Lay of Leithian Canto V: Difference between revisions

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{{lolcantos}}This [[Cantos of the Lay of Leithian|Canto]] speaks of [[Lúthien Tinúviel]] after the departure of [[Beren Erchamion|Beren]] and how she went to her mother [[Melian]] and friend [[Dairon]], begging for aid, from the first foresight and from the second music.  Melian said that Beren was in the dungeons of [[Thû]], and Dairon refused to play any music.  A second time Dairon betrayed her, this time out of love, to her father [[Thingol]], who placed her in a guarded treehouse.  But by magic she grew out her hair and made a robe and rope of it "a magic dress/that all was drenched in drowsiness".  Lowering the rope she put to sleep her guards and escaped.
{{lolcantos}}
This [[Cantos of the Lay of Leithian|Canto]] speaks of [[Lúthien|Lúthien Tinúviel]] after the departure of [[Beren]] and how she went to her mother [[Melian]] and friend [[Dairon]], begging for aid, from the first foresight and from the second music.  Melian said that Beren was in the dungeons of [[Thû]], and Dairon refused to play any music.  A second time Dairon betrayed her, this time out of love, to her father [[Thingol]], who placed her in a guarded treehouse.  But by magic she grew out her hair and made a robe and rope of it "a magic dress / that all was drenched in drowsiness".  Lowering the rope she put to sleep her guards and escaped.


==The Canto==
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Lúthien Escapes the Treehouse.jpg|thumb|right|250px|'''Lúthien Escapes the Treehouse''' by [[Ted Nasmith]]. ''Note:There are several innacuracies; see below'']]


:So days drew on from the mournful day;[[Image:Ted Nasmith - Lúthien Escapes the Treehouse.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Lúthien escapes the Treehouse by [[Ted Nasmith]]]]
==Concerning the Canto==
:the curse of silence no more lay
:on [[Doriath]], though Dairon's flue
:and Lúthien's singing both were mute.
:The murmurs soft awake once more
:about the woods, the waters roar
:past the great gates of [[Menegroth|Thingol's halls]];
:but no dancing step of Lúthien falls
:on turf or leaf.  For she forlorn,
:where stumbled once, where bruised and torn,
:with longing on him like a dream,
:had Beren sat by shrouded stream
:[[Esgalduin]] the dark and strong,
:she sat and mourned in a low song:
:'Endless roll the waters past!
:To this my love hath come at last,
:enchanted waters pitiless,
:a heartache and a loneliness.'


After Beren is gone, the forest falls into solemn silence:


:The summer turns.  In branches tall
<blockquote>
:she hears the pattering raindrops fall,
''So days drew on from the mournful day;<br>
:the windy tide in leafy seas,
''the curse of silence no more lay<br>
:the creaking of the countless trees;
''on Doriath, though Dairon's flute<br>
:and longs unceasing and in vain
''and Lúthien's singing both were mute.<br>
:to hear one calling once again
</blockquote>
:the tender name that nightingales
:were called of old.  Echo fails.
:'Tinúviel!  Tinúviel!'
:the memory is like a knell,
:a faint and far-off tolling bell:
:'Tinúviel!  Tinúviel!'


Lúthien sings only quietly this medley of mourning:


:'O mother Melian, tell to me
<blockquote>
:some part of what thy dark eyes see!
'' 'Endless roll the waters past!<br>
:Tell of thy magic where his feet
''To this my love hath come at last,<br>
:are wandering! What foes him meet?
''enchanted waters pitiless,<br>
:O mother, tell me, lives he still
''a heartache and a loneliness.'<br>
:treading the desert and the hill?
</blockquote>
:Do sun and moon above him shine,
:do the rains fall on him, mother mine?'


After learning from Melian of Beren's fate, she seeks comfort in Dairon, begging him to make her music to aid her heart.


:'Nay, Lúthien my child, I fear
<blockquote>
:he lives indeed in bondage drear.
'' On earth she cast her at his side.<br>
:The Lord of wolves hath prisons dark,
'' 'O Dairon, Dairon, my tears,' she cried,<br>
:chains and enchantments cruel and stark,
'' 'now pity for our old days' sake!<br>
:there trapped and bound and languishing
'' for heart's despair, and for heart's dread<br>
:now Beren dreams that thou dost sing.'
'' for light gone dark and laughter dead!'<br>
</blockquote>


''To be continuedYou can help Tolkien Gateway by completing this article''
But "for music dead there is no note", replies Dairon, though he plays a wailing melody that causes all creatures, birds and elves, to forget their happiness.  Though Lúthien entreats him then to come with her to seek Beren, he replies firmly
 
<blockquote>
''  'Wherefore,' said he, 'should Dairon go<br>
''into direst peril earth doth know<br>
''for the sake of mortal who did steal<br>
''his laughter and joy? No love I feel<br>
''for Beren son of Barahir,<br>
''nor weep for him in dungeons drear,<br>
''who in this wood have chains enow,<br>
''heavy and dark.  But thee, I vow,<br>
''I will defend from perils fell<br>
''and deadly wandering into hell.'<br>
</blockquote>
 
This indeed does Dairon do, for he warns the King of Lúthien's apparent madness.  Thingol "in angry love and half in fear" locks her up in a treehouse, not wanting to bind her in his caverns.  Lúthien, though forgiving Dairon, pines for Beren.
 
<blockquote>
''  Yet long the hours when she must sit<br>
''and see the sunbeams dance and flit<br>
''in beechen leaves, or watch the stars<br>
''peep on clear nights between the bars<br>
''of beechen branches.  And one night<br>
''just ere the changing of the light<br>
''a dream there came, from the Gods, maybe,<br>
''or Melian's magic.  She dreamed that she<br>
''heard Beren's voice o'er hill and fell<br>
'' 'Tinúviel' call, 'Tinúviel.'<br>
''And her heart answered 'Let me be gone<br>
''to seek him no others think upon!'<br>
</blockquote>
 
Following is a detailed description of her magic art to grow out her hairThen she weaves them with a borrowed loom
 
<blockquote>
''. . . Of cloudy hair<br>
''she wove a web like misty air<br>
''of moonless night, and thereof made<br>
''a robe as fluttering-dark as shade<br>
''beneath great trees, a magic dress<br>
''that all was drenched with drowsiness.<br>
</blockquote>
 
And finally as the sun goes down she causes the guards to fall asleep with the rope, and
 
<blockquote>
''Now clad as in a cloud she hung;<br>
''now down her ropéd hair she swung<br>
''as light as squirrel, and away,<br>
''away, she danced, and who could say<br>
''what paths she took, whose elvish feet<br>
''no impress made a-dancing fleet?<br>
</blockquote>

Revision as of 17:17, 12 July 2013

Lay of Leithian cantos
  1. Canto I
  2. Canto II
  3. Canto III
  4. Canto IV
  5. Canto V
  6. Canto VI
  7. Canto VII
  8. Canto VIII
  9. Canto IX
  10. Canto X
  11. Canto XI
  12. Canto XII
  13. Canto XIII
  14. Canto XIV

This Canto speaks of Lúthien Tinúviel after the departure of Beren and how she went to her mother Melian and friend Dairon, begging for aid, from the first foresight and from the second music. Melian said that Beren was in the dungeons of Thû, and Dairon refused to play any music. A second time Dairon betrayed her, this time out of love, to her father Thingol, who placed her in a guarded treehouse. But by magic she grew out her hair and made a robe and rope of it "a magic dress / that all was drenched in drowsiness". Lowering the rope she put to sleep her guards and escaped.

Lúthien Escapes the Treehouse by Ted Nasmith. Note:There are several innacuracies; see below

Concerning the Canto

After Beren is gone, the forest falls into solemn silence:

So days drew on from the mournful day;
the curse of silence no more lay
on Doriath, though Dairon's flute
and Lúthien's singing both were mute.

Lúthien sings only quietly this medley of mourning:

'Endless roll the waters past!
To this my love hath come at last,
enchanted waters pitiless,
a heartache and a loneliness.'

After learning from Melian of Beren's fate, she seeks comfort in Dairon, begging him to make her music to aid her heart.

On earth she cast her at his side.
'O Dairon, Dairon, my tears,' she cried,
'now pity for our old days' sake!
for heart's despair, and for heart's dread
for light gone dark and laughter dead!'

But "for music dead there is no note", replies Dairon, though he plays a wailing melody that causes all creatures, birds and elves, to forget their happiness. Though Lúthien entreats him then to come with her to seek Beren, he replies firmly

'Wherefore,' said he, 'should Dairon go
into direst peril earth doth know
for the sake of mortal who did steal
his laughter and joy? No love I feel
for Beren son of Barahir,
nor weep for him in dungeons drear,
who in this wood have chains enow,
heavy and dark. But thee, I vow,
I will defend from perils fell
and deadly wandering into hell.'

This indeed does Dairon do, for he warns the King of Lúthien's apparent madness. Thingol "in angry love and half in fear" locks her up in a treehouse, not wanting to bind her in his caverns. Lúthien, though forgiving Dairon, pines for Beren.

Yet long the hours when she must sit
and see the sunbeams dance and flit
in beechen leaves, or watch the stars
peep on clear nights between the bars
of beechen branches. And one night
just ere the changing of the light
a dream there came, from the Gods, maybe,
or Melian's magic. She dreamed that she
heard Beren's voice o'er hill and fell
'Tinúviel' call, 'Tinúviel.'
And her heart answered 'Let me be gone
to seek him no others think upon!'

Following is a detailed description of her magic art to grow out her hair. Then she weaves them with a borrowed loom

. . . Of cloudy hair
she wove a web like misty air
of moonless night, and thereof made
a robe as fluttering-dark as shade
beneath great trees, a magic dress
that all was drenched with drowsiness.

And finally as the sun goes down she causes the guards to fall asleep with the rope, and

Now clad as in a cloud she hung;
now down her ropéd hair she swung
as light as squirrel, and away,
away, she danced, and who could say
what paths she took, whose elvish feet
no impress made a-dancing fleet?