03:P7e§V
The Lay of Leithian (§V)

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Volume: The Lays of Beleriand
Chapter: The Lay of Leithian (Canto V: Lúthien’s captivity in Doriath)
Pages: 198–207
Paragraph count: 379
Token count: 2,499

Citation Index

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

p198
V
⸤¶So days drew
⸤¶the curse of
⸤¶on Doriath, though
⸤¶and Lúthien’s singing
⸤¶The murmurs soft
⸤¶about the woods,
⸤¶past the great
⸤¶but no dancing
⸤¶on turf or
⸤¶where stumbled once,
p199
⸤¶with longing on
⸤¶had Beren sat
⸤¶Esgalduin the dark
⸤¶she sat and
⸤¶‘Endless roll the
⸤¶To this my
⸤¶enchanted waters pitiless,¶⸥⸤⸥
⸤¶a heartache and
⸤¶The summer turns.
⸤¶she hears the
⸤¶the windy tide
⸤¶the creaking of
⸤¶and longs unceasing
⸤¶to hear one
⸤¶the tender name
⸤¶were called of
⸤¶‘Tinúviel! Tinúviel!’¶⸥⸤⸥
⸤¶the memory is
⸤¶a faint and
⸤¶‘Tinúviel! Tinúviel!’ ¶⸥⸤1235⸥
⸤¶‘O mother Melian,
⸤¶some part of
⸤¶Tell of thy
⸤¶are wandering! What
⸤¶O mother, tell
⸤¶treading the desert
⸤¶Do sun and
⸤¶do the rains
⸤¶‘Nay, Lúthien my
⸤¶he lives indeed
⸤¶The Lord of
⸤¶chains and enchantments
⸤¶there trapped and
⸤¶now Beren dreams
⸤¶‘Then I alone
⸤¶and dare the
⸤¶for none there
⸤¶in all the
⸤¶whose only skill
⸤¶and both have
p200
⸤¶Then nought said
⸤¶though wild the
⸤¶and ran through
⸤¶with her hair
⸤¶Dairon she found
⸤¶silently sitting on
⸤¶On the earth
⸤¶‘O Dairon, Dairon,
⸤¶‘now pity for
⸤¶Make me a
⸤¶for heart’s despair,
⸤¶for light gone
⸤¶‘But for music
⸤¶Dairon answered, and
⸤¶his fingers clutched.
⸤¶and sadly trembling
⸤¶and all things
⸤¶wailing in the
⸤¶they listened, their
⸤¶their hearts’ gladness
⸤¶forgotten; and bird-voices
⸤¶while Dairon’s flute
⸤¶Lúthien wept not
⸤¶and when he
⸤¶‘My friend, I
⸤¶as he who
⸤¶and fears the
⸤¶and look back
⸤¶in windows he
⸤¶in front, he
⸤¶that far beyond
⸤¶And thus of
⸤¶and of her
⸤¶to climb the
⸤¶and ruin of
⸤¶to dare, a
⸤¶or sword, or
⸤¶where magic founders
⸤¶His aid she
⸤¶and find the
⸤¶if he would
p201
⸤¶go by her
⸤¶‘Wherefore,’ said he,
⸤¶into direst peril
⸤¶for the sake
⸤¶his laughter and
⸤¶for Beren son
⸤¶nor weep for
⸤¶who in this
⸤¶heavy and dark.
⸤¶I will defend
⸤¶and deadly wandering
⸤¶No more they
⸤¶perceived not his
⸤¶she thanked him,
⸤¶A tree she
⸤¶above the woods
⸤¶and straining afar
⸤¶the outline grey
⸤¶of dizzy towers
⸤¶the southern faces
⸤¶in rocky pinnacle
⸤¶of Shadowy Mountains
⸤¶and wide the
⸤¶But straightway Dairon
⸤¶and told him
⸤¶and how her
⸤¶to ruin, unless
⸤¶Thingol was wroth,
⸤¶in wonder and
⸤¶on Dairon, and
⸤¶Now ever shall
⸤¶while Doriath lasts;
⸤¶thou art a
⸤¶He sent for
⸤¶‘O maiden fair,
⸤¶to ponder madness
⸤¶to wander to
⸤¶from Doriath against
⸤¶stealing like a
⸤¶into the emptiness
⸤¶‘The wisdom, father,’
p202
⸤¶nor would she
⸤¶nor would she
⸤¶her folly to
⸤¶in Doriath her
⸤¶This only vowed
⸤¶that none but
⸤¶no folk of
⸤¶to break his
⸤¶if go she
⸤¶and friendless dare
⸤¶In angry love
⸤¶Thingol took counsel
⸤¶to guard and
⸤¶in caverns deep
⸤¶sweet Lúthien, his
⸤¶who robbed of
⸤¶who ever must
⸤¶and see the
⸤¶But close unto
⸤¶and grassy throne
⸤¶of Hirilorn, the
⸤¶Upon her triple
⸤¶no break or
⸤¶in a green
⸤¶the mightiest vault
⸤¶from world’s beginning
⸤¶was flung above
⸤¶and the long
⸤¶Grey was the
⸤¶and silken-smooth, and
⸤¶to squirrels’ eyes
⸤¶at her grey
⸤¶Now Thingol made
⸤¶in that great
⸤¶their longest ladders,
⸤¶an airy house;
⸤¶a little dwelling
⸤¶was made, and
⸤¶above the first
⸤¶it had and
⸤¶and by three
p203
⸤¶in the corners
⸤¶There Lúthien was
⸤¶until she was
⸤¶of madness left
⸤¶the long ladders
⸤¶among the leaves,
⸤¶she sang no
⸤¶White glimmering in
⸤¶and her little
⸤¶The ladders were
⸤¶her feet might
⸤¶Thither at whiles
⸤¶all things she
⸤¶but death was
⸤¶a ladder leave,
⸤¶should set one
⸤¶a guard was
⸤¶about the grey
⸤¶and Lúthien in
⸤¶There Dairon grieving
⸤¶in sorrow for
⸤¶and melodies made
⸤¶leaning against a
⸤¶Lúthien would from
⸤¶and see him
⸤¶and she forgave
⸤¶for the music
⸤¶and only Dairon
⸤¶across her threshold
⸤¶Yet long the
⸤¶and see the
⸤¶in beechen leaves,
⸤¶peep on clear
⸤¶of beechen branches.
⸤¶just ere the
⸤¶a dream there
⸤¶or Melian’s magic.
⸤¶heard Beren’s voice
⸤¶‘Tinúviel’ call, ‘Tinúviel.’¶⸥⸤⸥
⸤¶And her heart
⸤¶to seek him
p204
⸤¶She woke and
⸤¶through the slim
⸤¶upon her arms,
⸤¶and there in
⸤¶and yearned for
⸤¶Now Lúthien doth
⸤¶and Melian’s daughter
⸤¶knew many things,
⸤¶than then or
⸤¶that glint and
⸤¶She pondered long,
⸤¶and faded, and
⸤¶and the dawn
⸤¶on her face
⸤¶and watched the
⸤¶then called to
⸤¶And when one
⸤¶that he would
⸤¶of cold Esgalduin,
⸤¶the clearest water
⸤¶to draw for
⸤¶she said, ‘in
⸤¶it must be
⸤¶with no word
⸤¶Another she begged
⸤¶in a jar
⸤¶‘and singing let
⸤¶at high noon,
⸤¶Again she spake:
⸤¶to Melian the
⸤¶“thy daughter many
⸤¶slow passing watches
⸤¶a spinning-wheel she
⸤¶Then Dairon she
⸤¶climb up and
⸤¶And sitting at
⸤¶she said: ‘My
⸤¶beside thy music,
⸤¶and many a
⸤¶to fashion with
⸤¶if thou wouldst
p205
⸤¶to stand in
⸤¶My idle fingers
⸤¶a pattern of
⸤¶of sun and
⸤¶amid the beech-leaves
⸤¶This Dairon did
⸤¶‘O Lúthien, O
⸤¶What wilt thou
⸤¶‘A marvellous thread,
⸤¶a potent magic,
⸤¶I will weave
⸤¶nor all the
⸤¶Then Dairon wondered,
⸤¶no word to
⸤¶feared the dark
⸤¶And Lúthien now
⸤¶A magic song
⸤¶she sang, and
⸤¶with water mingled
⸤¶and as in
⸤¶she sang a
⸤¶and as they
⸤¶another song she
⸤¶and darkness without
⸤¶uplifted to the
⸤¶and freedom. And
⸤¶tallest and longest
⸤¶the locks of
⸤¶of Draugluin the
⸤¶the body of
⸤¶the vast upsoaring
⸤¶above the fires
⸤¶the chain Angainor
⸤¶for Morgoth shall
⸤¶of steel and
⸤¶and sang of
⸤¶of Gilim the
⸤¶and last and
⸤¶the endless hair
⸤¶the Lady of
⸤¶through all the
p206
⸤¶Then did she
⸤¶a theme of
⸤¶profound and fathomless
⸤¶as Lúthien’s shadowy
⸤¶each thread was
⸤¶than threads of
⸤¶in filmy web
⸤¶and closing flowers
⸤¶Now long and
⸤¶and fell to
⸤¶like pools of
⸤¶Then Lúthien in
⸤¶was laid upon
⸤¶till morning through
⸤¶thinly and faint.
⸤¶and the room
⸤¶and with an
⸤¶she lay thereunder
⸤¶Behold! her hair
⸤¶in morning airs,
⸤¶waving about the
⸤¶of Hirilorn at
⸤¶Then groping she
⸤¶and cut the
⸤¶and close she
⸤¶enchanted tresses, thread
⸤¶Thereafter grew they
⸤¶yet darker than
⸤¶And now was
⸤¶long was she
⸤¶and though with
⸤¶long was her
⸤¶to call her,
⸤¶‘Nothing I need,’
⸤¶I would keep
⸤¶I now desire,
⸤¶Then Dairon feared,
⸤¶he called from
⸤¶she answered not.
⸤¶she wove a
⸤¶of moonless night,
p207
⸤¶a robe as
⸤¶beneath great trees,
⸤¶that all was
⸤¶enchanted with a
⸤¶than Melian’s raiment
⸤¶wherein of yore
⸤¶beneath the dark
⸤¶that hung above
⸤¶And now this
⸤¶and veiled her
⸤¶her mantle blue
⸤¶like crystal stars,
⸤¶were wrapped and
⸤¶dim dreams and
⸤¶falling about her,
⸤¶through all the
⸤¶the threads unused;
⸤¶a slender rope
⸤¶yet long and
⸤¶she makes it
⸤¶of Hirilorn. Now,
⸤¶and labour ended,
⸤¶from her little
⸤¶Already the sunlight
⸤¶is drooping red,
⸤¶come softly along
⸤¶and now she
⸤¶Now chanting clearer
⸤¶her long hair,
⸤¶from her window
⸤¶Men far beneath
⸤¶but the slumbrous
⸤¶above her guards.
⸤¶they listened to
⸤¶suddenly beneath a
⸤¶Now clad as
⸤¶now down her
⸤¶as light as
⸤¶away, she danced,
⸤¶what paths she
⸤¶no impress made