03:P7f§VI
The Lay of Leithian (§VI)

More information on this P-text coming soon.

Volume: The Lays of Beleriand
Chapter: The Lay of Leithian (Canto VI: Beren in Nargothrond)
Pages: 210–218
Paragraph count: 341
Token count: 2,169

Citation Index

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

p210
VI
⸤¶When Morgoth in
⸤¶had slain the
⸤¶the shining land
⸤¶there Fëanor and
⸤¶the mighty oath
⸤¶of tower-crownéd Tûn,
⸤¶wrought wars and
⸤¶From darkling seas
⸤¶their blinding shadows
⸤¶where Glingal once
⸤¶and Belthil bore
⸤¶The mists were
⸤¶of the Elves’
⸤¶There countless torches
⸤¶did start and
⸤¶were gathered to
p211
⸤¶and thronged the
⸤¶that led to
⸤¶There Fëanor mourned
⸤¶the Silmarils he
⸤¶his wild and
⸤¶a great host
⸤¶But all he
⸤¶half truth and
⸤¶that Morgoth sowed
⸤¶in other songs
⸤¶recorded is. He
⸤¶from lands divine,
⸤¶the pathless plains,
⸤¶where ice-infested water
⸤¶to follow Morgoth
⸤¶leaving their dwellings
⸤¶to go back
⸤¶to wars and
⸤¶they joined in
⸤¶swearing beneath the
⸤¶by Varda the
⸤¶and bore them
⸤¶and set them
⸤¶Timbrenting’s holy height
⸤¶whereon are built
⸤¶of Manwë Lord
⸤¶these names in
⸤¶his oath, though
⸤¶Curufin, Celegorm the
⸤¶Damrod and Díriel
⸤¶and Cranthir dark,
⸤¶(whom after torment
⸤¶and Maglor the
⸤¶with deep voice
⸤¶‘Be he friend
⸤¶of Morgoth Bauglir,
⸤¶that in after
⸤¶no law, nor
⸤¶not might of
⸤¶shall him defend
⸤¶of Fëanor’s sons,
p212
⸤¶or finding keeps
⸤¶the thrice-enchanted globes
⸤¶that shine until
⸤¶The wars and
⸤¶this tale tells
⸤¶they fought and
⸤¶Fingon daring alone
⸤¶and sought for
⸤¶in torment terrible
⸤¶his wrist in
⸤¶from a sheer
⸤¶the dizzy senses
⸤¶from Thangorodrim’s stony
⸤¶The song of
⸤¶captain of armies,
⸤¶who fell at
⸤¶with his white
⸤¶They sing how
⸤¶and stayed the
⸤¶between the children
⸤¶Now joined once
⸤¶even great Morgoth,
⸤¶beleaguered Angband, till
⸤¶no Orc nor
⸤¶their leaguer break
⸤¶Then days of
⸤¶beneath the new-lit
⸤¶was heard in
⸤¶a young race,
⸤¶That was the
⸤¶the Siege of
⸤¶the Gnomish swords
⸤¶from Morgoth’s ruin,
⸤¶of blossoming, of
⸤¶but still there
⸤¶and still the
⸤¶in Angband’s darkly-dolven
⸤¶An end there
⸤¶and flames of
⸤¶and all the
⸤¶in secret in
p213
⸤¶and poured across
⸤¶and armies black
⸤¶The leaguer of
⸤¶his enemies in
⸤¶were scattered, and
⸤¶and slew, until
⸤¶dripped from each
⸤¶Then Barahir the
⸤¶with mighty spear,
⸤¶Felagund wounded. To
⸤¶escaping, there they
⸤¶and Felagund deeply
⸤¶of friendship to
⸤¶of love and
⸤¶But there of
⸤¶were Angrod slain
⸤¶Felagund and Orodreth
⸤¶gathered the remnant
⸤¶their maidens and
⸤¶forsaking war they
⸤¶and cavernous hold
⸤¶On Narog’s towering
⸤¶was opened; which
⸤¶and mighty doors,
⸤¶till Túrin’s day
⸤¶they built by
⸤¶And with them
⸤¶Curufin, and Celegorm
⸤¶and a mighty
⸤¶in Narog’s secret
⸤¶Thus Felagund in
⸤¶still reigned, a
⸤¶was sworn to
⸤¶And now his
⸤¶wandered alone as
⸤¶Esgalduin’s dark and
⸤¶he followed, till
⸤¶were joined to
⸤¶pale silver water
⸤¶rolling in splendour
⸤¶Now Beren came
p214
⸤¶wide shallow meres
⸤¶his gathered tide
⸤¶ere chafed and
⸤¶of reedy banks
⸤¶he feeds and
⸤¶into vast chasms
⸤¶where many miles
⸤¶Umboth-Muilin, Twilight Meres,
⸤¶those great wide
⸤¶the Elves then
⸤¶from thence across
⸤¶the Hills of
⸤¶with bare tops
⸤¶by western winds;
⸤¶of streaming rains
⸤¶into the meres
⸤¶beneath those hills
⸤¶of Narog, and
⸤¶of Felagund beside
⸤¶of Ingwil tumbling
⸤¶An everlasting watch
⸤¶the Gnomes of
⸤¶and every hill
⸤¶where wardens sleepless
⸤¶guarding the plain
⸤¶between Narog swift
⸤¶and archers whose
⸤¶there range the
⸤¶all who creep
⸤¶Yet now he
⸤¶bearing the gleaming
⸤¶of Felagund, and
⸤¶‘Here comes no
⸤¶but Beren son
⸤¶who once to
⸤¶So ere he
⸤¶of Narog, that
⸤¶o’er boulders black,
⸤¶came round him.
⸤¶they bowed before
⸤¶was poor and
⸤¶they led him
p215
⸤¶nor bridge was
⸤¶before the gates
⸤¶and friend nor
⸤¶To northward, where
⸤¶more slender flowed,
⸤¶of foam-splashed land
⸤¶when her brief
⸤¶and joins the
⸤¶Now swiftest journey
⸤¶to Nargothrond’s sheer
⸤¶and dim gigantic
⸤¶They came beneath
⸤¶to doors there
⸤¶with posts and
⸤¶and timbers huge.
⸤¶were gaping gates,
⸤¶where Felagund on
⸤¶Fair were the
⸤¶to Beren, and
⸤¶and all his
⸤¶recounted soon. Behind
⸤¶they sat, while
⸤¶of Doriath; and
⸤¶recalling Lúthien dancing
⸤¶with wild white
⸤¶remembering her elven
⸤¶while stars in
⸤¶He spake of
⸤¶by enchantment lit,
⸤¶and ever the
⸤¶to Melian and
⸤¶The quest he
⸤¶in scorn on
⸤¶more fair than
⸤¶of Tinúviel, of
⸤¶he must essay
⸤¶and doubtless death
⸤¶This Felagund in
⸤¶and heavily spake
⸤¶‘It seems that
⸤¶thy death. The
p216
⸤¶of those enchanted
⸤¶is cursed with
⸤¶and Fëanor’s sons
⸤¶are lords and
⸤¶He cannot hope
⸤¶to keep this
⸤¶of all the
⸤¶And yet thou
⸤¶can thy return
⸤¶be purchased? Many
⸤¶in sooth there
⸤¶and after Morgoth,
⸤¶untiring hate, as
⸤¶would hunt thee
⸤¶Fëanor’s sons would,
⸤¶slay thee or
⸤¶or laid in
⸤¶or gained at
⸤¶Lo! Celegorm and
⸤¶here dwell this
⸤¶and even though
⸤¶am king, a
⸤¶and many of
⸤¶Friendship to me
⸤¶they yet have
⸤¶that to Beren
⸤¶mercy or love
⸤¶if once thy
⸤¶True words he
⸤¶to all his
⸤¶and spake of
⸤¶and how that
⸤¶had saved them
⸤¶on Northern battlefields
⸤¶then many were
⸤¶once more to
⸤¶amid the throng,
⸤¶for hearing, one
⸤¶proud Celegorm with
⸤¶and shining sword.
⸤¶upon his stern
p217
⸤¶and a great
⸤¶‘Be he friend
⸤¶of Morgoth, Elf,
⸤¶or any that
⸤¶no law, nor
⸤¶no might of
⸤¶shall him defend
⸤¶of Fëanor’s sons,
⸤¶or finding keep
⸤¶These we alone
⸤¶our thrice enchanted
⸤¶Many wild and
⸤¶and as before
⸤¶his father’s voice
⸤¶so now dark
⸤¶he cast on
⸤¶of friend with
⸤¶their minds imagined
⸤¶in Nargothrond about
⸤¶did Narog’s host
⸤¶or haply battle,
⸤¶in Doriath where
⸤¶if Fëanor’s fatal
⸤¶And even such
⸤¶to Felagund his
⸤¶and thought with
⸤¶of seeking Morgoth
⸤¶with force or
⸤¶when his brother
⸤¶more to impress
⸤¶and such a
⸤¶that never again
⸤¶would Gnome of
⸤¶of open battle
⸤¶With secrecy, ambush,
⸤¶of wizardry, with
⸤¶of wild things
⸤¶of phantom hunters,
⸤¶and unseen stealthy
⸤¶with padding hatred
⸤¶with feet of
p218
⸤¶followed remorseless out
⸤¶and slew it
⸤¶thus they defended
⸤¶and forgot their
⸤¶for dread of
⸤¶of Curufin set
⸤¶So would they
⸤¶King Felagund their
⸤¶but sullen murmured
⸤¶nor yet his
⸤¶Then Felagund took
⸤¶and at his
⸤¶the silver helm
⸤¶‘Yours ye may
⸤¶must keep, and
⸤¶If hearts here
⸤¶or that to
⸤¶then I at
⸤¶to go with
⸤¶rejected beggar scorn
⸤¶turned from my
⸤¶my people, and
⸤¶Hearing these words
⸤¶beside him ten
⸤¶men of his
⸤¶wherever his banners
⸤¶One stooped and
⸤¶and said: ‘O
⸤¶is now our
⸤¶thy rightful lordship.
⸤¶one to be
⸤¶Then Felagund upon
⸤¶of Orodreth set
⸤¶till I return
⸤¶Then Celegorm no
⸤¶and Curufin smiled