03:P7h§VIII
The Lay of Leithian (§VIII)

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Volume: The Lays of Beleriand
Chapter: The Lay of Leithian (Canto VIII: Lúthien in Nargothrond)
Pages: 235–243
Paragraph count: 329
Token count: 2,124

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p235
VIII
⸤¶Hounds there were
⸤¶with silver collars.
⸤¶the fox and
⸤¶there in the
⸤¶Oromë was the
⸤¶of all those
⸤¶went in his
⸤¶The Gnomes anew
⸤¶Tavros, the God
⸤¶over the mountains
⸤¶who alone of
⸤¶before the banners
⸤¶of Moon and
⸤¶were his great
⸤¶baying in woods
p236
⸤¶of race immortal
⸤¶grey and limber,
⸤¶white with silken
⸤¶brown and brindled,
⸤¶as arrow from
⸤¶their voices like
⸤¶that ring in
⸤¶their eyes like
⸤¶like ruel-bone. As
⸤¶they flashed and
⸤¶for Tavros’ joy
⸤¶In Tavros’ friths
⸤¶had Huan once
⸤¶He grew the
⸤¶and Oromë gave
⸤¶to Celegorm, who
⸤¶the great God’s
⸤¶Alone of hounds
⸤¶when sons of
⸤¶and came into
⸤¶beside his master.
⸤¶and every foray
⸤¶and into mortal
⸤¶Often he saved
⸤¶from Orc and
⸤¶A wolf-hound, tireless,
⸤¶he grew; his
⸤¶all shadows and
⸤¶moons old he
⸤¶through rustling leaves
⸤¶all paths of
⸤¶he knew. But
⸤¶he loved to
⸤¶their snarling lives
⸤¶The packs of
⸤¶No wizardry, nor
⸤¶no fang, nor
⸤¶could brew had
⸤¶was woven. Yet
⸤¶that fate decreed
⸤¶before the mightiest
p237
⸤¶before the mightiest
⸤¶that ever was
⸤¶Hark! afar in
⸤¶far over Sirion
⸤¶there are dim
⸤¶and barking hounds
⸤¶The hunt is
⸤¶Who rides to-day?
⸤¶that Celegorm and
⸤¶have loosed their
⸤¶they mounted ere
⸤¶and took their
⸤¶The wolves of
⸤¶both far and
⸤¶by night across
⸤¶of Narog. Doth
⸤¶perchance, of plots
⸤¶of secrets that
⸤¶of movements in
⸤¶and errands under
⸤¶Curufin spake: ‘Good
⸤¶I like it
⸤¶doth this portend?
⸤¶we swift must
⸤¶And more, ’twould
⸤¶to hunt a
⸤¶And then he
⸤¶that Orodreth was
⸤¶long time it
⸤¶and rumour or
⸤¶‘At least thy
⸤¶to know whether
⸤¶to gather thy
⸤¶“I go to
⸤¶and men will
⸤¶ever thou heedest.
⸤¶things may be
⸤¶by some blind
⸤¶his footsteps mad,
⸤¶a Silmaril –
⸤¶no more in
p238
⸤¶is thine (and
⸤¶another may be
⸤¶The eldest blood
⸤¶Celegorm listened. Nought
⸤¶but forth a
⸤¶and Huan leaped
⸤¶the chief and
⸤¶Three days they
⸤¶the wolves of
⸤¶and many a
⸤¶they take, and
⸤¶till nigh to
⸤¶of Doriath a
⸤¶There were dim
⸤¶and barking dogs
⸤¶The hunt was
⸤¶and one there
⸤¶and fear was
⸤¶She knew not
⸤¶Far from her
⸤¶she flitted ghostlike
⸤¶ever her heart
⸤¶but her limbs
⸤¶The eyes of
⸤¶wavering, darting down
⸤¶like a mist
⸤¶and hasting fearfully
⸤¶He bayed, and
⸤¶to chase the
⸤¶On terror’s wings,
⸤¶pursued by a
⸤¶she fluttered hither,
⸤¶now poised, now
⸤¶in vain. At
⸤¶she leaned and
⸤¶No word of
⸤¶no elvish mystery
⸤¶or had entwined
⸤¶availed against that
⸤¶whose old immortal
⸤¶no spells could
p239
⸤¶Huan alone that
⸤¶she never in
⸤¶nor bound with
⸤¶and gentle voice
⸤¶and eyes like
⸤¶tamed him that
⸤¶Lightly he lifted
⸤¶his trembling burden.
⸤¶had Celegorm beheld
⸤¶‘What hast thou
⸤¶Dark-elvish maid, or
⸤¶Not such to
⸤¶‘’Tis Lúthien of
⸤¶the maiden spake.
⸤¶far from the
⸤¶she sadly winds,
⸤¶and hope grows
⸤¶down she let
⸤¶and there she
⸤¶Her starry jewels
⸤¶in the risen
⸤¶the lilies gold
⸤¶gleamed and glistened.
⸤¶on that fair
⸤¶Long did Curufin
⸤¶The perfume of
⸤¶her lissom limbs,
⸤¶smote to his
⸤¶enchained he stood.
⸤¶O lady fair,
⸤¶and lonely journey
⸤¶What tidings dread
⸤¶In Doriath have
⸤¶For fortune thee
⸤¶friends thou hast
⸤¶and gazed upon
⸤¶In his heart
⸤¶he knew in
⸤¶of guile upon
⸤¶‘Who are ye
p240
⸤¶that follow in
⸤¶she asked; and
⸤¶they gave. ‘Thy
⸤¶lords of Nargothrond
⸤¶and beg that
⸤¶back to their
⸤¶a season, seeking
⸤¶And now to
⸤¶So Lúthien tells
⸤¶in northern lands,
⸤¶to Doriath, of
⸤¶the dreadful errand
⸤¶decreed for Beren.
⸤¶the brothers gave
⸤¶that touched them
⸤¶and the marvellous
⸤¶she lightly tells,
⸤¶recalling sunlight in
⸤¶moonlight, starlight in
⸤¶ere Beren took
⸤¶‘Need, too, my
⸤¶No time in
⸤¶For days are
⸤¶Melian whose heart
⸤¶looking afar me
⸤¶that Beren lived
⸤¶The Lord of
⸤¶chains and enchantments
⸤¶and there entrapped
⸤¶doth Beren lie
⸤¶hath not brought
⸤¶then gasping woe
⸤¶To Celegorm said
⸤¶apart and low:
⸤¶of Felagund, and
⸤¶wherefore Thû’s creatures
⸤¶and other whispered
⸤¶and showed him
⸤¶‘Lady,’ said Celegorm,
⸤¶we go a-hunting
⸤¶and though our
p241
⸤¶’tis ill prepared
⸤¶and island fortress
⸤¶Deem not our
⸤¶Lo! here our
⸤¶and home our
⸤¶counsel and aid
⸤¶for Beren that
⸤¶To Nargothrond they
⸤¶Lúthien, whose heart
⸤¶Delay she feared;
⸤¶upon her spirit,
⸤¶they rode not
⸤¶Ahead leaped Huan
⸤¶and ever looking
⸤¶was troubled. What
⸤¶and why he
⸤¶why Curufin looked
⸤¶on Lúthien, he
⸤¶and felt some
⸤¶of ancient curse
⸤¶His heart was
⸤¶of Beren bold,
⸤¶and Felagund who
⸤¶In Nargothrond the
⸤¶and feast and
⸤¶Lúthien feasted not
⸤¶Her ways were
⸤¶she might not
⸤¶was hidden, and
⸤¶was heeded, nor
⸤¶her eager questions.
⸤¶it seemed, were
⸤¶in anguish and
⸤¶in prison and
⸤¶Too late she
⸤¶It was not
⸤¶that Fëanor’s sons
⸤¶who Beren heeded
⸤¶had little cause
⸤¶the king they
⸤¶old vows of
p242
⸤¶had roused from
⸤¶the purpose dark
⸤¶King Felagund to
⸤¶and with King
⸤¶the house of
⸤¶or treaty. But
⸤¶he had no
⸤¶the brothers had
⸤¶and all yet
⸤¶Orodreth’s counsel no
⸤¶their shame they
⸤¶the tale of
⸤¶At Lúthien’s feet
⸤¶and at night
⸤¶Huan the hound
⸤¶and words she
⸤¶‘O Huan, Huan,
⸤¶that ever ran
⸤¶what evil doth
⸤¶to heed no
⸤¶Once Barahir all
⸤¶good hounds did
⸤¶once Beren in
⸤¶when outlaw wild
⸤¶had friends unfailing
⸤¶with fur and
⸤¶and among the
⸤¶in mountains old
⸤¶still dwell. But
⸤¶none save the
⸤¶remembers him who
⸤¶and never to
⸤¶Nought said Huan;
⸤¶thereafter never near
⸤¶to Lúthien, nor
⸤¶but shrank from
⸤¶Then on a
⸤¶was swathed about
⸤¶of the wan
⸤¶were flying seen
⸤¶of racing cloud,
p243
⸤¶already wound in
⸤¶lo! Huan was
⸤¶fearing new wrong,
⸤¶when all is
⸤¶and shapeless fears
⸤¶a shadow came
⸤¶Then something let
⸤¶her magic cloak
⸤¶Trembling she saw
⸤¶beside her, heard
⸤¶as from a
⸤¶Thus Huan spake,
⸤¶had uttered words,
⸤¶did speak in
⸤¶‘Lady beloved, whom
⸤¶whom Elfinesse, and
⸤¶with fur and
⸤¶should serve and
⸤¶Put on thy
⸤¶comes over Nargothrond
⸤¶to Northern perils,
⸤¶And ere he
⸤¶for achievement of
⸤¶There Lúthien listened
⸤¶and softly on
⸤¶Her arms about
⸤¶in friendship that