One Geek to Rule Them All

A Song in the Dark

"It's not that Kitty is unaware of the danger; she simply doesn't care," said Devin.

"Then she is both brave and foolish," said Boromir.

"There must have been a mighty crowd of dwarves here at one time," Sam cut in, concerned an argument might occur when he saw the way Devin frowned at the remark; "and every one of them busier than badgers for five hundred years to make this, and most in hard rock too! What did they do it all for? They didn't live in these darksome holes surely?"

"These are not holes," said Gimli. "This is the great city of the Dwarrowdelf. And of old it was not darksome, but full of light and splendor, as is still remembered in our songs." He rose and standing in the dark he began to chant in a deep voice, while the echoes ran away into the roof.

The world was young, the mountains green,
No stain yet on the Moon was seen,
No words were laid on stream or stone,
When Durin woke and walked alone.
He named the nameless hills and dells;
He drank from yet untasted wells;
He stooped and looked in Mirrormere,
And saw a crown of stars appear,
As gems upon a silver thread,
Above the shadows of his head.

The world was fair, the mountains tall,
In Elder Days before the fall
Of mighty kings in Nargothrond
And Gondolin, who now beyond
The Western Seas have passed away:
The world was fair in Durin's Day.

A king he was on carven throne
In many-pillared halls of stone
With golden roof and silver floor,
And runes of power upon the door.
The light of sun and star and moon
In shining lamps of crystal hewn
Undimmed by cloud or shade of night
There shone for ever fair and bright.

There hammer on the anvil smote,
There chisel clove, and graver wrote;
There forged was blade, and bound was hilt;
The delver mined, the mason built.
There beryl, pearl, and opal pale,
And metal wrought like fishes' mail,
Buckler and corslet, axe and sword,
And shining spears were laid in hoard.

Unwearied then were Durin's folk;
Beneath the mountains music woke:
The harpers harped, the minstrels sang,
And at the gates the trumpets rang.

The world is grey, the mountains old,
The forge's fire is ashen-cold;
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls:
The darkness dwells in Durin's halls;
The shadow lies upon his tomb
In Moria, in Khazad-dûm.
But still the sunken stars appear
In dark and windless Mirrormere;
There lies his crown in water deep,
Till Durin wakes again from sleep.

"I like that!" said Sam. "I should like to learn it. In Moria, in Khazad-dûm! But it makes the darkness seem heavier, thinking of all those lamps. Are there piles of jewels and gold lying about here still?"

Gimli was silent. Having sung his song he would say no more.

"Piles of jewels?" said Gandalf. "No the Orcs have often plundered Moria; there is nothing left in the upper halls. And since the dwarves fled, no one dares to seek the shafts and treasuries down in the deep places: they are drowned in water—or in a shadow of fear."

Gimli looked away as the wizard spoke and was astonished to catch the gleam of tears on Devin's cheeks in the dim. "What's wrong, lass?" he asked with such concern that rest of the Company immediately turned to look at her.

"You are crying!" said Legolas, taken aback. No matter what dangers or hardships they faced, she had never once complained or shed a tear. It was astounding to see her do so now.