13. Lúthien in Angband

Nèhaléni looked at him, stared at him; stunned.
'Do you not know? Have you not heard?'
'Is her tale untold? Not a whispered word
'Of Lúthien's fate
- who sang at Hell's -
- and Mandos' gate?' -

'Have you not heard of Huan the Hound
'Who bore her to Beren? Her friend unforeseen
'Yet grim, her guard on a blackened bridge
'By Sirion's stream? How she stood, how she sang,'
'Defying the night
- 'with a song of the stars -
- 'and their music bright?' -

'Is the tale untold how one by one
'The wargs and werewolves fell, till fate
'Brought forth the foulest, great Gorthaur?'
'How Huan the valiant hound of Valinor
'Triumphed, so that pinned there prone
- 'he pled for mercy -
- 'who'd never mercy shown?' -

'Not a whispered word of dark disguise?'
'Of Beren, beast-like, wolfskin-wrapped?'
'Of his fair one flitting, batwing-born
'To mountain-tower:
- 'Thangorodrim, throne -
- 'Of shadowed power?' -

'Do you not know her song of sleep?'
'How they passed the pit's fierce-guarded gate
'Unscathed, unseen where dreaming deep
'And slumber-soothed lay Carcharoth,
'Vast hound whose might
- 'lay felled, enspelled -
- 'in nets of night?' -

'Know it now! My tongue must tell
'Of a hollow hall in the heart of hell!'
'Furnace flicker, red lights roar:'
'Beat of Angband's works of war!'
'Demons, dragons, orc-lords round
- 'their King, three Jewels -
- 'in his iron crown!' -

'Hear, give ear! Past shapes of fear
'In armed array, in ghastly gear
'They came, and cold each searching stare
'That waited, watched: a hall of hate
'They walked alone
- 'to stand revealed -
- 'before that throne.' -

'Listen, learn! The frailest fire
'Though dim, may dare, may flare, aspire
'To crown, consume the tallest trees,
'To hail the heavens, a breeze whose burning
'Kindles fortune's candle,'
'Fame,'
- 'the hero's due,' -
- 'a shining name.' -

'Just so I say was Lúthien, and Beren
'Born of mortal men! No braver
'- Ever - under stone yet stood,'
'A minstrel-maid, or so she said.'
'That dark king smiled,'
- 'bemused by beauty -
- 'undefiled.' -

'Lúthien! Ah, Lúthien! Weaver of dreams!'
'A song of sleep, a net of night,
'A cloak concealing shadow flight!'
'The bright stones blaze, the kingly crown
'Is bowed, as hate
- 'succumbs to slumber's -
- 'weary weight.' -

'Spent, she settles; Beren's blade
'Pries a perfect stone unset
'Then snaps; a sliver cuts the king
'Who stirs in sleep.'
- 'They rise, they flee -
- 'dark mountain-throne and cavern deep.' -

'They gain the gate, but late, too late
'They see the savage wolf awaits!'
'Cruel Carcharoth, whose red maw gapes
'Stands now, sleeps no more:
- 'Incarnate terror -
- 'holds the door.' -

'What a crown is courage! The battle-brave
'May call theirs courage, to face the foe
'Certain in strength, fearless, fell!'
'But when hope as hollow as a booming bell
'Grips the heart with the grip of hell,'
'To leap alone at the jaws of death
'Is courage!'
- 'That, and that alone -
- 'Is courage!' -

'He stood, the stone upheld, defiant -
'Its light a lance of beauty brilliant -
'The stone his only sword and shield -
'And yet he took, he held the field -
'But then - but then -
- 'Oh, Beren, born -
- 'Of mortal men!' -

'A leap, a lunge, a sudden snap
'Of tearing teeth, of jaws on jewel
'And holding hand. The beast's great belly
'Glows as bright
- 'as if a star -
- 'were swallowed by the night.' -

'Hunger, hatred, ravening rage;'
'Savage strength that turns to tear
'And bite at Beren suddenly - stops.'
'The beast bolts off. Mayhem's madness!'
'Peril's pain!
- 'Its belly burning,' -
- 'death itself, insane.' -

'And by the door
- 'she seeks to staunch his wound -
- 'and nothing more.' -