The Lays of Beleriand (54 page)

A Hir Annun gilthoniel,

le linnon im Tinuviel!

The typescript ends here, but the final manuscript draft continues: O elven-fairest Luthien

what wonder moved thy dances then? 105

That night what doom of Elvenesse

enchanted did thy voice possess?

Such marvel shall there no more be

on Earth or west beyond the Sea,

at dusk or dawn, by night or noon 110

or neath the mirror of the moon!

On NeIdoreth was laid a spell;

the piping into silence fell,

for Daeron cast his flute away,

unheeded on the grass it lay, 115

in wonder bound as stone he stood

heart-broken in the listening wood.

And still she sang above the night,

as light returning into light

upsoaring from the world below 120

when suddenly there came a slow

dull tread of heavy feet on leaves,

and from the darkness on the eaves

of the bright glade a shape came out

with hands agrope, as if in doubt 125

or blind, and as it stumbling passed

under the moon a shadow cast

bended and darkling. Then from on high

as lark falls headlong from the sky

the song of Luthien fell and ceased; 130

but Daeron from the spell released

awoke to fear, and cried in woe:

'Flee Luthien, ah Luthien go!

An evil walks the wood! Away! '

Then forth.he fled in his dismay 135

ever calling her to follow him,

until far off his cry was dim

'Ah flee, ah flee now, Luthien! '

But silent stood she in the glen

unmoved, who never fear had known, 110

as slender moonlit flower alone,

white and windless with upturned face

waiting

Here the manuscript comes to an end.

Canto IV.

A small section of this Canto was partly rewritten at some late date. Lines 884ff. were changed to:

Then Thingol said: '0 Dairon wise,

with wary ears and watchful eyes,

who all that passes in this land

dost ever heed and understand,

what omen doth this silence bear?

This was written rapidly on the B-text and was primarily prompted, I think, by the wish to get rid of the word 'magic' at line 886, which is underlined and marked with an X on the D typescript. At the same time

'wild stallion' at 893 was changed to 'great stallion', and Tavros to Taurus at 891. A little further on, lines 902 - 19 were changed, also at this time: beneath the trees of Ennorath.*

Would it were so! An age now hath

gone by since Nahar trod this earth

in days of our peace and ancient mirth,

ere rebel lords of Eldamar

pursuing Morgoth from afar

brought war and ruin to the North.

Doth Tauros to their aid come forth?

But if not he, who comes or what?'

And Dairon said: 'He cometh riot!

No feet divine shall leave that shore

where the Outer Seas' last surges roar,

till many things be come to pass,

and many evils wrought. Alas!

the guest is here. The woods are still,

but wait not; for a marvel chill

them holds at the strange deeds they see,

though king sees not - yet queen, maybe,

can guess, and maiden doubtless knows

who ever now beside her goes.'

Lines 926 - 9 were rewritten:

But Dairon looked on Luthien's face

and faltered, seeing his disgrace

in those clear eyes. He spoke no more,

and silent Thingol's anger bore.

But these rewritings were hasty, at the level of rough draft, and in no way comparable to what has preceded.

(* Ennorath: 'Middle-earth'; cf. The Lord of the Rings, Appendix E (III.393, footnote t).

I

Cantos V - IX.

There is no later recasting in these Cantos save for four lines in Canto IX: the dying words of Felagund to Beren (2633 ff.): I now must go to my long rest

in Aman, there beyond the shore

of Eldamar for ever more

in memory to dwell.' Thus died the king,

as still the elven harpers sing.

At this point my father wrote on one of the copies of the D-text:

'He should give ring back to Beren' (for the later history of the ring see Unfinished Tales p. 171 note 2, and The Lard of the Rings Appendix A, III. 322 note r and 338). But in fact it is nowhere said that Beren had returned the ring to Felagund.

Canto X

With the beginning of this Canto a substantial passage of new writing begins, at first written on the B-text, and then, with further change, in a typescript made by father, to all appearance at the same time as that given on pp. 352 - 5 (but in this case the new verse was retyped as part of the D-text).

Songs have recalled, by harpers sung

long years ago in elven tongue,

how Luthien and Beren strayed

in Sirion's vale; and many a glade

they filled with joy, and there their feet 5

passed by lightly, and days were sweet.

Though winter hunted through the wood,

still flowers lingered where they stood.

Tinuviel! Tinuviel!

Still unafraid the birds now dwell 10

and sing on boughs amid the snow

where Luthien and Beren go.

From Sirion's Isle they passed away,

but on the hill alone there lay

a green grave, and a stone was set, 15

and there there lie the white bones yet

of Finrod fair, Finarfin's son,

unless that land be changed and gone,

or foundered in unfathomed seas,

while Finrod walks beneath the trees 20

in Eldamar* and comes no more

to the grey world of tears and war.

To Nargothrond no more he came

but thither swiftly ran the fame

of their dead king and his great deed, 25

how Luthien the Isle had freed:

the Werewolf Lord was overthrown,

and broken were his towers of stone.

For many now came home at last

who long ago to shadow passed; 30

and like a shadow had returned

Huan the hound, though scant he earned

or praise or thanks of Celegorm.

There now arose a growing storm,

a clamour of'many voices loud, 35

and folk whom Curufin had cowed

and their own king had help denied,

in shame and anger now they cried:

'Come! Slay these faithless lords untrue!

Why lurk they here? What will they do, 40

but bring Finarfin's kin to naught,

treacherous cuckoo-guests unsought?

Away with them! ' But wise and slow

Orodreth spoke: 'Beware, lest woe

and wickedness to worse ye bring! 45

Finrod is fallen. I am king.

But even as he would speak, I now

command you. I will not allow

in Nargothrond the ancient curse

from evil unto evil worse 50

to work. With tears for Finrod weep

repentant! Swords for Morgoth keep!

No kindred blood shall here be shed.

Yet here shall neither rest nor bread

the brethren find who set at naught 55

(* Eldamar: earlier reading the Blessed Realm.- With these lines cf. the revised version of Felagund's dying words in Canto IX (p. 357).) Finarfin's house. Let them be sought,

unharmed to stand before me! Go!

The courtesy of Finrod show! '

In scorn stood Celegorm, unbowed,

with glance of fire in anger proud 60

and menacing; but at his side

smiling and silent, wary-eyed,

was Curufin, with hand on haft

of his long knife. And then he laughed,

and 'Well?'said he. 'Why didst thou call 65

for us, Sir Steward? In thy hall

we are not wont to stand. Come, speak,

if aught of us thou hast to seek! '

Cold words Orodreth answered slow:

'Before the king ye stand. But know, 70

of you he seeks for naught. His will

ye come to hear, and to fulfil.

Be gone for ever, ere the day

shall fall into the sea! Your way

shall never lead you hither more, 75

nor any son of Feanor;

of love no more shall there be bond

between your house and Nargothrond! '

'We will remember it,' they said,

and turned upon their heels, and sped, 80

saddled their horses, trussed their gear,

and went with hound and bow and spear,

alone; for none of all the folk

would follow them. No word they spoke,

but sounded horns, and rode away 85

like wind at end of stormy day.

The typescript made by my father ends here, but the revision written on the B-text continues (and was incorporated in the D typescript).

Towards Doriath the wanderers now

were drawing nigh. Though bare was bough,

and winter through the grasses grey

went hissing chill, and brief was day, 90

they sang beneath the frosty sky

above them lifted clear and high.

They came to Mindeb swift and bright

that from the northern mountains' height

to Neldoreth came leaping down 95

with noise among the boulders brown,

but into sudden silence fell,

passing beneath the guarding spell

that Melian on the borders laid

of Thingol's land. There now they stayed; 100

for silence sad on Beren fell.

Unheeded long, at last too well

he heard the warning of his heart:

alas, beloved, here we part.

'Alas, Tinuviel,' he said, 105

'this road no further can we tread

together, no more hand in hand

can journey in the Elven-land.'

'Why part we here? What dost thou say,

even at dawn of brighter day? ' 110

From lines 2936 to 2965 no further changes were made (except Elfinesse to Elvenesse at 2962). In the preceding passage, Inglor Felagund son of Finrod has become Finrod Felagund son of Finarfin, which dates the revision to, at earliest, 1955, for the change had not been made in the first edition of The Lord of the Rings.

A further short stretch of rewriting begins at 2966, returning to the original text two lines later:

My word, alas! I now must keep,

and not the first of men must weep

for oath in pride and anger sworn.

Too brief the meeting, brief the morn,

too soon comes night when we must part! 5

All oaths are for breaking of the heart,

with shame denied, with anguish kept.

Ah! would that now unknown I slept

with Barahir beneath the stone,

and thou wert dancing still alone, 10

unmarred, immortal, sorrowless,

singing in joy of Elvenesse.'

'That may not be. For bonds there are

stronger than stone or iron bar,

more strong than proudly spoken oath. IS

Have I not plighted thee my troth?

Hath love no pride nor honour then?

Or dost thou deem then Luthien

so frail of purpose, light of love?

By stars of Elbereth above! 20

If thou wilt here my hand forsake

and leave me lonely paths to take,

then Luthien will not go home...

At the same time line 2974 was changed to

beyond all hope in love once more

and 2988 ff. to

In rage and haste

thus madly eastward they now raced,

to find the old and perilous path

between the dreadful Gorgorath

and Thingol's realm. That was their road

most swift to where their kin abode

far off, where Himring's watchful hill

o'er Aglon's gorge hung tall and still.

They saw the wanderers. With a shout

straight on them turned their steeds about...

Cantos XI - XIII.

There is no rewriting in Cantos XI and XII, but a little towards the end of XIII. Lines 4092 - 5 were replaced by:

the Silmarils with living light

were kindled clear, and waxing bright

shone like the stars that in the North

above the reek of earth leap forth.

Lines 4150 - 9 were replaced by:

In claws of iron the gem was caught;

the knife them rent, as they were naught

but brittle nails on a dead hand.

Behold! the hope of Elvenland,

the fire of Feanor, Light of Morn 5

before the sun and moon were born,

thus out of bondage came at last,

from iron to mortal hand it passed.

There Beren stood. The jewel he held,

and its pure radiance slowly welled 10

through flesh and bone, and turned to fire

with hue of living blood. Desire

then smote his heart their doom to dare,

and from the deeps of Hell to bear

all three immortal gems, and save IS