Newly written Quenya texts tend to be in verse. Prose is rare. Well, let's try to produce a relatively long Quenya text in prose. Let's translate the first chapter of the Bible into Quenya!
Luckily, most of the vocabulary we need is readily available. One of the very first words, "beginning", is however a little problematic. In the Etymologies we have essë "beginning", but this clashes with the word for "name", well attested in later sources and also listed in the previous entry in Etym! The entry ESE-, ESET-, that yielded essë "beginning", was marked with a query: Tolkien had to think about this! Another word derived from the same stem was esta "first", and this gives us a clue to how Tolkien eventually decided to remove the homophony: In LotR Appendix D, in the descriptions of the calendars, we find the word yestarë, the name of the first day of the year. Yestarë can hardly mean anything else than "first-day" (the element -rë "day" also appears in many other words). It seems, then, that Tolkien had decided to prefix a y to the stem ESE-, ESET- to keep the words derived from it apart from the derivatives of ES, having to do with names and naming. Esta "first" thus became yesta, and we must assume that essë "beginning" likewise became yessë. So the first words of the Bible, "in the beginning", may be rendered i yessessë.
It's a pity that we don't know what the nominalizer "that" (as opposed to the pronoun "that") is in Quenya. It would be needed in such sentences as "God saw that the light was good". We will just have to leave "that" out; it is possible in English, and for Quenya we lack examples: Eru cennë i cálë né mára = "God saw the light was good".
The verb "to be" is a problem. The only attested forms in mature Quenya are ná "is", nar "are" and nai "may it be". Fíriel's Song in LR:72 has ye "is" and the future tense yéva "will be". The first would seem to be obsoleted by ná, and since yéva plainly belongs to the same paradigm, it is probably obsolete, too. Even so, we will use the form yéva a few times, since it is at least "genuine Tolkien" and it is not clear what "will be" is in mature Quenya (nauva? náva? núva?). But we're going to need a word for "was", too. If the verb is regular, we would expect "was" to be something like *nanë, but who's heard about a language with a regular verb "to be"? (Yes, there is esti, estas, estis, estos, estus, estu, but Esperanto doesn't count!) In her Basic Quenya, Nancy Martsch points out that there is some tradition for using né as the Quenya word for "was", and this form is as good as any until Tolkien's linguistic papers are published. As the imperative of ná, another unattested form, we will use na in conjunction with the independent imperative particle á - hence ána = "o be!"; compare áva "don't" from the simpler root BA having to do with refusal (see WJ:370-371). But where the verb "to be" is not a mere copula, but acquires a more absolute sense ("to exist"), we will use the verb ëa, past tense *ëanë (as in ëanë mornië or i undumë = "there was darkness (darkness existed) upon the abyss". The Ainulindalë tells how Eru gave the Music independent being with this word: "Eä! Let these things Be!" Therefore, we can probably use constructions like ëa cálë! = "there be light!"
We are also going to need a verb "divide". The Etymologies provides us with a primitive stem KIL having this meaning, but no Quenya verb. We could simply use *cil-, but cilmë, that would be the corresponding verbal noun, is used for "choice" in later works. Hence cil- = "choose"? This may represent the same basic idea "divide": by choosing you pick one alternative, thereby dividing or separating it from the other options. Even so, for "divide" we should probably try to find another word than cil-. By adding a very frequent verbal ending to KIL we derive *cilta- (a verb I believe I have seen in another Quenya text, not my own). The ending -ta may have a causative meaning, as in tulta- "summon" (make come) as compared to the stem TUL "come", but sometimes it adds nothing to the meaning of the basic root, as when the stem LEK "loose, let loose" yields the Quenya verb lehta- of similar meaning (*kt becoming ht in Quenya). Therefore a verb cilta- can have the same meaning as the basic stem KIL, "divide". (Cilta- is translated "separate" below.)
Then there is the problem of ordinals. We have words for "first, second, third" (minya, tatya, nelya), but what about "fourth", "fifth" and "sixth"? We are going to need those, too. Well, minya, tatya, nelya "first, second, third" correspond to minë, atta, neldë "one, two, three", that are derived from the primitive stems MINI, AT(AT) and NÉL-ED. It would seem that ordinals are formed with the well-known adjectival ending -ya. The words for "four, five, six" are canta, lempë, enquë, from the stems KÁNAT, LEP (LEPEN) and ÉNEK. Since the ending -ya descends from primitive -jâ, we could have primitive ordinals *kanatjâ "fourth", *lepjâ, *lepenjâ "fifth" and *enekjâ "sixth", that would become canatya/cantya, lepya/lepenya and enetya in Quenya. But KÁNAT seems to be an extended form of a shorter stem *KAN, not to be confused with the stem KAN- "dare" given in LR:362. This shorter form evidently underlies the prefix can- *"four-". Since the attested ordinal nelya "third" comes from nel (WJ:421) rather than the longer stem NÉL-ED given in the Etymologies, I think we should opt for canya (from the short stem *KAN-) rather than cantya as the word for "fourth", though this produces a clash with a word for "bold" given in LR:362 (there spelt kanya). I'm not entirely happy with the forms lepya/lepenya and enetya, either; they are too unlike the numerals lempë, enquë. I think I'll prefer lempëa and enquëa for "fifth" and "sixth", deriving them from the words for "five" and "six" with the frequent adjectival ending -a.
There are a few other problems, too; we shall have to invent a word for "insect" as we go along (what about celvallë, diminutive of celva "animal"?) But there are verse-by-verse comments below for those who need them. Vocabulary items not especially mentioned can be found (I hope) in the Elvish-English Etymologies Index and/or the Quenya Corpus Wordlist.
All right...let's do it!
1 I yessessë Eru ontanë Menel ar Cemen. 2 Cemen né cumna ar lusta, ar ëanë mornië or i undumë, nan Eruo Súlë willë or i neni.
3 Ar equë Eru: "Eä cálë!" Ar ëanë cálë. 4 Eru cennë i cálë né mára, ar Eru ciltanë i cálë i morniello. 5 Ar Eru estanë i cálë Aurë, ar i mornië estanéro Lómë. Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i minya aurë.
6 Ar equë Eru: "Eä telluma endessë i nenion, ar ciltuvas nén nenello." 7 Ar Eru carnë i telluma ar ciltanë i neni or i telluma i nenillon nu i telluma. Ar nés ve ta. 8 Ar Eru estanë i telluma Menel. Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i tatya aurë.
9 Ar equë Eru: "Ána i neni nu menel hostainë minë menessë, ar ána i parca nór cénina!" Ar nés ve ta. 10 Ar Eru estanë i parca nór Cemen, nan i hostainë neni estanéro Eär. Ar Eru cennë ta né mára.
11 Ar equë Eru: "A cola cemen salquë, olvar carila erdi, yávaldar colila yávë nostalentassen, mi cemen." Ar nés ve ta. 12 Cemen collë salquë, olvar carila erdi, nostalentassen, ar aldar colila yávë yassë ëar erdentar, nostalentassen. Ar Eru cennë ta né mára. 13 Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i nelya aurë.
14 Ar equë Eru: "Eä calmar tellumassë menelo ciltien aurë lómello, ar yévantë tannar asarion ar aurion ar coranárion. 15 Yévantë calmar tellumassë menelo caltien cemenna." Ar nés ve ta. 16 Eru carnë i atta altë calmar, i analta calma turien auressë ar i pitya calma turien lómessë, ar i eleni. 17 Ar Eru panyanë te tellumassë menelo caltien cemenna 18 ar turien auressë ar lómessë ar ciltien cálë morniello. Ar Eru cennë ta né mára. 19 Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i canya aurë.
20 Ar equë Eru: "A ëa úvë cuinë onnolíva i nenissen, ar a wila aiweli tellumassë menelo." 21 Ar Eru ontanë i altë ëarcelvar ar ilya úvë cuinë onnaiva i rihtar i nenissen, nostalentassen, ar ilyë rámavoiti onnar nostalentassen. Ar Eru cennë ta né mára. 22 Ar Eru laitanë te ar quentë: "Ána yávinquë ar ána rimbë, quata nén i ëarion, ar i aiwi yévar rimbë mi cemen!" 23 Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i lempëa aurë.
24 Ar equë Eru: "A cola cemen cuinë onnar nostalentassen, lamni ar celvaller ar cemeno hravani celvar, nostalentassen." 25 Ar Eru carnë cemeno hravani celvar nostalentassen, ar i lamni nostalentassen ar ilyë celvar i vantar mi cemen, nostalentassen. Ar Eru cennë ta né mára.
26 Ar equë Eru: "A caralmë Atan venwelmassë, canta ve me; ar turuváro ëaro lingwi ar menelo aiwi ar i lamni ar ilya cemen ar ilyë celvar i vantar mi cemen." 27 Ar Eru ontanë Atan venweryassë, Eruo venwessë ontanéros; hanu ar ní ontanéro te. 28 Ar Eru laitanë te, ar equë Eru na te: "Ána yávinquë ar ána rimbë, quata cemen ar panya ta nu le, ar tura ëaro lingwi ar menelo aiwi ar ilyë cuinë onnar i vantar mi cemen." 29 Ar equë Eru: "Cena, antan len ilyë olvar carila erdi, ilya i ëar ilya palúressë cemeno, ar ilyë aldar carila yávi yassen ëar erdi. Ta ná ya mantuval. 30 Ar ilyë hravani celvain ar ilye menelo aiwin ar ilyan i vanta mi cemen, ilya cuinan, antan ilyë laiquë olvar matië."
31 Ar Eru cennë ilya ya carnéro, ar cena, nés ammára. Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i enquëa aurë.
Or verse by verse:
1. I yessessë Eru ontanë Menel ar Cemen.
In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth. [I don't think Menel "Heavens" and Cemen "Earth" require the article i "the" in Quenya; they are almost proper names.]
2. Cemen né cumna ar lusta, ar ëanë mornië or i undumë, nan Eruo Súlë willë or i neni.
The Earth was [*né] void and empty, and there was darkness upon (over) the abyss, but the Spirit of God hovered above the waters. [Others take the Hebrew text to mean "in the beginning, when God created the Heavens and the Earth, the Earth was void and empty..." = i yessessë, írë Eru ontanë Menel ar Cemen, Cemen né cumna ar lusta...]
3. Ar equë Eru: "Eä cálë!" Ar ëanë cálë.
And God said, "There be light!" And there was light. [In this text, we can make good use of the tenseless verb equë "says, said". According to WJ:392, it was used to introduce quotations. Tolkien noted that this strange form was used before a name or an independent pronoun, the whole phrase of verb and name/pronoun then being followed by the actual quote. Earlier versions of this text failed to take into account Tolkien's note on word order, and we had the name Eru preceding equë instead of following it.]
4. Eru cennë i cálë né mára, ar Eru ciltanë i cálë i morniello.
God saw [that] the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. (Verb *cilta- "separate" based on the stem KIL- "divide", LR:365.)
5. Ar Eru estanë i cálë Aurë, ar i mornië estanéro Lómë. Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i minya aurë.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And it became evening, and it became morning, the first day.
6. Ar equë Eru: "Eä telluma endessë i nenion, ar ciltuvas nén nenello."
And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the middle of the waters, and it shall separate water from water."
7. Ar Eru carnë i telluma ar ciltanë i neni or i telluma i nenillon nu i telluma. Ar nés ve ta.
And God made the firmament and separated the waters above the firmament from the waters below it. And it was [became? remained?] so [ve ta = "like that"!]
8. Ar Eru estanë i telluma Menel. Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i tatya aurë.
And God called the firmament Heaven. And it became evening, and it became morning, the second day.
9. Ar equë Eru: "Ána i neni nu menel hostainë minë menessë, ar ána i parca nór cénina!" Ar nés ve ta.
And God said: "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered in one place, and let the dry land appear!" And it was [became?] so. [*Ána = "be", imperative, hence literally "be the waters...gathered..., and be the dry land seen".]
10. Ar Eru estanë i parca nór Cemen, nan i hostainë neni estanéro Eär. Ar Eru cennë ta né mára.
And God called the dry land Earth, but the waters [that were] gathered he called Sea. And God saw [that] it was good.
11. Ar equë Eru: "A cola cemen salquë, olvar carila erdi, yávaldar colila yávë nostalentassen, mi cemen." Ar nés ve ta.
And God said: "Let the earth bear [forth] grass, plants making seeds, fruit-trees bearing [forth] fruit according to their kinds, in the earth." And it was [became? remained?] so. [Nostalë "species, kind": Qenya Lexicon p. 66, also LT1:272. Pl. locative nostalentassen is literally "in their kinds".]
12. Cemen collë salquë, olvar carila erdi, nostalentassen, ar aldar colila yávë yassë ëar erdentar, nostalentassen. Ar Eru cennë ta né mára.
The earth bore [forth] grass, plants making seeds, according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which their seeds are, according to their kinds. And God saw [that] it was good.
13. Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i nelya aurë.
And it became evening, and it became morning, the third day.
14. Ar equë Eru: "Eä calmar tellumassë menelo ciltien aurë lómello, ar yévantë tannar asarion ar aurion ar coranárion.
And God said: "Let there be lights [or, lamps] on the firmament of the heavens to separate day from night, and they will be signs of times and days and years. [Noun tanna "sign": MR:385.]
15. Yévantë calmar tellumassë menelo caltien cemenna." Ar nés ve ta.
They will be lights on the firmament of the heavens to shine upon the earth." And it was [became?] so.
16. Eru carnë i atta altë calmar, i analta calma turien auressë ar i pitya calma turien lómessë, ar i eleni.
God made the two great lights, the greatest light to rule at day and the lesser light to rule at night, and the stars. [Lesser: lit. small, as in the original Hebrew.]
17. Ar Eru panyanë te tellumassë menelo caltien cemenna
And God placed them on the firmament of the heavens to shine upon the earth
18. ar turien auressë ar lómessë ar ciltien cálë morniello. Ar Eru cennë ta né mára.
and to rule by day and by night and to separate light from darkness. And God saw [that] it was good.
19. Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i canya aurë.
And it became evening, and it became morning, the fourth day.
20. Ar equë Eru: "A eä úvë cuinë onnolíva i nenissen, ar a wila aiweli tellumassë menelo."
And God said: "Let there be a swarm [úvë = "abundance"] of living creatures in the waters, and let birds fly in the firmament of the heavens." [In this verse I use li-plurals for "creatures" and "birds"...just my intuition!]
21. Ar Eru ontanë i altë ëarcelvar ar ilya úvë cuinë onnaiva i rihtar i nenissen, nostalentassen, ar ilyë rámavoiti onnar nostalentassen. Ar Eru cennë ta né mára.
And God created the great animals of the sea and the whole abundance of living creatures that move in the waters, after their kinds, and all winged creatures after their kinds. And God saw [that] it was good.
22. Ar Eru laitanë te ar quentë: "Ána yávinquë ar ána rimbë, quata nén i ëarion, ar i aiwi yévar rimbë mi cemen!"
And God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and be[come] many, fill the water of the oceans, and the birds shall be many in the earth!" [*Yávinqua pl. *yávinquë "fruitful", yávë + -inqua; rimbë pl. of rimba "numerous". - When no name or pronoun follows, we prefer quentë to equë for "said".]
23. Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i lempëa aurë.
And it became evening, and it became morning, the fifth day. [Lempë "five" > adj. *lempëa "fifth"?]
24. Ar equë Eru: "A cola cemen cuinë onnar nostalentassen, lamni ar celvaller ar cemeno hravani celvar, nostalentassen."
And God said: "Let the earth bring forth [lit. bear] living creatures according to their kinds, beasts and insects and the wild animals of the earth, according to their kinds." [*Celvallë: "insect", lit. "small animal", diminutive of celva; for the ending -llë cf. nandë "harp", ñandellë "little harp", LR:377. Hebrew remes seems to refer to something that creeps or moves.]
25. Ar Eru carnë cemeno hravani celvar nostalentassen, ar i lamni nostalentassen ar ilyë celvar i vantar mi cemen, nostalentassen. Ar Eru cennë ta né mára.
And God made the wild animals of the earth according to their kinds, and the beasts according to their kinds and all animals that walk the earth, according to their kinds. And God saw [that] it was good.
26. Ar equë Eru: "A caralmë Atan venwelmassë, canta ve me; ar turuváro ëaro lingwi ar menelo aiwi ar i lamni ar ilya cemen ar ilyë celvar i vantar mi cemen."
And God said: "Let us make Man in our image, shaped like us; and he shall rule the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts and all the earth and all animals that walk the earth." [Venwë "shape, *image": Qenya Lexicon p. 100, also LT1:254.]
27. Ar Eru ontanë Atan venweryassë, Eruo venwessë ontanéros; hanu ar ní ontanéro te.
And God created Man in his image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28. Ar Eru laitanë te, ar equë Eru na te: "Ána yávinquë ar ána rimbë, quata cemen ar panya ta nu le, ar tura ëaro lingwi ar menelo aiwi ar ilyë cuinë onnar i vantar mi cemen."
And God blessed them, and God said to them: "Be fruitful and become many, fill the earth and subdue it [place it under you], and rule the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and all living creatures that walk the earth."
29. Ar equë Eru: "Cena, antan len ilyë olvar carila erdi, ilya i ëar ilya palúressë cemeno, ar ilyë aldar carila yávi yassen ëar erdi. Ta ná ya mantuval.
And God said: "Behold, I give you all plants making seeds, all there are on the entire surface of the earth, and all trees making fruits in which there are seeds. That is what you will eat. [Mantuva- future tense of mat- "eat"; I base the nasal infixion in the future tense on the verb quantuva "will fill" in Namárië. The more basic form of this verb is given as quat- in WJ:392.]
30. Ar ilyë hravani celvain ar ilye menelo aiwin ar ilyan i vanta mi cemen, ilya cuinan, antan ilyë laiquë olvar matië."
And to all wild animals and all the birds of heaven and to everything that walks the earth, to all that lives, I give all green plants to eat."
31. Ar Eru cennë ilya ya carnéro, ar cena, nés ammára. Ar ëanë sinyë, ar ëanë arin, i enquëa aurë.
And God saw all that he [had] made, and behold, it was very good. And it became evening, and it became morning, the sixth day. [ammára < an-mára, sc. mára "good" with the "superlative or intensive" prefix an- mentioned in Letters:385. *Enquëa "sixth" < enquë "six".]
Well, that was the first chapter of the Bible. 1188 chapters to go...