Narn I Chîn Húrin 1: Túrins Fostering

[Aiwendil]

Findegil wrote:

I just wonder, can't we us 'trunk' in line 696 and leave 'tree' in line 699?

I thought of this, but I don't think that 'by a trunk standing' is clear (trunk of what?) . But after the 'tree' is mentioned, it's clear that 'trunk' refers to the trunk of the tree.

But Aran, I believe you still have reservations about "the traitor Mim" in line 696? Do you have an alternative suggestion? We could use any of several variations with the 'tr' alliteration, e.g.:

saw {Blodrin Bor's son}[Mîm the betrayer] __ by a {beech}[tree] standing

or

saw {Blodrin Bor's son}[Mîm the traitor] __ by a {beech}[tree] standing

or

saw {Blodrin Bor's son}[traitorous Mîm] __ by a {beech} [tree] standing

My only reservation about options like the first two is that the alliteration in the first half-line falls on the second stress, which is allowed but generally avoided and rather rarely done by Tolkien.