‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Dothraki Song Translation Revealed

The first season of HBO’s new Game of Thrones prequel series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is nearing the end of its first season, which has gone over incredibly well. People are loving the tale of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his tiny squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), with the most recent two episodes getting scores on par with the best episodes from Game of Thrones.

The most recent episode, “In the Name of the Mother,” opened with an extended flashback to Dunk’s youth as a homeless orphan on the streets of Flea Bottom in King’s Landing. We saw how he first came to meet Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), the elderly warrior who taught him how to be a knight. (Or at least Ser Arlan was elderly for Westeros, where barely anyone makes it to 50.)

At one point in their wanderings, Ser Arlan starts singing songs that at first might sound like gibberish; Ser Arlan is known to enjoy a drink, so fans could be forgiven for thinking he was just making random sounds. But it ends up that he was actually singing a song in Dothraki, the language of the horselords from across the Narrow Sea. We heard the Dothraki language often enough on Game of Thrones, where it was spoken by the likes of warlord Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) and his wife Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). Where Ser Arlan learned that song, we can’t be sure, but a knight as well-traveled as he may have spent some time with the Dothraki at one time or another.

As for what Ser Arlan was saying, it just so happens that we have a translation from the creator of the Dothraki language himself: David J. Peterson.

Here’s Ser Arlan’s Dothraki Song, Translated Into English

Warner Bros. Discovery

David J. Peterson is a professional conlanger, someone who develops fictional languages for movies and TV shows. For Game of Thrones, he developed Dothraki as well as High Valyrian, which is also spoken on the prequel show House of the Dragon. We hadn’t heard of him working on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but he worked on the first two Game of Thrones shows so it would make sense that he would use his very specific talents here as well.

Peterson posted a translation of Ser Arlan’s song on his Archive of Our Own account. Check it out below:

The ropes of death enwrapped me,

Ungodly men have made me afraid,

The ropes of hell abound me,

The sorrows of death prevented me.

In my distress I called upon you,

The Great Stallion, who is worthy to be praised.

So shall I be saved from my strong enemy.

Beat them small as the dust before the wind.

I will cast the evil out,

As the dirt in the streets.

Courage is my salvation.

Mercy is my light.

Make my feet like hinds’ feet,

That my step would not blunder.

Gird me with might,

That I destroy them that hate me.

I will cast the evil out,

As the dirt in the streets.

Courage is my salvation.

Mercy is my light.

Peterson also posted the original Dothraki words to the song, in case you want to learn them and terrify everyone at your next open mic night.

Peter Claffey in a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Creator Knows Cutting This Scene From Book Was a “Mistake”

Cutting this scene from ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ was a bad call, but at least the showrunner knows it.

Anyway, the song has references to Dothraki mythology like the Great Stallion, and in general is pretty intense. It makes you wonder if Dunk ever picked up any Dothraki from Ser Arlan during their time together. Perhaps we’ll find out when the season 1 finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms airs on HBO Max on Sunday, February 22.