My star, I saw it high and far At the parting of the ways A light on the edge of the outer night Like silver set ablaze Where the round world plunges steeply down But on the old roads goes As an unseen bridge that on arches runs To coasts that no man knows
I would not find the burning domes and sands Where reigns the sun, nor dare the snows Nor seek in mountains dark the landscapes of the men long lost to where no pathway goes
But where they bloom those flowers fair In what air or land they grow What words beyond the world I heard If you would seek for know
In a boat then, brother, far afloat You must labour in the sea And find yourself things out of mind: You will learn no more of me
I would not find the burning domes and sands Where reigns the sun, nor dare the deadly snows Nor seek in mountains dark the landscapes of the men Of long lost to where no pathway goes
There the twain enfolded, Phantom twilight, phantom twilight, And dim the mazes dark, unholy,
I would never find the burning domes and sands Where reigns the sun, nor dare the snows Nor seek in mountains dark, the landscapes of the men Long lost to whom no pathway goes
3. The Glory Disappears
Yet, if the wind breathe soft, the curling waves That break against the shore, shall lull my mind And scorn against all enemies prepared And with the food of pride sustained my soul In solitude
Sad was I, to pain depressed Importunate and heavy load My destiny has found me here Upon this lonely road
And many thousands now are sad Wait the fulfilment of their fear For I must die who is their stay Their glory disappears
Now I am dead and gone, my friend Life's pain has come to end Your star will guide my soul To ride the winds above
4. Like Some Snow-White Marble Eyes
How countless they congregate O'er our tumultuous snow Which flows in shapes as tall as trees When wintry winds do blow
As if with keenness for our fate Our faltering few steps on To white rest, and a place of rest Invisible at dawn
And yet with neither love nor hate Those stars like some snow-white Morgoth snow-white marble eyes Without the gift of sight
Upon this star I fixed my eye All over the wide land My horse moved on, hoof after hoof He raised and never stopped When down behind the cottage roof At once the planet dropped
5. Where Hope And Daylight Die
Still here I wake and I think of you I see you, I see you far away Answer my call, can you hear my voice? I hear you...
For we are gone and forever lost Broken I lie, broken here I lie Beneath, the shadows sink where daylight dies I wake for you...
But here I stand and think of The days the grass was green and my heart was so young They've never been past - Forever lost...
In better lands the sun may shine And green leaves on trees spring Opening in its blossoming And hear the raven sing...
For we are gone and forever lost Broken I lie, broken here I lie Beneath, the shadows sink where daylight dies I wake for you...
6. The Rotting Horse On The Deadly Ground
Wars of great kings and clash of armouries Whose swords no man could tell, whose spears Were numerous as wheat field's ears Rolled over all the great lands, and seas Were loud with navies, their devouring fires Behind the armies burned both fields and towns And sacked and crumbled or to flaming pyres Were cities made, where treasuries and crowns Kings and their folk, their wives and tender maids Were all consumed. Now silent are those courts Ruined the towers, whose old shape slowly fades And no feet pass beneath their broken ports I need no call of clamant bell that rings Iron tongued in the towers of earthly kings Take a ride on, ride on, on your rotting horse on that deadly ground Take a ride, ride on, on your rotting horse with a pounding sound. Here on the stones and trees there lies a spell Of unforgotten loss, of memories more blest than mortal wealth. Here undefeated dwell the fog immortal under withered elmes, Alalminore one in ancient realms
7. The Shadow Lies Frozen On The Hills
Farewell we call to the earth and hall Though wind may blow so fast rain may fall We must away ere break of day For over wood, tree and mountain tall.
With foes ahead, behind us dread Beneath the sky's our bed Until at last our toil be passed Our journey's done with sped
Beneath the moon and under a tall star I wandered so far from northern lands Bewildered on enchanting charming ways So far from the days of mortal lands
From gashing of the narrow ice so near Where shadows lie frozen on the hills top From neither heats and burning glowing waste I'm turning in haste and fear.
8. The Loud Music Of The Sky
What I am, I must not show What I am thou could (not know) Something between heaven and hell Something that neither stood nor fell Something that through thy wit or will May work thee good, may work thee ill
Neither substance quite, nor shadow Haunting lonely moor and meadow Dancing by the haunted spring Riding on the whirlwinds wing
Far less happy, for we have Help nor hope beyond the grave Man awakes to joy or sorrow Ours the sleep that knows no morrow This is all that I can show This is all that you may know
A year there is a lifetime And a second but a day And an older would will meet you Each morn' you come away
The thunder's noise is our delight And lightning makes us day by night And in the air we dance on high To the loud music of the sky
9. A Distant Flame Before The Sun
I sit beside the fire and think Of how the world will be When winter comes without a spring That I shall ever see
I sit beside the fire and think Of people long ago And people who will see a world that I shall never know
I sit beside the fire and think Of older times that were before I listen for returning feet And voices at my door
On high above the mists I came A distant flame before the sun A wonder ere the waking dawn Where grey the nordlands waters run In elder days and years of yore
