The Lays of Beleriand (19 page)

whose sire Gumlin to his son gave it

ere his soul severed from his sundered heart -

'Tis Telchar's work of worth untold,

its wearer warded from wound or magic,

from glaive guarded or gleaming axe. 680

Now Hurin's helm hoard till manhood

to battle bids thee, then bravely don it,

go wear it well!' Woeful-hearted

did Turin touch it but take it not,

too weak to wield that mighty gear, 685

and his mind in mourning for Morwen's answer

was mazed and darkened.

Thus many a day

came to pass in the courts of Thingol

for twelve years long that Turin lived.

But seven winters their sorrows had laid 690

on the son of Hurin when that summer to the world came glad and golden with grievous parting;

nine years followed of his forest-nurture,

and his lot was lightened, for he learned at whiles from faring folk what befell in Hithlum, 695

and tidings were told by trusty Elves

how Morwen his mother knew milder days

and easement of evil, and with eager voice

all Nienor named the Northern flower,

the slender maiden in sweet beauty 700

now graceful growing. The gladder was he then and hope yet haunted his heart at whiles.

He waxed and grew and won renown

in all lands where Thingol as lord was held

for his stoutness of heart and his strong body. 705

Much lore he learned and loved wisdom,

but fortune followed him in few desires;

oft wrong and awry what he wrought turned,

what he loved he lost, what he longed for failed, and full friendship he found not with ease, 710

nor was lightly loved, for his looks were sad; he was gloomy-hearted and glad seldom

for the sundering sorrow that seared his youth.

On manhood's threshold he was mighty-thewed

in the wielding of weapons; in weaving song 715

he had a minstrel's mastery, but mirth was not in it, for he mourned the misery of the Men of Hithlum.

Yet greater his grief grew thereafter

when from Hithlum's hills he heard no more

and no traveller told him tidings of Morwen. 720

For those days were drawing to the doom of the Gnomes and the power of the Prince of the pitiless kingdom, of the grim Glamhoth, was grown apace,

till the lands of the North were loud with their noise, and they fell on the folk with fire and slaughter 725

who bent not to Bauglir or the borders passed of dark Dorlomin with its dreary pines

that Hithlum was called by the unhappy people.

There Morgoth shut them in the Shadowy Mountains, fenced them from Faerie and the folk of the wood. 730

Even Beleg fared not so far abroad

as once was his wont, for the woods were filled with the armies of Angband and with evil deeds, and murder walked on the marches of Doriath;

only the mighty magic of Melian the Queen 735

yet held their havoc from the hidden people.

To assuage his sorrow and to sate his rage,

for his heart was hot with the hurts of his folk, then Hurin's son took the helm of his sire

and weapons weighty for the wielding of men, 740

and he went to the woods with warrior-Elves,

and far in the forest his feet led him

into black battle yet a boy in years.

Ere manhood's measure he met and he slew

Orcs of Angband and evil things 745

that roamed and ravened on the realm's borders.

There hard his life, and hurts he lacked not, the wounds of shaft and the wavering sheen

of the sickle scimitars, the swords of Hell,

the bloodfain blades on black anvils 750

in Angband smithied, yet ever he smote

unfey, fearless, and his fate kept him.

Thus his prowess was proven and his praise was noised and beyond his years he was yielded honour,

for by him was holden the hand of ruin 755

from Thingol's folk, and Thu feared him,

and wide wandered the word of Turin:

'Lo! we deemed as dead the dragon of the North, but high o'er the host its head uprises,

its wings are spread! Who has waked this spirit 760

and the flame kindled of its fiery jaws?

Or is Hurin of Hithlum from Hell broken? '

And Thu who was throned as thane mightiest

neath Morgoth Bauglir, whom that master bade

'go ravage the realm of the robber Thingol 765

and mar the magic of Melian the Queen',

even Thu feared him, and his thanes trembled.

One only was there in war greater,

more high in honour in the hearts of the Elves than Turin son of Hurin, tower of Hithlum, 770

even the hunter Beleg of the hidden people,

whose father was the forest and the fells his home; to bend whose bow, Balthronding named,

that the black yewtree once bore of yore,

had none the might; unmatched in knowledge 775

of the woods' secrets and the weary hills.

He was leader beloved of the light companies

all garbed in grey and green and brown,

the archers arrowfleet with eyes piercing,

the scouts that scoured scorning danger 780

afar o'er the fells their foemen's lair,

and tales and tidings timely won them

of camps and councils, of comings and goings, all the movements of the might of Morgoth Bauglir.

Thus Turin, who trusted to targe and sword, 785

who was fain of fighting with foes well seen, where shining swords made sheen of fire,

and his corslet-clad comrades-in-arms

were snared seldom and smote unlooked-for.

Then the fame of the fights on the far marches 790

was carried to the courts of the king of Doriath, and tales of Turin were told in his halls,

of the bond and brotherhood of Beleg the ageless with the blackhaired boy from the beaten people.

Then the king called them to come before him 795

did Orc-raids lessen in the outer lands

ever and often unasked to hasten,

to rest them and revel and to raise awhile

in songs and lays and sweet music

the memory of the mirth ere the moon was old, 800

when the mountains were young in the morning of the world.

On a time was Turin at his table seated,

and Thingol thanked him for his thriving deeds; there was laughter long and the loud clamour

of a countless company that quaffed the mead 805

and the wine of Dor-Winion that went ungrudged in their golden goblets; and goodly meats

there burdened the boards neath blazing torches in those high halls set that were hewn of stone.

There mirth fell on many; there minstrels clear 810

did sing them songs of the city of Cor

that Taingwethil towering mountain

o'ershadowed sheerly, of the shining halls

where the great gods sit and gaze on the world from the guarded shores of the gulf of Faerie. 815

One sang of the slaying at the Swans' Haven

and the curse that had come on the kindreds since Here the typescript IIB ends abruptly, in the middle of a page; the manuscript IIA has already ended at line 767.

NOTES.

The first page of the typescript of this section of the poem, covering lines 248-95, is duplicated, the one version (b) taking up changes made to the other (a) and itself receiving further changes. There is no corresponding text of IIA until line 283.

248. in the land of Mithrim (a), and (b) as typed. The emendation in (b) reverts to the reading of the first version (105), in the Land of Shadows.

265. Dairon's sister (a), and (b) as typed.

266 - 8. These three lines were inserted in (b), with change of who had danced 269 to had danced. See below, Note on the poem 'Light as Leaf on Lindentrre'.

273. Etmabweth (a), and (b) as typed. The emendation in (b) to Ermabwed reverts to the form of the name in the Lost Tales and in the first version of the poem (121).

274-8. As typed, (a) was virtually identical with the first version lines 122 - 5. This was then changed to read: did win her to wife, who once of old

fellowship had vowed and friendly love

Elf with mortal, even Egnor's son

with Hurin of Hithlum, hunting often

by the marge of Mithrim's misty waters.

Thus said she to her son...

This passage was then typed in (b), with change of hunting often to hero dauntless. Subsequently the line Elf with mortal, even Egnor's son was struck out, and other minor changes made to give the text printed.

294. Mailrond: Mailgond IIA, IIB; I read Mailrond in view of the emendations at lines 319, 596.

319. Mailrond: Mailgond IIA, and IIB as typed, emended in pencil to Mailrond; similarly at line 596.

356. Release from Bondage IIB as typed (the change to Release from Bonds was made for metrical reasons). The reference to the Lay of Leithian is not in IIA, but the manuscript is here so scrappy and disjointed as to be of no service.

358-66. These nine lines are typed on a slip pasted into IIB, replacing the following which were struck out:

how Luthien the lissom he loved of yore

in the enchanted forest chained with wonder

as she danced like dreams of drifting whiteness of shadows shimmering shot with moonlight;

In the first line (358) of the inserted slip the boldhearted is an emendation of brave undaunted; and above Ermabwed is written (later, in pencil) Er(h)amion.

374. Carcharoth: Carcharolch IIA, and IIB as typed.

398-402. These five lines are typed on a slip pasted into I IB at the same time as that giving lines 358 - 66, but in this case there was nothing replaced in the original typescript. Line 400 as typed read:

that 'Light as Leaf on Lind' is called

emended to the reading given.

Beneath the five typed lines my father wrote: 'Here follow verses "Light as leaf on linden-tree".'

Note on the poem 'Light as Leaf on Lindentree'

Lines 266 - 8 (see note above) were clearly added to the typescript at the same time as the two pasted-in slips (giving lines 358 - 66 and 398 - 402), in view of line 268 who light as leaf on linden tree.

This poem, here to be inset into the Lay of the Children of Hurin, is found in three typescripts, here referred to as (a), (b), and (c), together with a small manuscript page giving reworkings of the penultimate stanza. These typescripts were made with the same purple ribbon used for the texts IB and IIB of the Lay and obviously belong to the same period.

(a), earliest of the three, had no title as typed: the title Light as leaf on lind was written in in ink, and before the poem begins there is written also in ink:

'Light was Tinuviel as leaf on lind

light as a feather in the laughing wind.'

Tinuviel! Tinuviel!

On this typescript my father wrote some notes on the poem's dating: 'first beginnings Oxford 1919 - 20 Alfred St.', 'Leeds 1923, retouched 1924'. (a) is the 1923 version; it differs from the later (1924) only in the penultimate stanza, on which see note to lines 459 - 66 below.

(b) again has no title as typed, but As light as Leaf on: Lindentree was written in ink. This begins with 15 lines of alliterative verse:

In the Lay of Leithian, Release from Bondage

in linked words has long been wrought

of Beren Ermabwed, brave, undaunted;

how Luthien the lissom he loved of yore

in the enchanted forest chained in wonder. 5

Tinuviel he named her, than nightingale

more sweet her voice, as veiled in soft

and wavering wisps of woven dusk

shot with starlight, with shining eyes

she danced like dreams of drifting sheen, 10

pale-twinkling pearls in pools of darkness.

And songs were raised for sorrow's lightening, a sudden sweetness in a silent hour,

that 'Light as Leaf on Linden-tree'

were called - here caught a cadent echo. 15

(c) has the typed title As Light as Leaf on Lind, the last word emended to Linden-tree. This has only the text of the poem, without the alliterative introduction; and the text is identical to that of (b).

It will be seen that of the alliterative verses in (b) lines 1 - 2

are very close to lines 356 - 7 of the Lay (which were original lines in the typescript, not inserted later): (There was told to Turin that tale by Halog)

that in the Lay of Leithian, Release from Bonds

[< Bondage],

in linked words has long been woven

while lines 3 - 11 are identical with those on the first pasted-in slip, 358 - 66 (as typed: the boldhearted in line 358 is an emendation from brave undaunted). Further, lines 12 - 15

are close to those on the second pasted-in slip, 398 - 402: Then a song he made them for sorrow's lightening, a sudden sweetness in a silent hour,

that is 'Light as Leaf on Linden' called,

whose music of mirth and mourning blended

yet in hearts does echo. This did Halog sing them: The order of events is very difficult to determine, but the key is probably to be found in the fact that lines 356 - 7 are found in IIB as originally typed, not in the pasted-in insertion. I think (or perhaps rather guess) that my father composed an alliterative continuation of 13 lines (beginning of Beren Erma&wed, brave undaunted) as an introduction to the poem Light as Leaf on Lindentree; and then, at the same time as he typed text (b) of this poem, with the alliterative head-piece, he added them to the typescript of the Lay already in existence.