The Lays of Beleriand by J. R. R. Tolkien Read Free Book Online Page B

of the beetling trees;
    oppressed by pungent pinewood's odours,
    and drowsed with dreams as the darkness thickened, he strayed steerless. The stars were hid,
    and the moon mantled. There magic foundered
    in the gathering glooms, there goblins even
    (whose deep eyes drill the darkest shadows)
    bewildered wandered, who the way forsook
    to grope in the glades, there greyly loomed
    of girth unguessed in growth of ages
    the topless trunks of trees enchanted.
    That fathomless fold by folk of Elfland
    is Taur-na-Fuin, the Trackless Forest
    of Deadly Nightshade, dreadly named.
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    Abandoned, beaten, there Beleg lying

    to the wind harkened winding, moaning
    in bending boughs; to branches creaking
    up high over head, where huge pinions
    of the plumed pine-trees complained darkly
    in black foreboding. There bowed hopeless,
    in wit wildered, and wooing death,
    he saw on a sudden a slender sheen
    shine a-shimmering in the shades afar,
    like a glow-worm's lamp a-gleaming dim.
    He marvelled what it might be as he moved softly; for he knew not the Gnomes of need delving
    in the deep dungeons of dark Morgoth.
    Unmatched their magic in metal-working,
    who jewels and gems that rejoiced the Gods
    aforetime fashioned, when they freedom held,
    now swinking slaves of ceaseless labour
    in Angband's smithies, nor ever were suffered to wander away, warded always.
    But little lanterns of lucent crystal
    and silver cold with subtlest cunning
    they strangely fashioned, and steadfast a flame burnt unblinking there blue and pale,
    unquenched for ever. The craft that lit them
    was the jewel-makers' most jealous secret.
    Not Morgoth's might, nor meed nor torment
    them vowed, availed to reveal that lore;
    yet lights and lamps of living radiance,
    many and magical, they made for him.
    No dark could dim them the deeps wandering;
    whose lode they lit was lost seldom
    in groundless grot, or gulfs far under.
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    'Twas a Gnome he beheld on the heaped needles of a pine-tree pillowed, when peering wary
    he crept closer. The covering pelt
    was loosed from the lamp of living radiance
    by his side shining. Slumber-shrouded
    his fear-worn face was fallen in shade.

    Lest in webs woven of unwaking sleep,
    spun round by spells in those spaces dark,
    he lie forlorn and lost for ever,
    the Hunter hailed him in the hushed forest --
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    to the drowsy deeps of his dream profound
    fear ever-following came falling loud;
    as the lancing lightning he leapt to his feet full deeming that dread and death were upon him, Flinding go-Fuilin fleeing in anguish
    from the mines of Morgoth. Marvelling he heard the ancient tongue of the Elves of Tun;
    and Beleg the Bowman embraced him there,
    and learnt his lineage and luckless fate,
    how thrust to thraldom in a throng of captives, from the kindred carried and the cavernous halls of the Gnomes renowned of Nargothrond,
    long years he laboured under lashes and flails of the baleful Balrogs, abiding his time.
    A tale he unfolded of terrible flight
    o'er flaming fell and fuming hollow,
    o'er the parched dunes of the Plains of Drouth, till his heart took hope and his heed was less.
    'Then Taur-na-Fuin entangled my feet
    in its mazes enmeshed; and madness took me
    that I wandered witless, unwary stumbling
    and beating the boles of the brooding pines
    in idle anger -- and the Orcs heard me.
    They were camped in a clearing, that close at hand by mercy I missed. Their marching road
    is beaten broad through the black shadows
    by wizardry warded from wandering Elves;
    but dread they know of the Deadly Nightshade, and in haste only do they hie that way.
    Now cruel cries and clamorous voices
    awoke in the wood, and winged arrows
    from horny bows hummed about me;
    and following feet, fleet and stealthy,
    were padding and pattering on the pine-needles; and hairy hands and hungry fingers
    in the glooms groping, as I grovelled fainting till they cowering found me. Fast they clutched me beaten