03:P7d§IV
The Lay of Leithian (§IV)

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Volume: The Lays of Beleriand
Chapter: The Lay of Leithian (Canto IV: Beren before Thingol)
Pages: 183–194
Paragraph count: 449
Token count: 2,906

Citation Index

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

p183
IV
⸤¶He lay upon
⸤¶his face upon
⸤¶aswoon in overwhelming
⸤¶enchanted of an
⸤¶seeing within his
⸤¶the light that
⸤¶the loveliness that
⸤¶though all in
⸤¶Then folded in
⸤¶he sank into
⸤¶drowned in an
⸤¶for parting after
⸤¶a shadow and
⸤¶lingered, and waned,
⸤¶Forsaken, barren, bare
⸤¶the daylight found
⸤¶‘Where art thou
⸤¶the sunlight dark,
⸤¶Tinúviel, where went
⸤¶O wayward star!
⸤¶O flower of
⸤¶for mortal heart!
p184
⸤¶The woods are
⸤¶‘Ere spring was
⸤¶And wandering in
⸤¶he groped as
⸤¶who seeks to
⸤¶with faltering hands
⸤¶And thus in
⸤¶for that great
⸤¶the deathless love
⸤¶too fair for
⸤¶and in his
⸤¶the deathless in
⸤¶and Fate them
⸤¶of living love
⸤¶Beyond all hope
⸤¶at eve, when
⸤¶the flame of
⸤¶there trembled the
⸤¶and from her
⸤¶of elvenflowers in
⸤¶Thus Lúthien, whom
⸤¶no snare, no
⸤¶might hope to
⸤¶at the sweet
⸤¶and thus in
⸤¶was linked in
⸤¶in hour enchanted
⸤¶her arms about
⸤¶and gently down
⸤¶his weary head
⸤¶A! Lúthien, Tinúviel,
⸤¶why wentest thou
⸤¶with shining eyes
⸤¶the twilight glimmering
⸤¶Each day before
⸤¶she sought her
⸤¶until the stars
⸤¶came glimmering eastward
⸤¶Then trembling-veiled she
⸤¶and dance before
p185
⸤¶there flitting just
⸤¶she gently chid
⸤¶‘Come! dance now,
⸤¶For fain thy
⸤¶Come! thou must
⸤¶than those who
⸤¶the bitter skies
⸤¶of marvellous moonlit
⸤¶In Doriath Beren
⸤¶new art and
⸤¶his limbs were
⸤¶kindled with a
⸤¶and to her
⸤¶attuned went dancing
⸤¶his laughter welled
⸤¶of music, and
⸤¶as voices of
⸤¶where paved with
⸤¶The year thus
⸤¶from spring to
⸤¶Thus fleeting fast
⸤¶while Dairon watches
⸤¶haunting the gloom
⸤¶all day, until
⸤¶in the fickle
⸤¶two lovers linked
⸤¶two shadows shimmering
⸤¶where lonely-dancing maid
⸤¶‘Hateful art thou,
⸤¶May fear and
⸤¶My flute shall
⸤¶and mirth shall
⸤¶music shall perish
⸤¶and trees stand
⸤¶It seemed a
⸤¶upon the waiting
⸤¶and often murmured
⸤¶in wonder, and
⸤¶‘This spell of
⸤¶What web hath
p186
⸤¶It seems the
⸤¶murmurless Esgalduin doth
⸤¶the leaves scarce
⸤¶and soundless beat
⸤¶This Lúthien heard,
⸤¶her sudden glances
⸤¶But Thingol marvelled,
⸤¶for Dairon the
⸤¶and sat upon
⸤¶his grassy throne
⸤¶of the Queen
⸤¶upon whose triple
⸤¶the mightiest vault
⸤¶from world’s beginning
⸤¶She stood above
⸤¶where long slopes
⸤¶the guarded gates,
⸤¶of the Thousand
⸤¶There Thingol sat
⸤¶save far off
⸤¶no flute, no
⸤¶no choirs of
⸤¶and Dairon coming
⸤¶silent amid the
⸤¶Then Thingol said:
⸤¶thou master of
⸤¶O magic heart
⸤¶whose ear nor
⸤¶what omen doth
⸤¶What horn afar
⸤¶what summons do
⸤¶Mayhap the Lord
⸤¶and tree-propped halls,
⸤¶rides his wild
⸤¶amid the trumpets’
⸤¶amid his green-clad
⸤¶leaving his deer
⸤¶and emerald forests?
⸤¶of his great
⸤¶upon the Western
⸤¶the woods now
p187
⸤¶that here once
⸤¶beneath the shade
⸤¶Would it were
⸤¶hath Tavros left
⸤¶since Morgoth evil
⸤¶since ruin fell
⸤¶and the Gnomes
⸤¶But if not
⸤¶And Dairon answered:
⸤¶No feet divine
⸤¶where the Shadowy
⸤¶till many things
⸤¶and many evils
⸤¶the guest is
⸤¶but wait not;
⸤¶them holds at
⸤¶but kings see
⸤¶may guess, and
⸤¶Where one went
⸤¶‘Whither thy riddle
⸤¶the king in
⸤¶to make it
⸤¶that earns my
⸤¶within my woods
⸤¶a stranger to
⸤¶But Dairon looked
⸤¶and would he
⸤¶and no more
⸤¶though Thingol’s face
⸤¶Then Lúthien stepped
⸤¶‘Far in the
⸤¶my father,’ said
⸤¶that groans beneath
⸤¶Thence came one
⸤¶in wars and
⸤¶undying hatred of
⸤¶the last of
⸤¶and even hither
⸤¶within thy woods
⸤¶through the wild
⸤¶the last of
p188
⸤¶a sword unconquered,
⸤¶a heart by
⸤¶No evil needst
⸤¶of Beren son
⸤¶If aught thou
⸤¶then swear to
⸤¶and I will
⸤¶a son of
⸤¶Then long King
⸤¶while hand nor
⸤¶and Melian, silent,
⸤¶on Lúthien and
⸤¶‘No blade nor
⸤¶the king then
⸤¶and news, mayhap,
⸤¶and words I
⸤¶Now Thingol bade
⸤¶save Dairon, whom
⸤¶what wizardry of
⸤¶hath this illcomer
⸤¶Tonight go thou
⸤¶who knowest all
⸤¶and watch that
⸤¶what madness doth
⸤¶what web from
⸤¶hath caught thy
⸤¶that she bid
⸤¶back whence he
⸤¶Take with thee
⸤¶Let naught beguile
⸤¶Thus Dairon heavyhearted
⸤¶and the woods
⸤¶yet needless, for
⸤¶led Beren by
⸤¶of mounting moon
⸤¶and bridge before
⸤¶and the white
⸤¶the waiting portals
⸤¶Downward with gentle
⸤¶through corridors of
⸤¶whose turns were
p189
⸤¶or flames from
⸤¶on dragons hewn
⸤¶with jewelled eyes
⸤¶Then sudden, deep
⸤¶the silences with
⸤¶were shaken and
⸤¶the birds of
⸤¶and wide the
⸤¶as into archéd
⸤¶Beren in wonder.
⸤¶like day immortal
⸤¶of stars unclouded,
⸤¶A vault of
⸤¶whose trunks of
⸤¶like towers of
⸤¶in magic fast
⸤¶bearing a roof
⸤¶in endless tracery
⸤¶lit by some
⸤¶of moon and
⸤¶and each leaf
⸤¶Lo! there amid
⸤¶the nightingales in
⸤¶sang o’er the
⸤¶while water for
⸤¶from fountains in
⸤¶There Thingol sat.
⸤¶of green and
⸤¶a host in
⸤¶Then Beren looked
⸤¶and stood amazed;
⸤¶of elvish weapons
⸤¶Then Beren looked
⸤¶for Melian’s gaze
⸤¶and dazed there
⸤¶and when the
⸤¶‘Who art thou
⸤¶that none unbidden
⸤¶and ever leave
⸤¶no word he
⸤¶But Lúthien answered
⸤¶‘Behold, my father,
p190
⸤¶pursued by hatred
⸤¶Lo! Beren son
⸤¶What need hath
⸤¶foe of our
⸤¶whose knees to
⸤¶‘Let Beren answer!’
⸤¶‘What wouldst thou
⸤¶thy wandering feet,
⸤¶How hast thou
⸤¶or darest thus
⸤¶unasked, in secret?
⸤¶’twere best declare
⸤¶or never again
⸤¶Then Beren looked
⸤¶and saw a
⸤¶and thence was
⸤¶to Melian’s face.
⸤¶of wonder dumb
⸤¶the bonds of
⸤¶and filled with
⸤¶in his glance
⸤¶‘My feet hath
⸤¶‘here over the
⸤¶and what I
⸤¶and love it
⸤¶Thy dearest treasure
⸤¶nor rocks nor
⸤¶nor all the
⸤¶shall keep that
⸤¶For fairer than
⸤¶A daughter hast
⸤¶Silence then fell
⸤¶like graven stone
⸤¶save one who
⸤¶and one who
⸤¶Dairon the piper
⸤¶against a pillar.
⸤¶there touched a
⸤¶his eyes were
⸤¶‘Death is the
⸤¶O baseborn mortal,
p191
⸤¶in Morgoth’s realm
⸤¶like Orcs that
⸤¶‘Death!’ echoed Dairon
⸤¶but Lúthien trembling
⸤¶‘And death,’ said
⸤¶had I not
⸤¶that blade nor
⸤¶Yet captive bound
⸤¶unchained, unfettered, shalt
⸤¶in lightless labyrinth
⸤¶that coils about
⸤¶by magic bewildered
⸤¶there wandering in
⸤¶thou shalt learn
⸤¶‘That may not
⸤¶and through the
⸤¶‘What are thy
⸤¶wherein the captive
⸤¶Twist not thy
⸤¶like faithless Morgoth!
⸤¶the token of
⸤¶that Felagund of
⸤¶once swore in
⸤¶who sheltered him
⸤¶and saved him
⸤¶on Northern battlefields
⸤¶death thou canst
⸤¶but names I
⸤¶of baseborn, spy,
⸤¶Are these the
⸤¶Proud are the
⸤¶to see the
⸤¶in Beren’s ring.
⸤¶as eyes of
⸤¶beneath a golden
⸤¶that one upholds
⸤¶the badge that
⸤¶and Felagund his
⸤¶His anger was
⸤¶and dark thoughts
⸤¶though Melian the
⸤¶and whispered: ‘O
p192
⸤¶Such is my
⸤¶shall Beren be
⸤¶from these deep
⸤¶yet wound with
⸤¶But Thingol looked
⸤¶‘Fairest of Elves!
⸤¶children of little
⸤¶mortal and frail,
⸤¶shall they then
⸤¶his heart within
⸤¶thy ring,’ he
⸤¶But to win
⸤¶a father’s deeds
⸤¶nor thy proud
⸤¶A treasure dear
⸤¶but rocks and
⸤¶from all the
⸤¶do keep the
⸤¶Yet bonds like
⸤¶affright thee not.
⸤¶Bring me one
⸤¶from Morgoth’s crown,
⸤¶may Lúthien set
⸤¶then shalt thou
⸤¶Then Thingol’s warriors
⸤¶they laughed; for
⸤¶had Fëanor’s gems
⸤¶the peerless Silmarils;
⸤¶alone he made
⸤¶in the land
⸤¶and there in
⸤¶they shone like
⸤¶in the great
⸤¶while Glingal flowered
⸤¶yet lit the
⸤¶where the Shadowy
⸤¶ere Morgoth stole
⸤¶seeking their glory
⸤¶ere sorrows fell
⸤¶ere Beren was
⸤¶ere Fëanor’s sons
p193
⸤¶their dreadful oath.
⸤¶their beauty was
⸤¶in Morgoth’s dungeons
⸤¶His iron crown
⸤¶and gleam above
⸤¶treasured in Hell
⸤¶more than his
⸤¶could touch them,
⸤¶upon their magic.
⸤¶of Orcs with
⸤¶encircled him, and
⸤¶and everlasting gates
⸤¶who wore them
⸤¶Then Beren laughed
⸤¶in bitterness, and
⸤¶‘For little price
⸤¶their daughters sell
⸤¶and things of
⸤¶thy bidding I
⸤¶On Beren son
⸤¶thou hast not
⸤¶Farewell, Tinúviel, starlit
⸤¶Ere the pale
⸤¶I will return,
⸤¶with any jewel
⸤¶but to find
⸤¶a flower that
⸤¶Bowing before Melian
⸤¶he turned, and
⸤¶of guards about
⸤¶and his footsteps
⸤¶in the dark
⸤¶thou sworest, father!
⸤¶to blade and
⸤¶in Morgoth’s dungeons
⸤¶said Lúthien, and
⸤¶sprang in her
⸤¶clutched at her
⸤¶and later remembered
⸤¶whereafter Lúthien no
⸤¶Then clear in
⸤¶of Melian: ‘Counsel
p194
⸤¶O king!’ she
⸤¶lose not their
⸤¶that Beren failed
⸤¶Well for thee,
⸤¶a dark doom
⸤¶‘I sell not
⸤¶said Thingol, ‘whom
⸤¶I cherish; and
⸤¶that Beren should
⸤¶to the Thousand
⸤¶he should not
⸤¶or light of
⸤¶But Melian smiled,
⸤¶as of far
⸤¶for such is