Tarlonniel
Member
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,
The ranger spoke of ancient kings
A burden he bore in his blood,
The forester, he sang of days
Then new lives crowded after new,
"O, merry is Tom Bombadil!"
"Nay, nay," laughed Tom, "although the gift
Tom bears no burdens but his own
Along the Withywindle's banks
Thanks to J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, all you crazy Discord folks and, especially, SignumU!
Along the Withywindle's banks,
Through the reeds and flowers,
While the sunlight softly siftedInto leafy bowers,
The ranger and the foresterWalked and talked for hours.
The ranger spoke of ancient kings
Who claimed the gods had lied;
Of mortal and immortal folkWho 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 couldWin back for Men once more,
And be a better king than thoseWho lived and died before.
The forester, he sang of days
Of dancing high and low
As a new sun with each new dawnSet the whole world aglow
And under trees and under skyNew life began to grow.
Then new lives crowded after new,
All things changing faster,
And Bombadil was greeting themWith delighted laughter,
But all the lives were all their ownThough old Tom was Master.
"O, merry is Tom Bombadil!"
The ranger smiled and said,
"More so than any Man of oldWith 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 thronesAnd say what's to be done;
He has no care for rules or realmsOr if great wars are won.
Tom bears no burdens but his own
And his reward you see -
A place to sing his merry songsAnd 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 commencedTo dancing overhead,
The ranger and the foresterWandered back home to bed.
Thanks to J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, all you crazy Discord folks and, especially, SignumU!