Something Un-Feanorian by Himring

Appendix: Sirion Lullaby

Rough translation of the incomprehensible Quenya that Maedhros is described as crooning over Elrond as they rode from Sirion in Chapter Three

[Warning: Poetry]

How can it be that in this darkening land

children are born still, growing up towards the light?

You rose upon the wrong horizon, little star.

This is Beleriand! All hope is folly here

and still despair so robs us of our wits,

love might as well be hate.

Just as I’m cradling you, my little star,

I cradled Turko, Curvo, Moryo,

Pityo and Telvo each in turn—and cradled them in death.

And to what purpose?

They are reviled—and I the most reviled of all.

If I had strangled them inside their cots,

could I have done worse by them?

But no—because your days are ash and ash and ash,

Feanor’s son, because you cannot hope to turn again,

will you forbid the flowers to blossom, stars to shine?

Another, brighter sky for you, my little star,

another day. Not here, not here!

Absence of Maedhros is my only blessing.

Forget that name. No one held you today.

And when they ask you, say: Orcs destroyed Sirion.

We do not know the names of orcs.

Chapter End Notes

One line stolen (and mangled) from T.S. Eliot.