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