | bag < WAGH (filth) or Noldorin “baul” < ÑGWAL (torment) ronk < Quenya “ringwë” (cold pool, lake) < RINGI (cold) or either from Quenya “rondo”, Noldorin “rhond”, “rhonn” < ROD (cave) |
búb-hosh | 4 & 5) dung-heap, muck-heap, 2) pig-guts, 3) great | |
glob | 4 & 2) filth, 5) foul, 3) fool | |
pushdug | 4 & 2)stinking, 5) squalid « filthy, 3) dungfilth | |
sha | 2, 4, 5) with, 3) (not translatable interjection) | |
skai | (not translatable interjection of contempt) | |
u | to | |
Uglúk | (orc's name) |
Different versions make hard to interpret the words “bagronk”, “pushdug” and “búb-hosh”. Existing dialects prefer the variant from Vinyar Tengwar or use all translations to illustrate quarrels of orcs caused by misunderstanding each other.
It's interesting that both translations of “glob” occurs in phrase “Saruman is a fool, and a dirty treacherous fool” of orc's quarrel in the same chapter. And for “búb-hosh” also: “I don't trust you little swine. You've no guts outside your own sties”, however the word “guts” here isn't in literal meaning. Then go more words from the curse: “Swine is it? How do you folk like being called swine by the muck-rakers of a dirty little wizard?” (italics in this sentence are from the book). “Muck-rakers” better corresponds to older translations of “bagronk”, however a newer translation of “búb-hosh” is also suitable. However, Nûrlâm's author prefers the earlier translation from Vinyar Tengwar because it has more connections with later conversations in “Uruk-hai” chapter.
This phrase is also impersonal, moreover it has no verb too! “Uglúk” here is direct object and “u bagronk” is indirect object. However with less strict approach one may say that preposition “u” took verbal meaning “go to” (and that is probably why it was used standalone), then “Uglúk” is subject.