03:P7j§X
The Lay of Leithian (§X)

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Volume: The Lays of Beleriand
Chapter: The Lay of Leithian (Canto X: The attack by Celegorm and Curufin)
Pages: 259–269
Paragraph count: 391
Token count: 2,508

Citation Index

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

p259
X
⸤¶Songs have recalled
⸤¶in old forgotten
⸤¶how Lúthien and
⸤¶by the banks
⸤¶they filled with
⸤¶passed by lightly,
⸤¶Though winter hunted
⸤¶still flowers lingered
⸤¶Tinúviel! Tinúviel!¶⸥⸤⸥
⸤¶the birds are
p260
⸤¶and sing beneath
⸤¶where Beren and
⸤¶The isle in
⸤¶but there on
⸤¶a green grave,
⸤¶and there there
⸤¶of Felagund, of
⸤¶unless that land
⸤¶or foundered in
⸤¶while Felagund laughs
⸤¶in Valinor, and
⸤¶to this grey
⸤¶To Nargothrond no
⸤¶but thither swiftly
⸤¶of their king
⸤¶of the breaking
⸤¶For many now
⸤¶who long ago
⸤¶and like a
⸤¶Huan the hound,
⸤¶or praise or
⸤¶yet loyal he
⸤¶The halls of
⸤¶that vainly Celegorm
⸤¶There men bewailed
⸤¶crying that a
⸤¶which sons of
⸤¶‘Let us slay
⸤¶the fickle folk
⸤¶with Felagund who
⸤¶Orodreth spake: ‘The
⸤¶is mine alone.
⸤¶no spilling of
⸤¶But bread nor
⸤¶these brothers who
⸤¶the house of
⸤¶Scornful, unbowed, and
⸤¶stood Celegorm. In
⸤¶a light of
⸤¶smiled with his
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⸤¶‘Be gone for
⸤¶shall fall into
⸤¶shall never lead
⸤¶nor any son
⸤¶nor ever after
⸤¶of love twixt
⸤¶‘We will remember
⸤¶and turned upon
⸤¶and took their
⸤¶as still them
⸤¶but sounded horns,
⸤¶and went away
⸤¶Towards Doriath the
⸤¶were drawing nigh.
⸤¶though cold the
⸤¶through which the
⸤¶they sang beneath
⸤¶uplifted o’er them
⸤¶They came to
⸤¶that from the
⸤¶by western borders
⸤¶the spells of
⸤¶King Thingol’s land,
⸤¶to wind bewildered
⸤¶There sudden sad
⸤¶‘Alas, Tinúviel, here
⸤¶and our brief
⸤¶and sundered ways
⸤¶‘Why part we
⸤¶just at the
⸤¶‘For safe thou’rt
⸤¶o’er which in
⸤¶of Melian thou
⸤¶and find thy
⸤¶‘My heart is
⸤¶far off uprising
⸤¶of Doriath inviolate.¶⸥⸤⸥
⸤¶Yet Doriath my
⸤¶and Doriath my
p262
⸤¶my home, my
⸤¶on grass nor
⸤¶without thee by
⸤¶of Esgalduin the
⸤¶Why there alone
⸤¶by endless waters
⸤¶must I then
⸤¶and gaze at
⸤¶in heartache and
⸤¶‘For never more
⸤¶can Beren find
⸤¶though Thingol willed
⸤¶for to thy
⸤¶to come not
⸤¶the quest of
⸤¶and win by
⸤¶“Not rock nor
⸤¶nor all the
⸤¶shall keep the
⸤¶thus swore I
⸤¶more fair than
⸤¶My word, alas!
⸤¶though sorrow pierce
⸤¶‘Then Lúthien will
⸤¶but weeping in
⸤¶nor peril heed,
⸤¶And if she
⸤¶against thy will
⸤¶she will pursue,
⸤¶Beren and Lúthien,
⸤¶on earth or
⸤¶‘Nay, Lúthien, most
⸤¶thou makest it
⸤¶Thy love me
⸤¶but never to
⸤¶that darkest mansion
⸤¶shall thy most
⸤¶‘Never, never!’ he
⸤¶But even as
⸤¶a sound came
p263
⸤¶There Curufin and
⸤¶in sudden tumult
⸤¶rode up. The
⸤¶loud on the
⸤¶madly northward they
⸤¶the path twixt
⸤¶and the shadows
⸤¶of Taur-na-Fuin. That
⸤¶most swift to
⸤¶in the east,
⸤¶o’er Aglon’s gorge
⸤¶They saw the
⸤¶straight on them
⸤¶as if neath
⸤¶the lovers and
⸤¶But as they
⸤¶with nostrils wide
⸤¶Curufin, stooping, to
⸤¶with mighty arm
⸤¶and laughed. Too
⸤¶fiercer than tawny
⸤¶maddened with arrows
⸤¶greater than any
⸤¶that hounded to
⸤¶there Beren gave,
⸤¶leaped on Curufin;
⸤¶his arms entwined,
⸤¶both horse and
⸤¶and there they
⸤¶Dazed in the
⸤¶beneath bare branches
⸤¶the Gnome felt
⸤¶close on his
⸤¶and out his
⸤¶gasping from his
⸤¶Up rode Celegorm
⸤¶and bitter death
⸤¶With elvish steel
⸤¶whom Lúthien won
⸤¶but baying Huan
⸤¶before his master’s
p264
⸤¶white-gleaming, and with
⸤¶as if he
⸤¶The horse in
⸤¶and Celegorm in
⸤¶‘Curse thee, thou
⸤¶against thy master
⸤¶But dog nor
⸤¶would venture near
⸤¶of mighty Huan
⸤¶Red were his
⸤¶and fearful eyed
⸤¶nor sword nor
⸤¶no dart of
⸤¶master nor man
⸤¶There Curufin had
⸤¶had Lúthien not
⸤¶Waking she rose
⸤¶standing distressed at
⸤¶‘Forbear thy anger
⸤¶nor do the
⸤¶for foes there
⸤¶unnumbered, and they
⸤¶while here we
⸤¶distraught, and all
⸤¶decays and crumbles.
⸤¶Then Beren did
⸤¶but took his
⸤¶and took his
⸤¶hanging sheathless, wrought
⸤¶No flesh could
⸤¶that point had
⸤¶the dwarves had
⸤¶enchantments, where their
⸤¶in Nogrod ringing
⸤¶Iron as tender
⸤¶and sundered mail
⸤¶But other hands
⸤¶its master lay
⸤¶Beren uplifting him,
⸤¶and cried ‘Begone!’,
⸤¶‘Begone! thou renegade
p265
⸤¶and let thy
⸤¶Arise and go,
⸤¶like Morgoth’s slaves
⸤¶and deal, proud
⸤¶in deeds more
⸤¶Then Beren led
⸤¶while Huan still
⸤¶‘Farewell,’ cried Celegorm
⸤¶‘Far get you
⸤¶to die forhungered
⸤¶than wrath of
⸤¶that yet may
⸤¶No gem, nor
⸤¶shall ever long
⸤¶We curse thee
⸤¶we curse thee
⸤¶Farewell!’ He swift
⸤¶his brother lifted
⸤¶then bow of
⸤¶he strung, and
⸤¶as heedless hand
⸤¶a dwarvish dart
⸤¶They never turned
⸤¶Loud bayed Huan,
⸤¶the speeding arrow.
⸤¶another followed deadly
⸤¶but Beren had
⸤¶defended Lúthien with
⸤¶Deep sank the
⸤¶He fell to
⸤¶and laughing left
⸤¶yet spurred like
⸤¶of Huan’s pursuing
⸤¶Though Curufin with
⸤¶yet later of
⸤¶was tale and
⸤¶and Men remembered
⸤¶and Morgoth’s will
⸤¶Thereafter never hound
⸤¶would follow horn
⸤¶or Curufin. Though
p266
⸤¶though all their
⸤¶went down, thereafter
⸤¶Huan no more
⸤¶but followed Lúthien,
⸤¶Now sank she
⸤¶of Beren, and
⸤¶of welling blood
⸤¶The raiment from
⸤¶from shoulder plucked
⸤¶his wound with
⸤¶Then Huan came
⸤¶of all the
⸤¶that evergreen in
⸤¶there grew with
⸤¶The powers of
⸤¶who wide did
⸤¶Therewith the smart
⸤¶while Lúthien murmuring
⸤¶the staunching song,
⸤¶long years had
⸤¶of war and
⸤¶The shadows fell
⸤¶Then sprang about
⸤¶the Sickle of
⸤¶each star there
⸤¶radiant, glistering cold
⸤¶But on the
⸤¶a spark of
⸤¶under woven boughs
⸤¶of crackling wood
⸤¶there Beren lies
⸤¶walking and wandering
⸤¶Watchful bending o’er
⸤¶a maiden fair;
⸤¶his brow caresses,
⸤¶a song more
⸤¶or leeches’ lore
⸤¶Slowly the nightly
⸤¶The misty morning
⸤¶from dusk to
⸤¶Then Beren woke
p267
⸤¶and rose and
⸤¶in lands more
⸤¶I wandered long,
⸤¶to the deep
⸤¶but ever a
⸤¶like bells, like
⸤¶like music moving
⸤¶called me, called
⸤¶enchanted drew me
⸤¶Healed the wound,
⸤¶Now are we
⸤¶new journeys once
⸤¶to perils whence
⸤¶hardly for Beren;
⸤¶a waiting in
⸤¶beneath the trees
⸤¶while ever follow
⸤¶the echoes of
⸤¶where hills are
⸤¶‘Nay, now no
⸤¶dark Morgoth only,
⸤¶in wars and
⸤¶thy quest is
⸤¶for thee and
⸤¶the end of
⸤¶all this I
⸤¶if thou go
⸤¶and lay in
⸤¶and flaming jewel,
⸤¶never, never! A
⸤¶Why turn we
⸤¶beneath the trees
⸤¶roofless, with all
⸤¶over mountains, beside
⸤¶in the sunlight,
⸤¶Thus long they
⸤¶and yet not
⸤¶nor lissom arms,
⸤¶as tremulous stars
⸤¶nor tender lips,
⸤¶his purpose bent
p268
⸤¶Never to Doriath
⸤¶save guarded fast
⸤¶never to Nargothrond
⸤¶with her, lest
⸤¶and never would
⸤¶to wander suffer
⸤¶roofless and restless,
⸤¶with love from
⸤¶‘For Morgoth’s power
⸤¶already hill and
⸤¶the hunt is
⸤¶a maiden lost,
⸤¶Now Orcs and
⸤¶from tree to
⸤¶each shade and
⸤¶At thought thereof
⸤¶my heart is
⸤¶I curse the
⸤¶and snared thy
⸤¶of flight and
⸤¶Now let us
⸤¶be fallen, take
⸤¶till o’er the
⸤¶beneath the beech
⸤¶in Doriath, fair
⸤¶whither no evil
⸤¶powerless to pass
⸤¶that droop upon
⸤¶Then to his
⸤¶Swiftly to Doriath
⸤¶and crossed its
⸤¶resting in deep
⸤¶there lay they
⸤¶under mighty beeches
⸤¶and sang of
⸤¶though earth be
⸤¶and sundered here
⸤¶shall meet upon
⸤¶One morning as
⸤¶upon the moss,
⸤¶too bitter were
p269
⸤¶to open in
⸤¶Beren arose and
⸤¶and wept, and
⸤¶‘Good Huan,’ said
⸤¶In leafless field
⸤¶in thorny thicket
⸤¶forlorn, so frail
⸤¶Guard her from
⸤¶from hands that
⸤¶keep her from
⸤¶for pride and
⸤¶The horse he
⸤¶nor dared to
⸤¶with heart as
⸤¶and took the