Songs for Unexpected Adventures

Ch. 1, Dwarves' Cleaning Song

Chip the glasses and crack the plates!
     Blunt the knives and bend the forks!
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates—
     Smash the bottles and burn the corks! 

Cut the cloth and tread on the fat!
     Pour the milk on the pantry floor! 
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!
     Splash the wine on every door! 

Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl; 
     Pound them up with a thumping pole; 
And when you've finished, if any are whole,
     Send them down the hall to roll ! 

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates! 
So, carefully! carefully with the plates!


Dwarves' Treasure Song

Far over the misty mountains cold 
To dungeons deep and caverns old 
We must away ere break of day 
To seek the pale enchanted gold. 

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells, 
While hammers fell like ringing bells 
In places deep, where dark things sleep, 
In hollow halls beneath the fells. 

For ancient king and elvish lord 
There many a gloaming golden hoard 
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught 
To hide in gems on hilt of sword. 

On silver necklaces they strung 
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung 
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire 
They meshed the light of moon and sun. 

Far over the misty mountains cold 
To dungeons deep and caverns old 
We must away, ere break of day, 
To claim our long-forgotten gold. 

Goblets they carved there for themselves 
And harps of gold; where no man delves 
There lay they long, and many a song 
Was sung unheard by men or elves. 

The pines were roaring on the height, 
The winds were moaning in the night. 
The fire was red, it flaming spread; 
The trees like torches biased with light, 

The bells were ringing in the dale 
And men looked up with faces pale; 
The dragon's ire more fierce than fire 
Laid low their towers and houses frail. 

The mountain smoked beneath the moon; 
The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom. 
They fled their hall to dying -fall 
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon. 

Far over the misty mountains grim 
To dungeons deep and caverns dim 
We must away, ere break of day, 
To win our harps and gold from him!

Ch. 7, Dwarves' Song of the Lonely Mountain

The wind was on the withered heath, 
but in the forest stirred no leaf: 
there shadows lay by night and day, 
and dark things silent crept beneath. 

The wind came down from mountains cold, 
and like a tide it roared and rolled; 
the branches groaned, the forest moaned, 
and leaves were laid upon the mould. 

The wind went on from West to East ; 
all movement in the forest ceased, 
but shrill and harsh across the marsh 
its whistling voices were released. 

The grasses hissed, their tassels bent, 
the reeds were rattling-on it went 
o' er shaken pool under heavens cool 
where racing clouds were torn and rent. 

It passed the lonely Mountain bare 
and swept above the dragon's lair : 
there black and dark lay boulders stark 
and flying smoke was in the air. 

It left the world and took its flight 
over the wide seas of the night. 
The moon set sail upon the gale, 
and stars were fanned to leaping light.


Ch. 8, Bilbo Taunts the Spiders

Old fat spider spinning in a tree! 
Old fat spider can't see me! 
Attercop! Attercop! 
Won't you stop, 

Stop your spinning and look for me! 
Old Tomnoddy, all big body, 
Old Tomnoddy can't spy me! 
Attercop! Attercop! 
Down you drop! 
You'll never catch me up your tree!

Second Taunt

Lazy Lob and crazy Cob 
are weaving webs to wind me. 
I am far more sweet than other meat, 
but still they cannot find me! 

Here am I, naughty little fly; 
you are fat and lazy. 
You cannot trap me, though you try, 
in your cobwebs crazy.


Ch. 9, Elf Barrel Song

Down the swift dark stream you go 
Back to lands you once did know! 
Leave the halls and caverns deep, 
Leave the northern mountains steep, 
Where the forest wide and dim 
Stoops in shadow grey and grim! 
Float beyond the world of trees
Out into the whispering breeze, 
Past the rushes, past the reeds, 
Past the marsh's waving weeds, 
Through the mist that riseth white 
Up from mere and pool at night! 
Follow, follow stars that leap 
Up the heavens cold and steep; 
Turn when dawn comes over land,
Over rapid, over sand, 
South away! and South away! 
Seek the sunlight and the day, 
Back to pasture, back to mead, 
Where the kine and oxen feed! 
Back to gardens on the hills
Where the berry swells and fills 
Under sunlight, under day! 
South away! and South away! 
Down the swift dark stream you go 
Back to lands you once did know!


Ch. 10, Song of the King Under the Mountain

The King beneath the mountains, 
The King of carven stone, 
The lord of silver fountains 
Shall come into his own! 

His crown shall be upholden, 
His harp shall be restrung, 
His halls shall echo golden 
To songs of yore re-sung. 

The woods shall wave on mountains 
And grass beneath the sun; 
His wealth shall flow in fountains 
And the rivers golden run. 

The streams shall run in gladness, 
The lakes shall shine and burn, 
And sorrow fail and sadness 
At the Mountain-king's return!


Ch. 15, Dwarf Victory Song

Under the Mountain dark and tall 
The King has come unto his hall! 
His foe is dead, the Worm of Dread, 
And ever so his foes shall fall.

The sword is sharp, the spear is long, 
The arrow swift, the Gate is strong; 
The heart is bold that looks on gold; 
The dwarves no more shall suffer wrong. 

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells, 
While hammers fell like ringing bells 
In places deep, where dark things sleep, 
In hollow halls beneath the fells. 

On silver necklaces they strung 
The light of stars, on crowns they hung 
The dragon-fire, from twisted wire
The melody of harps they wrung. 

The mountain throne once more is freed! 
O! wandering folk, the summons heed! 
Come haste! Come haste! across the waste!
The king of friend and kin has need. 

Now call we over mountains cold, 
'Come hack unto the caverns old'! 
Here at the Gates the king awaits,
His hands are rich with gems and gold. 

The king is come unto his hall 
Under the Mountain dark and tall. 
The Worm of Dread is slain and dead, 
And ever so our foes shall fall!


Ch. 19, Elf Song

'The dragon is withered, 
His bones are now crumbled; 
His armour is shivered, 
His splendour is humbled! 
Though sword shall be rusted, 
And throne and crown perish 
With strength that men trusted 
And wealth that they cherish, 
Here grass is still growing, 
And leaves are yet swinging, 
The white water flowing, 
And elves are yet singing 
Come! Tra-la-la-lally! 
Come back to the valley! 

The stars are far brighter 
Than gems without measure, 
The moon is far whiter 
Than silver in treasure: 
The fire is more shining 
On hearth in the gloaming
Than gold won by mining, 
So why go a-roaming? 
O! Tra-la-la-lally 
Come back to the Valley. 

O! Where are you going, 
So late in returning? 
The river is flowing, 
The stars are all burning! 
O! Whither so laden, 
So sad and so dreary? 
Here elf and elf-maiden 
Now welcome the weary 
With Tra-la-la-lally 
Come back to the Valley, 
Tra-la-la-lally 
Fa-la-la-lally 
Fa-la!


Another Elf Song

Sing all ye joyful, now sing all together? 
The wind's in the free-top, the wind's in the heather; 
The stars are in blossom, the moon is in flower, 
And bright are the windows of Night in her tower. 

Dance all ye joyful, now dance all together! 
Soft is the grass, and let foot be like feather! 
The river is silver, the shadows are fleeting; 
Merry is May-time, and merry our meeting. 

Sing we now softly, and dreams let us weave him!
Wind him in slumber and there let us leave him!
The wanderer sleepeth. Now soft be his pillow!
Lullaby! Lullaby! Alder and Willow! 

Sigh no more Pine, till the wind of the morn! 
Fall Moon! Dark be the land! 
Hush! Hush! Oak, Ash, and Thorn! 
Hushed be all water, till dawn is at hand!


Bilbo's Concluding Song

Roads go ever ever on, 
Over rock and under tree, 
By caves where never sun has shone, 
By streams that never find the sea; 

Over snow by winter sown, 
And through the merry flowers of June, 
Over grass and over stone, 
And under mountains in the moon. 

Roads go ever ever on 
Under cloud and under star, 
Yet feet that wandering have gone 
Turn at last to home afar. 

Eyes that fire and sword have seen 
And horror in the halls of stone 
Look at last on meadows green 
And trees and hills they long have known.

No comments: