The Ranger and the Forester

[Tarlonniel]

Being a Record in Verse of a Meeting between Aragorn and Tom Bombadil which Took Place in the late Third Age of Middle Earth

Along the Withywindle's banks,

Through the reeds and flowers,​

While the sunlight softly sifted

Into leafy bowers,​

The ranger and the forester

Walked and talked for hours.​

The ranger spoke of ancient kings

Who claimed the gods had lied;​

Of mortal and immortal folk

Who lived and fought and died​

In hopeless wars in drowned lands,

Destroyed by lust and pride.​

A burden he bore in his blood,

Passed down from days of yore,​

To rule the lands, if rule he could

Win back for Men once more,​

And be a better king than those

Who lived and died before.​

The forester, he sang of days

Of dancing high and low​

As a new sun with each new dawn

Set the whole world aglow​

And under trees and under sky

New life began to grow.​

Then new lives crowded after new,

All things changing faster,​

And Bombadil was greeting them

With delighted laughter,​

But all the lives were all their own

Though old Tom was Master.​

"O, merry is Tom Bombadil!"

The ranger smiled and said,​

"More so than any Man of old

With crown upon his head.​

Let us trade lands, and you be king,

And I Master instead!"​

"Nay, nay," laughed Tom, "although the gift

Is such a kingly one!​

Old Tom's not fit to sit on thrones

And say what's to be done;​

He has no care for rules or realms

Or if great wars are won.​

Tom bears no burdens but his own

And his reward you see -​

A place to sing his merry songs

And to love Goldberry.​

But your reward, ah, who can tell?

It is high mystery."​

Along the Withywindle's banks

As waning daylight fled​

And all the evening stars commenced

To dancing overhead,​

The ranger and the forester

Wandered back home to bed.​

Thanks to J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, all you crazy Discord folks and, especially, SignumU!

 

[Sparrow]

I am head over heels! thanks for posting this