Concept & characters copyright J. R. R. Tolkien & The Tolkien Estate
The Fall
I am the wearer of a Ring,
The first among the Nine,
The haughty lord of mortal men,
The greatest of my time.
The noble blood of ancient kings,
Is coursing in my veins,
From this lofty pinnacle I
Look down with dreadful mein,
Upon those craven men who serve;
Yet they serve another,
For Annatar beheld a king,
Saw in him a brother.
One whose wisdom looks far beyond,
The lives of mortal man,
One whose benevolence should last,
Beyond the normal span.
So on my hand I wear the ring,
The Lord of Gifts bestowed,
A power to rule for the good,
Only the wise may know.
If love and human fellowship,
It is my part to shun,
My fate lays down a nobler course,
That has now just begun.