Nightingale

Tinuviel! Tinuviel!

Disclaimer: All is property to JRR Tolkien.

I had to write a poem in English that had to be at least 20 lines long. So I ended up writing about the tale of Luthien and Beren, my favorite love story from The Silmarllion and second favorite couple in all of Tolkien-lore.

I hope you enjoy…

XVIVXVIVX

A survivor Beren was, this

Son of Barahir, wandering the

Woods and lands of the

World of Old-the mythical land that was

Valinor-

With all his kin but gone and dead

Beren became the lone wolf, wandering

But never lost.

It came upon one eve:

Beren stumbled into Luthien's

Glade. So beautiful she was, with

Hair as the star speckled sky with gems

Intertwined in it while she danced under the

Moon's unblinking gaze, that Beren

In his tongue of Mortal Men cried out

Tinuviel! Tinuviel!

Luthien, now 'Tinuviel' she was,

A nightingale of her court and in the

Mortal Man's eyes and noble King Thingol's

Daughter, fairest of all the Elves that had

Ever walked upon Valinor and Middle-Earth.

Her soft and tender touch melted

Even the coldest hearts and

Mortal men did not stand chance

Against her beauty.

Her dancing ceased, for she was taken by the

Deeming cry of Beren. Heart beating within

Her bosom and breath increasing, blood rushed

To her pale checks, whose beauty

Was envied under the moon's light.

The lovers stared at each other, star crossed

As beloved Romeo and lovely Juliet.

But Thingol, high king of Elves, would

Not let loose his cherished daughter, deeming

Beren unworthy of such a prize. But before him,

Thingol reached a pact with the survivor

Of Mortals; bring back an unobtainable

Item of praise, the Silmarli wrought into

The steel crown of Morgoth himself!

Accepting his charge, face unmoved,

Beren rode off in to imminent darkness.

But behind was Luthien left

With only a silent and fading hope

As a darkness bloomed in her that

Beat beneath her bosom. Upon her

Mother's words, Beren had been

Taken captive by the deadliest

Servant of Morgoth, Sauron the Evil,

One on whom Barahir's death is responsible.

But Thingol would not allow

For his daughter to leave…

He placed Luthien in Doriath in

A tower that graced the clouds.

Yet the fair nightingale's will would

Not be broken; she cut her

Long black tendrils-the ones that had

Captivated Beren so- and plaited

Them into the fashion of a ladder

And climbed down to meet her

Brave Beren that had dangerous

Task bribe his mind to be

Befuddled and give up.

With the aid of a

Fearsome looking-but friendly in disposition-

Hound, Huan taken by her

Sweet honey dew scent, she braved the evil

That lingered on Sauron's isle like the

Rohirim that would venture into Pelennor many ages to come.

Free from Sauron's grasp, Beren continued his

Journey to Morgoth's lair of Angband.

Upon arrival, Luthien wove a

Song of sleep that enticed and prevailed

Over the evil that stirred. From the steel

Crown of sleeping Morgoth, Beren plucked

The glittering Silmarli and gaining his fair

Maiden's hand. But in the yelp of

Victory, Luthien's spell was broken and in a

CRASH of Beren's soiled body against the wall

As an evil wolf of Angband had taken

The hand of Beren that once clasped

The glistening Silmarli.

Metallic tasting blood filled his

Mouth and lungs- yet he smiled

In victory.

Knowing his fate to be death,

Luthien prolonged his agony until reaching

The Hall of Mandos where his will

Would not bend until death had

Claimed him. In peace he died

Knowing that he had won

Fairly and justly his lady's hand.

A sad, sweet and sorrowful song

Of eternal sleep did Luthien sing as

She wept into the night. But her mourning did not

Go unchecked: so taken by her song and despair

The cold heart of Mandos, one of the Kings of the Valar,

Was moved by her song. He gave her a gift bourn from her

Grief. His magic drained away the light of the Eldar,

Leaving nothing but a mortal woman with her

Tears of sadness and mortality. Mandos cast

Luthien away to where Beren now dwelt,

On the Island of Tol Galen where in Middle-Earth

They lived out their days as mortals, just as did

The tale of Elessar and Arwen in many ages later.