A small aged brass hourglass with almost no sand left in the top, casting a long soft shadow on a dark blue background.

Original artwork, not a still

Gandalf

Three hundred lives of men I have walked this earth and now I have no time.

— The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers  ·  2002

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Three hundred lives of men is an enormous span, and the line sets it against 'no time' for a sharp jolt. After all that walking, the line ends on scarcity. Age doesn't buy patience here; it makes the shortage of time feel stranger.

Context reviewed

Share this quote