Pity and Fate. From the Fellowship of the Ring

This is one of my favorite conversation in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - to be precise, in the Fellowship of the Ring -. It happened After the fellowship entered the Mines of Moria (Khazad Dum), Just at the intersection where they stopped because Gandalf forgot which way to go. I quote it straight from the movie.

Frodo (F) : There is something down there.

Gandalf (G) : It's Gollum.

F : Gollum?

G : He's been following us for three days.

F : He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dur?

G : Escaped..or was set loose. Now the Ring has brought him here.
      He will never be rid of his need for It.
      He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself.
      Smeagol's life is a sad story.
      Yes, Smeagol he was once called.
      Before the Ring found him.
      Before it drove him mad.

F: It's a pity(1) Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance.

G : Pity(2). It is pity that stayed Bilbo's hand.
      Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life.

      Can you give it to them, Frodo?
      Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgment.
      Even the very wise cannot see all ends.
      My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over.
      The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.

Some simple messages that I like. The first is about judgement. I will not make a lengthy explanation about it. I think it's quite clear and simple.

Although there is one thing that intrigues me. The use of the word "pity" here can be immediately redirected for other purpose. The first "pity(2)" will be translated to Bahasa as "sayang sekali", but the second "pity(2)" should be translated as "kasihan". This I haven't cross checked it with the Indonesian version of the novel, but I think some meaning will be loose to translation. the ability to use the same word while immediately change its meaning is one of the interesting part of English language.

The second message is the work of fate. I love how Gandalf said that no one could truly predict every outcomes, even the darkest situation can actually end well, and visa versa. And sometimes an unfortunate event at present, or in the past, can actually lead to a good thing in the future, and visa versa. Thus the work of fate.

F : I wish the Ring had never come to me.
     I wish none of this had happened.
 

G : So do all who live to see such times.

      But that is not for them to decide.
     All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
     There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil.
     Bilbo was meant to find the Ring.
     In which case, you also were meant to have It.
     And that is an encouraging thought.

I love the way Gandalf responded Frodo's desperation. It is quite similar with what Monk Gyatso, Avatar Ang's Teacher said toward Ang's uncertainty.

"But we cannot concern ourselves with what was, we must act on what is"

And at the later part of Gandalf speech, he iterates about the work of fate. If Gollum hadn't found the Ring in the first place, Bilbo wouldn't had gotten it, and so wouldn't Frodo. And we all know that at the end of the story, Frodo proved unable to cast the Ring into the lava. And it was there that Gollum's role come into place when he grace the Ring from Frodo by force and fell - with the Ring - into the lava.

Of course by the logic of probability, many could go wrong, but that doesn't mean that we have to loose hope no matter how unfortunate we are. I know that this sounds cliche, but at least it is an encouraging thought, said Gandalf.