All the Songs and Poems
 

What were peoples favourite Songs or Poems in the book? I have to admit I skimmed over most of them but I learnt something interesting about them the other day.

Did anyone know that Tolkein got alot of his ideas for songs and words in Elvish from an old civilisation in Poland? and all the songs and poems are to the beat of rowing a boat (supposedly)?

I saw that show the other day. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I like the Tale of Tinúviel the best. It has such resonance with the romance of Aragorn and Arwen. I imagine that when Aragorn decides on this poem or song to chant to the hobbits, it is because he misses Arwen (the image of Lúthien Tinúviel that the song brings to his mind is like looking at Arwen). He knows that he will see her soon, but then must part from her to complete his "test". His marriage to her is riding on the next stage of his life; they cannot wed unless he EARNS the kingship. This just adds to the melancholy mood of the piece.

I think it's one of Tolkien's better poems. The rhyme scheme is more complex than most of his stuff - ABACBABC. And the words have a rhythm echoing Tinúviel dancing in the woods. Maybe the rhyming pairs "glistening" and "listening", "shimmering" and "glimmering" are used ONCE too often. But repetition can be good too - reinforces the imagry and mood.

And it's just so darned romantic!

Roads go ever ever on is my favorite, I would also pick the one Bilbo wrote about Aragorn, All that is gold does not glitter. The best song would be the song Thorin and Co. sing in the Hobbit about cracking Bilbo's plates [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Bilbo’s Last Song

Day is ended, dim my eyes,
but journey long before me lies.
Farewell, friends! I hear the call.
The ship's beside the stony wall.
Foam is white and waves are grey;
beyond the sunset leads my way.
Foam is salt, the wind is free;
I hear the rising of the Sea.

Farewell, friends! The sails are set,
the wind is east, the moorings fret.
Shadows long before me lie,
beneath the ever-bending sky,
but islands lie behind the Sun
that I shall raise ere all is done;
lands there are to west of West,
where night is quiet and sleep is rest.

Guided by the Lonely Star,
beyond the utmost harbour-bar,
I'll find the heavens fair and free,
and beaches of the Starlit Sea.
Ship, my ship! I seek the West,
and fields and mountains ever blest.
Farewell to Middle-earth at last.
I see the Star above my mast!

Not in TLotR but I love it anyway! In Western Lands and Galdariel's Song in Loth Lorien are very beautiful as well. In fact I love all of Tolkien's Poems.

My favorites are the extended "cow jumped over the moon" song that Frodo sings at the Prancing Pony, and the song Sam sings about the Trolls. I have an audio recording of Tolkien singing both of them, and others, and he sings them really well. But to hear him recite his elvish poems is truly amazing.

I rather like the Lament of the Rohirrim, as well as the Song of Durin that Gimli sings in Moria. The Lay of Leithian (the story of Beren and Luthien) is also rather good, though as Tolkien's longest poem it's a rather exhausting 4200 lines long.

-Voronwe

I don't know about my favorite poem taken out of context, but within the bounds of the novels themselves I would have to put the song that Sam sings as he is looking for Frodo in the Dark Tower. Those simple lines of prose convey more emotion and meaning as to what Sam was going through than a whole extra chapter could have done.

Sam's song is SO good. I heard a version of it on an album once, and the tune stuck, thank God, so I have been singing it ever since, whenever I see stars "stuck" in bare treebranches... my backyard has a couple of young beech trees in it, and sometimes I go and stand under them and sing that song... "Or there, maybe 'tis couldless night, and swaying beeches bear the elven-stars like jewels white amid their branching hair. Though here at journey's end I lie..." Pure faith. ALL RIGHT, SAM!!!!! I think that's the best song in the whole trilogy, at least it means the most to me, and I've quoted it most.

I used to like "Out of doubt, out of dark, to the day's rising" the best, but... it's a bit on the hopeless side. Poor Eomer. Sam responded with greater hope, although if he had had to sing even when he still thought Frodo was dead, the song would have been darker, I guess.

What version of Sam's song do you have? I am very attached to my version composed be Stephen Oliver.

Oh, golly, I can't remember the name of the album or anything. Library, 1977??? Can you read jazz notation? The first two lines go vaguely like this, with each note being roughly equal timewise... although I've probably folk-processed it a bit:

1 _5 1 1 1 _6 1 1 1 _5 1 2 3 4
3 5 4 3 2 4 3 2 1 2 6 5 2 3

Man, that was over twenty years ago... (Maybe I should listen to the album again. If I could ever find it.) Is the album you have sort of a drawing room flavor to it, with a gregorian-stype chant for Namarie?

Aaaugh! Couldn't find it on Amazon; what's the title of the album please? Thanks!

The album I have is the music to the BBC radio adaptation of Lord of the Rings. It isn't available any more, my mother bought it around 1981. The music itself is very beautiful, it has been compared with Purcell and Handel because of the use of a counter tenor.

Galadriel's song of Eldamar is probably my favorite, but the poem describing the battle between Morgoth and Fingolfin from the Lays of Beleriand is really close:

In that vast shadow once of yore
Fingolfin stood: his shield he bore
with field of heaven's blue and star
of crystal shining pale afar.
In overmastering wrath and hate
desperate he smote upon that gate,
the Gnomish king, there standing lone,
while endless fortresses of stone
engulfed the thin clear ringing keen
of silver horn on baldric green.
His hopeless challenge dauntless cried
Fingolfin there: 'Come, open wide,
dark king, you ghatsly brazen doors!
Come forth, whom earth and heaven abhors!
Come forth, O monstruous craven lord,
and fight with thine own hand and sword,
thou wielder of hosts of banded thralls,
thou tyrant leaguered with strong walls,
thou foe of Gods and elvish race!
I wait thee here. Come! Show thy face!'

Then Morgoth came. For the last time
in those great wars he dared to climb
from subterranean throne profound,
the rumour of his feet a sound
of rumbling earthquake underground.
Black-armoured, towering, iron-crowned
he issued forth; his mighty shield
a vast unblazoned sable field
with shadow like a thundercloud;
and o'er the gleaming king it bowed,
as huge aloft like mace he hurled
that hammer of the underworld,
Grond. Clanging to ground it tumbled
down like a thunder-bolt, and crumbled
the rocks beneath it; smoke up-started,
a pit yawned, and a fire darted.

Fingolfin like a shooting light
beneath a cloud, a stab of white,
sprang then aside, and Ringil drew
like ice that gleameth cold and blue,
his sword devised of elvish skill
to pierce the flesh with deadly chill.
With seven wounds it rent his foe,
and seven mighty cries of woe
rang in the mountains, and the earth quook,
and Angband's trembling armies shook.

Yet Orcs would after laughing tell
of the duel at the gates of hell;
though elvish song thereof was made
ere this but one - when sad was laid
the mighty king in barrow high
and Thorndor, Eagle of the sky,
the dreadful tidings brought and told
to mourning Elfinesse of old.
Thrice was Fingolfin with great blows
to his knees beaten, thrice he rose
still leaping up beneath the cloud
aloft to hold star-shining, proud,
his stricken shield, his sundered helm,
that dark nor might could overwhelm
till all the earth was burst and rent
in pits about him. He was spent.
His feet stumbled. He fell to wreck
upon the ground, and on his neck
a foot like rooted hills was set,
and he was crushed - not conquered yet;
one last despairing stroke he gave:
the mighty foot pale Ringil clave
about the heel, and black the blood
gushed as from smoking fount in flood.

Halt goes for ever from that stroke
great Morgoth; but the king he broke,
and would have hewn and mangled thrown
to wolves devouring. Lo! from throne
that Manwë bade him build on high,
on peak unscaled beneath the sky,
Morgoth to watch, now down there swooped
Thorndor the King of Eagles, stooped,
and rending beak of gold he smote
in Bauglir's face, then up did float
on pinions thirty fathoms wide
bearing away, though loud they cried,
the mighty corse, the elven-king;
and where the mountains make a ring
far to the south about that plain
where after Gondolin did reign,
embattled city, at great height
upon a dizzy snowcap white
in mounded cairn the mighty dead
he laid upon the mountain's head.
Never Orc nor demon after dared
that pass to climb, o'er which they stared
Fingolfin's high and holy tomb,
till Gondolin's appointed doom.

I get the chills whenever reading: Fingolfin there: 'Come, open wide. I love the thought of the small, blazing white figure of Fingolfin standing before the gates of hell, challenging a Valar to a duel.

You may be interested to know that the BBC have rereleased the music - it's available separately and in the box set with the radio series. I can't imagine the songs sung any other way [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Thanks, Elanor. I didn't know that, I'll certainly look for it. The quality of sound on the record isn't as good as a CD or casette would be.

The BBC version of the music-- What's the title, or how do I find it? Thanks.

I can't find the link to the CD of just the music [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] I know I saw it just the other day. http://www.bbcshop.com/bbc_shop/dept...J7462SGKPF6WAE
This is the BBC site with the box set - it's the entire series including a separate CD of the music. A bit pricey though [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] If I find the other info I'll post it here.

[ January 20, 2002: Message edited by: Elanor ]

Love those Ents! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Yes! Entish poetry has a high spot on my list too.

'The Little House of Lost Play' (Mar Vanwa Tyaliéva) from BoLT is my all-time favourite.

Hello, I'm new here and... er... yes.
Well, even though I don't like Boromir that much myself, my favorite song in LotR would have to be the one that Aragorn and Legolas sing after Boromir's death in TT.