The One Ring’s inscription is written in the Black Speech in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
The inscription begins, “Ash nazg durbatulûk,” and describes the Ring’s power to rule the other Rings. Tolkien presents the Black Speech as a language created by Sauron for the servants of Mordor.
The Ring’s writing appears as fiery letters when the Ring is heated. Gandalf reads the inscription aloud in the chapter “The Shadow of the Past,” revealing its connection to the ancient verse about the Rings of Power.
The Black Speech is not the same as Quenya or Sindarin, the major Elvish languages. It is also distinct from Westron, the Common Speech used by many peoples in the late Third Age.