and bleeding, and broken in spirit
they laughing led me, my lagging footsteps
with their spears speeding. Their spoils were piled, and countless captives in that camp were chained, and Elfin maids their anguish mourning.
810
815
820
825
830
835
840
845
850
put one they watched, warded sleepless,
was stern-visaged, strong, and in stature tall as are Hithlum's men of the misty hills.
Full length he lay and lashed to pickets
in baleful bonds, yet bold-hearted
his mouth no mercy of Morgoth sued,
but defied his foes. Foully they smote him.
Then he called, as clear as cry of hunter
that hails his hounds in hollow places,
on the name renowned of that noblest king --
but men unmindful remember him little --
Hurin Thalion, who Erithamrod hight,
the Unbending, for Orc and Balrog
and Morgoth's might on the mountain yet
he defies fearless, on a fanged peak
of thunder-riven Thangorodrim.'
855
860
865
In eager anger then up sprang Beleg,
crying and calling, careless of Flinding:
'0 Turin, Turin, my troth-brother,
to the brazen bonds shall I abandon thee,
and the darkling doors of the Deeps of Hell?'
870
'Thou wilt join his journey to the jaws of sorrow, 0 bowman crazed, if thy bellowing cry
to the Orcs should come; their ears than cats'
:are keener whetted, and though the camp from here be a day distant where those deeds I saw,
who knows if the Gnome they now pursue
that crept from their clutches, as a crawling worm on belly cowering, whom they bleeding cast
in deathly swoon on the dung and slough
of their loathsome lair. 0 Light of Valinor!
and ye glorious Gods! How gleam their eyes,
and their tongues are red! ' 'Yet I Turin will wrest from their hungry hands, or to Hell be dragged, or sleep with the slain in the slades of Death.
Thy lamp shall lead us, and my lore rekindle
and wise wood-craft! ' '0 witless hunter,
thy words are wild -- wolves unsleeping
and wizardry ward their woeful captives;
unerring their arrows; the icy steel
of their curved blades cleaves unblunted
875
880
885
890
the meshes of mail; the mirk to pierce
those eyes are able; their awful laughter
the flesh freezes! I fare not thither,
for fear fetters me in the Forest of Night:
better die in the dark dazed, forwandered,
than wilfully woo that woe and anguish!
I know not the way.' 'Are the knees then weak of Flinding go-Fuilin? Shall free-born Gnome
thus show himself a shrinking slave,
who twice entrapped has twice escaped?
Remember the might and the mirth of yore,
the renown of the Gnomes of Nargothrond! '
895
900
Thus Beleg the bowman quoth bold-hearted,
but Flinding fought the fear of his heart,
and loosed the light of his lamp of blue,
now brighter burning. In the black mazes
enwound they wandered, weary searching;
by the tall tree-boles towering silent
oft barred and baffled; blindly stumbling
over rock-fast roots writhing coiled;
and drowsed with dreams by the dark odours,
till hope was hidden. 'Hark thee, Flinding;
viewless voices vague and distant,
a muffled murmur of marching feet
that are shod with stealth shakes the stillness.'
905
910
915
'No noise I hear', the Gnome answered,
'thy hope cheats thee.' 'I hear the chains
clinking, creaking, the cords straining,
and wolves padding on worn pathways.
I smell the blood that is smeared on blades
that are cruel and crooked; the croaking laughter --
now, listen! louder and louder comes,'
the hunter said. 'I hear no sound',
quoth Flinding fearful. 'Then follow after! '
with bended bow then Beleg answered,
'my cunning rekindles, my craft needs not
thy lamp's leading.' Leaping swiftly
he shrank in the shadows; with shrouded lantern Flinding followed him, and the forest-darkness and drowsy dimness drifted slowly
unfolding from them in fleeing shadows,
920
925
930
and its magic was minished, till they marvelling saw they were brought to its borders. There black-gaping an archway opened. By ancient trunks
it was framed
they laughing led me, my lagging footsteps
with their spears speeding. Their spoils were piled, and countless captives in that camp were chained, and Elfin maids their anguish mourning.
810
815
820
825
830
835
840
845
850
put one they watched, warded sleepless,
was stern-visaged, strong, and in stature tall as are Hithlum's men of the misty hills.
Full length he lay and lashed to pickets
in baleful bonds, yet bold-hearted
his mouth no mercy of Morgoth sued,
but defied his foes. Foully they smote him.
Then he called, as clear as cry of hunter
that hails his hounds in hollow places,
on the name renowned of that noblest king --
but men unmindful remember him little --
Hurin Thalion, who Erithamrod hight,
the Unbending, for Orc and Balrog
and Morgoth's might on the mountain yet
he defies fearless, on a fanged peak
of thunder-riven Thangorodrim.'
855
860
865
In eager anger then up sprang Beleg,
crying and calling, careless of Flinding:
'0 Turin, Turin, my troth-brother,
to the brazen bonds shall I abandon thee,
and the darkling doors of the Deeps of Hell?'
870
'Thou wilt join his journey to the jaws of sorrow, 0 bowman crazed, if thy bellowing cry
to the Orcs should come; their ears than cats'
:are keener whetted, and though the camp from here be a day distant where those deeds I saw,
who knows if the Gnome they now pursue
that crept from their clutches, as a crawling worm on belly cowering, whom they bleeding cast
in deathly swoon on the dung and slough
of their loathsome lair. 0 Light of Valinor!
and ye glorious Gods! How gleam their eyes,
and their tongues are red! ' 'Yet I Turin will wrest from their hungry hands, or to Hell be dragged, or sleep with the slain in the slades of Death.
Thy lamp shall lead us, and my lore rekindle
and wise wood-craft! ' '0 witless hunter,
thy words are wild -- wolves unsleeping
and wizardry ward their woeful captives;
unerring their arrows; the icy steel
of their curved blades cleaves unblunted
875
880
885
890
the meshes of mail; the mirk to pierce
those eyes are able; their awful laughter
the flesh freezes! I fare not thither,
for fear fetters me in the Forest of Night:
better die in the dark dazed, forwandered,
than wilfully woo that woe and anguish!
I know not the way.' 'Are the knees then weak of Flinding go-Fuilin? Shall free-born Gnome
thus show himself a shrinking slave,
who twice entrapped has twice escaped?
Remember the might and the mirth of yore,
the renown of the Gnomes of Nargothrond! '
895
900
Thus Beleg the bowman quoth bold-hearted,
but Flinding fought the fear of his heart,
and loosed the light of his lamp of blue,
now brighter burning. In the black mazes
enwound they wandered, weary searching;
by the tall tree-boles towering silent
oft barred and baffled; blindly stumbling
over rock-fast roots writhing coiled;
and drowsed with dreams by the dark odours,
till hope was hidden. 'Hark thee, Flinding;
viewless voices vague and distant,
a muffled murmur of marching feet
that are shod with stealth shakes the stillness.'
905
910
915
'No noise I hear', the Gnome answered,
'thy hope cheats thee.' 'I hear the chains
clinking, creaking, the cords straining,
and wolves padding on worn pathways.
I smell the blood that is smeared on blades
that are cruel and crooked; the croaking laughter --
now, listen! louder and louder comes,'
the hunter said. 'I hear no sound',
quoth Flinding fearful. 'Then follow after! '
with bended bow then Beleg answered,
'my cunning rekindles, my craft needs not
thy lamp's leading.' Leaping swiftly
he shrank in the shadows; with shrouded lantern Flinding followed him, and the forest-darkness and drowsy dimness drifted slowly
unfolding from them in fleeing shadows,
920
925
930
and its magic was minished, till they marvelling saw they were brought to its borders. There black-gaping an archway opened. By ancient trunks
it was framed
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