IV. THE LAY OF LEITHIAN RECOMMENCED. When my father began the Lay of Leithian again from the beginning, he did not at first intend much more, perhaps, than a revision, an improve- ment of individual lines and short passages, but all on the original plan and structure. This, at least, is what he did with Canto I; and he carried out the revisions on the old B typescript. But with Canto II he was quickly carried into a far more radical reconstruction, and was virtually writing a new poem on the same subject and in the same metre as the old. This, it is true, was partly because the story of Gorlim had changed, but it is also clear that a new impulse had entered, seeking a new rather than merely altered expression. The old typescript was still used at least as a physical basis for the new writing, but for a long stretch the typed verses were simply struck through and the new written on inserted pages and slips. The old Canto II of just over 300 lines was expanded to 500, and divided into new Cantos 2 and 3 (the old and the new can be conveniently distinguished by Roman and Arabic numerals). The rewriting on the old typescript continues for a short distance into Canto III (new Canto 4) and then stops. On the basis of this now extremely chaotic text my father wrote out a fine, decorated manuscript, 'C', inevitably introducing some further changes; and this stops only a few lines short of the point where the rewriting on the B-text stops. Subsequently, an amanuensis typescript ('D') was made, in two copies, apparently with my father's supervision, but for the moment nothing need be said of this beyond noticing that he made certain changes to these texts at a later time. The rewriting on the B-text was no doubt a secondary stage, of which the preliminary workings no longer exist; for in the case of the new Canto 4 such preliminary drafts are extant. On one of these pages, and quite obviously done at the same time as the verse-drafts, my father drew a floor-plan of part of the house 99 Holywell Street, Oxford, to which he removed in 1950. He doubtless drew the plan shortly before moving house, while pondering its best arrangement. It is clear then that a new start on the Lay of Leithian was one of the first things that he turned to when The Lord of the Rings was complete. I give below the text of the manuscript C in its final form (that is, after certain changes had been made to it) so far as it goes (line 624), incor- porating one or two very minor alterations made later to the D type- script(s), followed by a further short section (lines 625 - 60) found only in draft before being added to D. Brief Notes and Commentary are given on pp, 348 ff. THE LAY OF LEITHIAN. I. OF THINGOL IN DORIATH. A king there was in days of old: ere Men yet walked upon the mould his power was reared in caverns' shade, his hand was over glen and glade. Of leaves his crown, his mantle green, his silver lances long and keen; the starlight in his shield was caught, ere moon was made or sun was wrought. In after-days, when to the shore of Middle-earth from Valinor 10 the Elven-hosts in might returned, and banners flew and beacons burned, when kings of Eldamar went by in strength of war, beneath the sky then still his silver trumpets blew 15 when sun was young and moon was new. Afar then in Beleriand, in Doriath's beleaguered land, King Thingol sat on guarded throne in many-pillared halls of stone: 20 there beryl, pearl, and opal pale, and metal wrought like fishes' mail, buckler and corslet, axe-and sword, and gleaming spears were laid in hoard: all these he had and counted small, 25 for dearer than all wealth in hall, and fairer than are born to-Men, a daughter had he, Luthien. OF LUTHIEN THE BELOVED. Such lissom limbs no more shall run on the green earth beneath the sun; 30 so fair a maid no more shall be from dawn to dusk, from sun to sea. Her robe was blue as summer skies, but grey as evening were her eyes; her mantle sewn with lilies fair, 35 but dark as shadow was her hair. Her feet were swift as bird on wing, her laughter merry as the spring; the slender willow, the bowing reed, the fragrance of a flowering mead, 40 the light upon the leaves of trees, the voice of water, more then these her beauty was and blissfulness, her glory and her loveliness. She dwelt in the enchanted land 45 while elven-might yet held in hand the woven woods of Doriath: none ever thither found the path unbidden, none the forest-eaves dared pass, or stir the listening leaves. 50 To North there lay a land of dread, Dungorthin where all ways were dead in hills of shadow bleak and cold; beyond was Deadly Nightshade's hold in Taur-nu-Fuin's fastness grim, 55 where sun was sick and moon was dim. To South the wide earth unexplored; to West the ancient Ocean roared, unsailed and shoreless, wide and wild; to East in peaks of blue were piled, 60 in silence folded, mist-enfurled, the mountains of the outer world. Thus Thingol in his dolven hall amid the Thousand Caverns tall of Menegroth as king abode: 65 to him there led no mortal road. Beside him sat his deathless queen, fair Melian, and wove unseen nets of enchantment round his throne, and spells were laid on tree and stone: 70 sharp was his sword and high his helm, the king of beech and oak and elm. When grass was green and leaves were long, when finch and mavis sang their song, there under bough and under sun 75 in shadow and in light would run fair Luthien the elven-maid, dancing in dell and grassy glade. OF DAIRON MINSTREL OF THINGOL. When sky was clear and stars were keen, then Dairon with his fingers lean, 80 as daylight melted into eve, a trembling music sweet would weave on flutes of silver, thin and clear for Luthien, the maiden dear. There mirth there was and voices bright; 85 there eve was peace and morn was light; there jewel gleamed and silver wan and red gold on white fingers shone, and elanor and niphredil bloomed in th...
Januszek66