elves: Indic counterpart?

[Allen W Thrasher]

A Thai friend is trying to translate the poem on the Ring in the Lord of
the Rings into Thai, for a multilingual page of such translations.  She
asked me for help on what would be a good translation for "elves," since
Thai lore of supernatural beings is largely based on Indian.  The only
thing I could think of was gandharvas, since they are beautiful,
elegants, and sprightly, but they are erotic in a way in which elves (at
least Tolkien's) aren't. I am inclined to think there really isn't
anything much like elves, either Tolkien's or others'.  But does anyone
have any ideas?

Allen

Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.
Senior Reference Librarian
Southern Asia Section
Asian Division
Library of Congress
Jefferson Building 150
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC 20540-4810
tel. 202-707-3732
fax 202-707-1724
athr at loc.gov
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of Congress.