The Music of the Ainur
| The Book of Lost Tales Part One chapters |
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The Music of the Ainur is the second chapter of The Book of Lost Tales Part One. The chapter is divided in two parts: Link between Cottage of Lost Play and (Tale 2) Music of Ainur and The Music of Ainur.
Synopsis
Link
This first part follows the interrupted narrative of the previous chapter, in which Eriol has arrived to the Cottage of Lost Play and he is being prepared to hear the Lost Tales. He starts asking Lindo about the Valar or Gods, but his hosts ask him to rest and wait for the next day, explaining that anyone can stay in their house while there is still a tale he wants to hear. Then Eriol is led by Littleheart to a little and warm bedroom. There slept Eriol with great delight, surrounded in dreams by fragances and music.
The next morning Eriol wandered arround the house, finding a beautiful garden. There, the old door-ward, called Rúmil, and Littleheart tell him about the Elves and their tongues. Seeing that they have great knowledge, Eriol asks them about the Valar. Rúmil explains him about Ilúvatar, naming the Music of the Ainur, and Eriol begs him to know more about it.
The Music of the Ainur
Rúmil begins to narrate the tale, which only the Elves know from Manwë Súlimo: Ilúvatar dwelt alone, and he sang into being the Ainur and teached them many things, being music the greatest of all. When they had learned to play and sing music, he propoused to them a great theme, explaining that they will unfold in Song the history the have heard and that he has set brightly the Secret Fire.
Then the harpists, and the lutanists, the flautists and pipers, the organs and the countless choirs of the Ainur began to fashion the theme of Ilúvatar into great music; and a sound arose of mighty melodies changing and interchanging, mingling and dissolving amid the thunder of harmonies greater than the roar of the great seas, till the places of the dwelling of Ilúvatar and the regions of the Ainur were filled to overflowing with music, and the echo of music, and the echo of the echoes of music which flowed even into the dark an empty spaces far off. Never was there before, nor has there been since, such a music of immeasurable vastness of splendour; though it is said that a mightier far shall be woven before the seat of Ilúvatar by the choirs of both Ainur and the sons of Men after the Great End. Then shall Ilúvatar's mightiest themes be played aright; for then Ainur and Men will know his mind and heart as well as may be, and all his intent.
As the great music progressed, Ilúvatar was pleased, but it came into the heart of Melko to interwave it own thoughts into the music that were not according to the theme of Ilúvatar. He was one of the greatest of the Ainur, and he had wandered in the voids seeking the Secret Fire that gives Life and Reality. Now there was a discordancy led by him, and the music of other Ainur hesitated or felt in attuning with his music, that was dark as the void far from Ilúvatar's light. But Ilúvatar remained silent, until the music reached an unimaginable ugliness; then he smiled sadly and raised his left hand, beginning a new theme like and unlike the first one. Melko's discord uproared against it, and there was a war of sounds in which little could be distinguished.
Then Ilúvatar raised his right hand, and he was not smiling nut wepting, and a third theme began, that was unlike any other. The theme grew amid the turmoil and it seemed there were two musics being played about the feet of Ilúvatar. One was beautiful, mingled with sorrow, while the other was loud and vain, always trying to drown the other, with the opposite result. At the midmost of the echoing struggle, Ilúvatar raised both hands and the music ceased with one glorious chord.
