Beren And Lúthien

The leaves were long, the grass was green

The hemlock-umbels tall and fair

And in the glade a light was seen

Of stars in shadow shimmering

Tinúviel was dancing there

To music of a pipe unseen

And light of stars was in her hair

And in her raiment glimmering

There Beren came from mountains cold

And lost he wandered under leaves

And where the Elven-river rolled

He walked alone and sorrowing

He peered between the hemlock-leaves

And saw in wonder flowers of gold

Upon her mantle and her sleeves

And her hair like shadow following

Enchantment healed his weary feet

That over hills were doomed to roam

And forth he hastened, strong and fleet

And grasped at moonbeams glistening

Through woven woods in Elvenhome

She lightly fled on dancing feet

And left him lonely still to roam

In the silent forest listening

He heard there oft the flying sound

Of feet as light as linden-leaves

Or music welling underground

In hidden hollows quavering

Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves

And one by one with sighing sound

Whispering fell the beachen leaves

In the wintry woodland wavering

He sought her ever, wandering far

Where leaves of years were thickly strewn

By light of moon and ray of star

In frosty heavens shivering

Her mantle glinted in the moon

As on a hill-top high and far

She danced, and at her feet was strewn

A mist of silver quivering

When winter passed, she came again

And her song released the sudden spring

Like rising lark, and falling rain

And melting water bubbling

He saw the elven-flowers spring

About her feet, and healed again

He longed by her to dance and sing

Upon the grass untroubling

Again she fled, but swift he came

Tinúviel! Tinúviel!

He called her by her elvish name

And there she halted listening

One moment stood she, and a spell

His voice laid on her: Beren came

And doom fell on Tinúviel

That in his arms lay glistening

As Beren looked into her eyes

Within the shadows of her hair

The trembling starlight of the skies

He saw there mirrored shimmering

Tinúviel the elven-fair

Immortal maiden elven-wise

About him cast her shadowy hair

And arms like silver glimmering

Long was the way that fate them bore

O'er stony mountains cold and grey

Through halls of ireon and darkling door

And woods of nightshade morrowless

The Sundering Seas between them lay

And yet at last they met once more

And long ago they passed away

In the forest singing sorrowless