03:P7b§II
The Lay of Leithian (§II)

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Volume: The Lays of Beleriand
Chapter: The Lay of Leithian (Canto II: Gorlim’s betrayal and Beren’s revenge)
Pages: 161–168
Paragraph count: 303
Token count: 1,973

Citation Index

Page numbers refer to the setting used by all editions other than mass-market paperbacks.

p161
II
⸤¶Far in the
⸤¶in caverns black
⸤¶by fires illumined
⸤¶that winds of
⸤¶made flare and
⸤¶the wavering bitter
⸤¶the sunless airs
⸤¶where evil things
⸤¶There sat a
⸤¶nor mortal blood,
⸤¶of earth or
⸤¶far older, stronger
⸤¶the world is
⸤¶that burns within
⸤¶and thoughts profound
⸤¶a gloomy power
⸤¶Unconquerable spears of
⸤¶were at his
⸤¶the legions of
⸤¶on whom did
⸤¶and black the
⸤¶upon their banners
⸤¶was heard their
⸤¶above the reek
⸤¶With fire and
⸤¶on all that
⸤¶like lightning fell.
⸤¶lay groaning neath
⸤¶But still there
⸤¶undaunted, Barahir the
⸤¶of land bereaved,
⸤¶who once a
⸤¶and now an
⸤¶in the hard
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⸤¶and with him
⸤¶but Beren his
⸤¶Yet small as
⸤¶still fell and
⸤¶and strong deeds
⸤¶and loved the
⸤¶them seemed than
⸤¶to live and
⸤¶King Morgoth still
⸤¶with men and
⸤¶with spells of
⸤¶to slay them
⸤¶yet nought hurt
⸤¶until, in brief
⸤¶have oft bewailed
⸤¶nor ever tears
⸤¶a deed unhappy;
⸤¶their feet were
⸤¶Gorlim it was,
⸤¶of toil and
⸤¶one night by
⸤¶o’er the dark
⸤¶with hidden friend
⸤¶and found a
⸤¶against the misty
⸤¶save one small
⸤¶of fitful candle
⸤¶Therein he peeped,
⸤¶he saw, as
⸤¶when longing cheats
⸤¶his wife beside
⸤¶lament him lost;
⸤¶and greying hair
⸤¶of tears and
⸤¶‘A! fair and
⸤¶whom I had
⸤¶long since emprisoned!
⸤¶I deemed I
⸤¶upon that night
⸤¶when all I
⸤¶thus thought his
p163
⸤¶outside in darkness
⸤¶But ere he
⸤¶or ask how
⸤¶to this far
⸤¶he heard a
⸤¶There hooted near
⸤¶with boding voice.
⸤¶of the wild
⸤¶and dogged his
⸤¶Him unrelenting, well
⸤¶the hunt of
⸤¶Lest Eilinel with
⸤¶without a word
⸤¶and like a
⸤¶his devious ways
⸤¶of stream, and
⸤¶until far from
⸤¶he lay beside
⸤¶in a secret
⸤¶and waned, and
⸤¶and saw the
⸤¶in dank heavens
⸤¶A sickness held
⸤¶and hope, and
⸤¶if he might
⸤¶But all he
⸤¶and hatred of
⸤¶and anguish for
⸤¶who drooped alone,
⸤¶Yet at the
⸤¶of brooding did
⸤¶he found the
⸤¶and bade them
⸤¶a rebel who
⸤¶if haply forgiveness
⸤¶with tidings of
⸤¶and where his
⸤¶might best be
⸤¶And thus sad
⸤¶unto those dark
⸤¶before the knees
p164
⸤¶and puts his
⸤¶wherein no truth
⸤¶Quoth Morgoth: ‘Eilinel
⸤¶thou shalt most
⸤¶where she doth
⸤¶together shall ye
⸤¶and sundered shall
⸤¶This guerdon shall
⸤¶these tidings sweet,
⸤¶For Eilinel she
⸤¶but in the
⸤¶widowed of husband
⸤¶a wraith of
⸤¶methinks, it is
⸤¶Now shalt thou
⸤¶the land thou
⸤¶thou shalt to
⸤¶descend and seek
⸤¶Thus Gorlim died
⸤¶and cursed himself
⸤¶and Barahir was
⸤¶and all good
⸤¶But Morgoth’s guile
⸤¶nor wholly o’er
⸤¶and some were
⸤¶unmaking that which
⸤¶Thus men believed
⸤¶the fiendish phantom
⸤¶the soul of
⸤¶the lingering hope
⸤¶that lived amid
⸤¶yet Beren had
⸤¶long hunted far
⸤¶and benighted in
⸤¶far from his
⸤¶he felt a
⸤¶upon his heart,
⸤¶were bare and
⸤¶no leaves they
⸤¶sat thick as
⸤¶and croaked, and
p165
⸤¶let fall a
⸤¶unseen entwined him
⸤¶until worn out,
⸤¶of stagnant pool
⸤¶There saw he
⸤¶far out upon
⸤¶and grew to
⸤¶that glided o’er
⸤¶and coming slowly,
⸤¶and sadly said:
⸤¶traitor betrayed, now
⸤¶but haste! For
⸤¶upon thy father’s
⸤¶your secret tryst,
⸤¶and all the
⸤¶that he had
⸤¶Then Beren waking
⸤¶his sword and
⸤¶that cuts with
⸤¶of autumn trees.
⸤¶his heart afire
⸤¶where Barahir his
⸤¶he came too
⸤¶he found the
⸤¶a wooded island
⸤¶and birds rose
⸤¶no fen-fowl were
⸤¶The raven and
⸤¶sat in the
⸤¶one croaked: ‘Ha!
⸤¶and answered all:
⸤¶There Beren buried
⸤¶and piled a
⸤¶and cursed the
⸤¶but wept not,
⸤¶Then over fen
⸤¶he followed, till
⸤¶upgushing hot from
⸤¶he found the
⸤¶the murderous soldiers
⸤¶And one there
p166
⸤¶he took from
⸤¶‘This ring in
⸤¶now mark ye,
⸤¶Its like with
⸤¶for this same
⸤¶this robber fool,
⸤¶a deed of
⸤¶for Felagund. It
⸤¶for Morgoth bade
⸤¶and yet, methinks,
⸤¶of weightier treasure
⸤¶Such greed befits
⸤¶and I am
⸤¶the hand of
⸤¶Yet as he
⸤¶with riven heart
⸤¶Thus Morgoth loved
⸤¶should in his
⸤¶that punished the
⸤¶But Morgoth laughed
⸤¶that Beren like
⸤¶sprang madly from
⸤¶amid that camp
⸤¶and seized the
⸤¶of wrath and
⸤¶had fled his
⸤¶was made of
⸤¶could pierce, a
⸤¶and he was
⸤¶for in charméd
⸤¶their hungry hunting
⸤¶the way his
⸤¶As fearless Beren
⸤¶as man most
⸤¶while Barahir yet
⸤¶but sorrow now
⸤¶to dark despair,
⸤¶of sweetness, that
⸤¶or shaft, or
⸤¶and dreaded only
⸤¶Danger he sought
p167
⸤¶and thus escaped
⸤¶and deeds of
⸤¶whose whispered glory
⸤¶and softly songs
⸤¶of marvels he
⸤¶alone, beleaguered, lost
⸤¶by mist or
⸤¶of the broad
⸤¶that northward looked
⸤¶he filled and
⸤¶his comrades were
⸤¶who failed him
⸤¶with fur and
⸤¶and many spirits,
⸤¶in mountains old
⸤¶do dwell and
⸤¶Yet seldom well
⸤¶and Morgoth was
⸤¶than all the
⸤¶recorded, and his
⸤¶slow and surely
⸤¶did hem and
⸤¶must Beren flee
⸤¶and lands he
⸤¶by reeds bewailed
⸤¶Beneath a heap
⸤¶now crumble those
⸤¶but Beren flees
⸤¶one autumn night,
⸤¶the leaguer of
⸤¶he passes –
⸤¶No more his
⸤¶no more his
⸤¶no more his
⸤¶upon the heath
⸤¶The moon that
⸤¶upon the pines,
⸤¶among the heather
⸤¶found him no
⸤¶about the North
⸤¶in frosty airs,
⸤¶that Men did
p168
⸤¶were set behind
⸤¶o’er land and
⸤¶forsaken fen and
⸤¶His face was
⸤¶whence only evil
⸤¶and only the
⸤¶might cross the
⸤¶Their northern slopes
⸤¶with evil and
⸤¶their southern faces
⸤¶in rocky pinnacle
⸤¶whose roots were
⸤¶and washed with
⸤¶There magic lurked
⸤¶for far away
⸤¶of searching eyes,
⸤¶from dizzy tower
⸤¶where only eagles
⸤¶might grey and
⸤¶Beleriand, Beleriand,¶⸥⸤⸥
⸤¶the borders of