03:P7g§VII
The Lay of Leithian (§VII)

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Volume: The Lays of Beleriand
Chapter: The Lay of Leithian (Canto VII: Beren and Felagund before Thû)
Pages: 224–232
Paragraph count: 315
Token count: 2,022

Citation Index

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

p224
VII
⸤¶Thus twelve alone
⸤¶from Nargothrond, and
⸤¶they turned their
⸤¶and vanished in
⸤¶No trumpet sounds,
⸤¶as robed in
⸤¶now blackened dark
⸤¶and sombre cloaks
⸤¶Far-journeying Narog’s leaping
⸤¶they followed till
⸤¶the flickering falls,
⸤¶a glimmering goblet
⸤¶with crystal waters
⸤¶and quiver down
⸤¶from Ivrin’s mere
⸤¶the pallid faces
⸤¶of Shadowy Mountains
⸤¶Now far beyond
⸤¶from Orc and
p225
⸤¶of Morgoth’s might
⸤¶In woods o’ershadowed
⸤¶they watched and
⸤¶till on a
⸤¶did moon and
⸤¶and winds of
⸤¶soughed in the
⸤¶down the dark
⸤¶they heard a
⸤¶from far, a
⸤¶now louder; now
⸤¶of hideous stamping
⸤¶the weary earth.
⸤¶of sullen red
⸤¶swinging, and glistening
⸤¶and scimitar. There
⸤¶they saw a
⸤¶with goblin-faces swart
⸤¶Bats were about
⸤¶the ghostly forsaken
⸤¶from trees above.
⸤¶the laughter like
⸤¶passed and faded.
⸤¶the Elves and
⸤¶than foxes stealing
⸤¶in search of
⸤¶lit by flickering
⸤¶they stole, and
⸤¶full thirty Orcs
⸤¶of burning wood.
⸤¶they one by
⸤¶each in the
⸤¶each slowly, grimly,
⸤¶bent then his
⸤¶Hark! how they
⸤¶when Felagund lets
⸤¶and twelve Orcs
⸤¶Then forth they
⸤¶Out their bright
⸤¶The stricken Orcs
⸤¶as lost things
p226
⸤¶Battle there is
⸤¶bitter and swift;
⸤¶there left their
⸤¶and stained no
⸤¶with rape and
⸤¶of joy, or
⸤¶the Elves there
⸤¶they were, for
⸤¶so small an
⸤¶Swiftly the raiment
⸤¶and cast the
⸤¶This desperate counsel
⸤¶of Felagund for
⸤¶as Orcs his
⸤¶The poisoned spears,
⸤¶the crooked swords
⸤¶they took; and
⸤¶in Angband’s raiment
⸤¶They smeared their
⸤¶with pigment dark;
⸤¶all lank and
⸤¶they shore, and
⸤¶with Gnomish skill.
⸤¶at each dismayed,
⸤¶he hangs it
⸤¶Then Felagund a
⸤¶of changing and
⸤¶their ears grew
⸤¶their mouths did
⸤¶each tooth became,
⸤¶Their Gnomish raiment
⸤¶and one by
⸤¶behind a foul
⸤¶that once was
⸤¶Northward they went;
⸤¶who passed, nor
⸤¶but hailed them
⸤¶they grew as
⸤¶At length they
⸤¶beyond Beleriand. They
⸤¶young waters, rippling,
p227
⸤¶of Sirion hurrying
⸤¶where Taur-na-Fuin, Deadly
⸤¶the trackless forest’s
⸤¶falls dark forbidding
⸤¶upon the east,
⸤¶the northward-bending Mountains
⸤¶and bar the
⸤¶An isléd hill
⸤¶amid the valley,
⸤¶rolled from the
⸤¶when giants in
⸤¶Around its feet
⸤¶a stream divided,
⸤¶the hanging edges
⸤¶There briefly shuddered
⸤¶and ran to
⸤¶An elven watchtower
⸤¶and strong it
⸤¶but now did
⸤¶one way to
⸤¶the other to
⸤¶beyond the valley’s
⸤¶Thence could be
⸤¶the dusty dunes,
⸤¶and further far
⸤¶the brooding cloud
⸤¶on Thangorodrim’s thunderous
⸤¶Now in that
⸤¶of one most
⸤¶that from Beleriand
⸤¶he watched with
⸤¶(From the North
⸤¶save east where
⸤¶and that dark
⸤¶which only in
⸤¶through Deadly Nightshade’s
⸤¶where Taur-na-Fuin’s branches
⸤¶and Aglon led
⸤¶and Fëanor’s sons
⸤¶Men called him
p228
⸤¶in after days
⸤¶bewildered bowed to
⸤¶his ghastly temples
⸤¶Not yet by
⸤¶now was he
⸤¶Master of Wolves,
⸤¶for ever echoed
⸤¶enchantments and dark
⸤¶did weave and
⸤¶that necromancer held
⸤¶of phantoms and
⸤¶of misbegotten or
⸤¶monsters that about
⸤¶working his bidding
⸤¶the werewolves of
⸤¶From Thû their
⸤¶and though beneath
⸤¶of the forest’s
⸤¶he saw them
⸤¶‘Go! fetch me
⸤¶‘that fare thus
⸤¶and do not
⸤¶and are commanded,
⸤¶of all their
⸤¶From his tower
⸤¶suspicion and a
⸤¶waiting, leering, till
⸤¶Now ringed about
⸤¶and fear their
⸤¶the land of
⸤¶Foreboding evil weights
⸤¶as downcast, halting,
⸤¶and cross the
⸤¶to Wizard’s Isle,
⸤¶there fashioned of
⸤¶‘Where have ye
⸤¶‘In Elfinesse; and
⸤¶the fire blowing
⸤¶these have we
⸤¶Thirty we slew
p229
⸤¶in a dark
⸤¶and the owl
⸤¶‘Come, tell me
⸤¶what then in
⸤¶What of Nargothrond?
⸤¶Into that realm
⸤¶‘Only its borders
⸤¶There reigns King
⸤¶‘Then heard ye
⸤¶that Celegorm sits
⸤¶‘That is not
⸤¶then Orodreth sits
⸤¶‘Sharp are your
⸤¶tidings of realms
⸤¶What are your
⸤¶Who your captain,
⸤¶‘Nereb and Dungalef
⸤¶so we are
⸤¶under the mountains.
⸤¶we march on
⸤¶Boldog the captain
⸤¶where fires from
⸤¶‘Boldog, I heard,
⸤¶warring on the
⸤¶where Robber Thingol
⸤¶cringe and crawl
⸤¶in drear Doriath.
⸤¶of that pretty
⸤¶Her body is
⸤¶Morgoth would possess
⸤¶Boldog he sent,
⸤¶strange ye were
⸤¶Nereb looks fierce,
⸤¶Little Lúthien! What
⸤¶Why laughs he
⸤¶crushing a maiden
⸤¶that foul should
⸤¶that dark should
p230
⸤¶Whom do ye
⸤¶Who is the
⸤¶Who is the
⸤¶the greatest giver
⸤¶Who is the
⸤¶Who despoiled them
⸤¶the greedy Gods?
⸤¶Orcs of Bauglir!
⸤¶Death to light,
⸤¶Cursed be moon
⸤¶May darkness everlasting
⸤¶that waits outside
⸤¶drown Manwë, Varda,
⸤¶May all in
⸤¶and all in
⸤¶in the moaning
⸤¶But no true
⸤¶would ever speak
⸤¶and Beren muttered:
⸤¶to hinder work
⸤¶Him we serve
⸤¶obeisance, and we
⸤¶Thû laughed: ‘Patience!
⸤¶shall ye abide.
⸤¶I will sing
⸤¶Then his flaming
⸤¶and darkness black
⸤¶Only they saw
⸤¶of eddying smoke
⸤¶in which their
⸤¶He chanted a
⸤¶of piercing, opening,
⸤¶revealing, uncovering, betraying.
⸤¶Then sudden Felagund
⸤¶sang in answer
⸤¶resisting, battling against
⸤¶of secrets kept,
⸤¶and trust unbroken,
⸤¶of changing and
⸤¶of snares eluded,
⸤¶the prison opening,
p231
⸤¶Backwards and forwards
⸤¶Reeling and foundering,
⸤¶Thû’s chanting swelled,
⸤¶and all the
⸤¶of Elfinesse into
⸤¶Softly in the
⸤¶singing afar in
⸤¶the sighing of
⸤¶beyond the western
⸤¶on sand of
⸤¶Then the gloom
⸤¶in Valinor, the
⸤¶beside the sea,
⸤¶the Foamriders, and
⸤¶their white ships
⸤¶from lamplit havens.
⸤¶The wolf howls.
⸤¶The ice mutters
⸤¶The captives sad
⸤¶Thunder rumbles, the
⸤¶a vast smoke
⸤¶and Felagund swoons
⸤¶Behold! they are
⸤¶fairskinned, brighteyed. No
⸤¶Orclike their mouths;
⸤¶betrayed into the
⸤¶Thus came they
⸤¶to dungeons no
⸤¶where chained in
⸤¶and woven in
⸤¶they lay forgotten,
⸤¶Yet not all
⸤¶the spells of
⸤¶neither their names
⸤¶These much he
⸤¶and in their
⸤¶and threatened all
⸤¶if one would
⸤¶reveal this knowledge.
⸤¶and slow devour
p232
⸤¶before the others’
⸤¶should one alone
⸤¶then in a
⸤¶with anguish should
⸤¶in the bowels
⸤¶endlessly, cruelly, put
⸤¶and torment, till
⸤¶Even as he
⸤¶From time to
⸤¶two eyes would
⸤¶to frightful cries,
⸤¶of rending, a
⸤¶and blood flowing
⸤¶But none would