Seek the Horizon, Númenor's Sons by Dawn Felagund

Seek the Horizon, Númenor's Sons

Seek the horizon, Númenor's sons!
Was the blessing Manwë gave.
Seek the horizon--but not too far,
Was what he really said.

Seek the horizon, Númenor's sons,
On a sea of silver glass,
As smooth and clear as thunder-struck sand--
The hue of dirt and grit surpassed.
Seek the horizon!--but not too far.
Lest o'er the brink you pass.

To the east, to the east! Númenor's sons,
Let the scythe-curve of your keel
Cut the sea to where the new-born Sun
Makes land and mountains weal.
Where deathless kings enshroud themselves
In towers of powd'ry stone.
Return to the sea, Númenor's sons!
This land is not your home.

Seek the horizon, Númenor's sons!
Was the blessing the Powers gave.
Seek the horizon--but not too far,
Was what they meant but did not say.

To the west, to the west! Númenor's sons,
You must be cautious where you tread
For if you let familiar shores under horizon slip,
You'll pass soon into dread
Disguised as comfort and concealed as light
Crowning the top of every wave,
A beckoning hand, extended to Man
Down a path by Elf-light paved.

Seek the horizon, Númenor's sons,
But when the stars begin to fade
And from the horizon darkness flushes
Remember the warning the Powers gave--
Seek the horizon but not too far!
For when the darkness creeps too high
Too late you'll know you're on Aman's shore
Where the mountains gouge the sky.

Seek the horizon, Númenor's sons!
Mastering the perils of the deep.
Seek the horizon--but not too far,
Whence under mountains your Kings sleep.

Eastward they must sail, but ever west their hearts returned.

Chapter End Notes

The last line, of course, can be read two ways, as either compelling the mariners to Aman or warning them away, depending on what kings and what mountains.