A Sense of History: Straight Road
The next in a series of articles about ships passing to and from the West, Simon uses "The Fall of Númenor" to attempt to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to "Beowulf."
Dark enemy of the world
I cast thee into dreaming.
Forget a while thy base designs
And burning pain self-wrought.
Slumber with thy evil thoughts
And cast off thy might.
See now how an elf maiden
Turns thy power to sleeping.
Yield up the crown of stolen beauty
Into the hand of thy mortal foe.
Sleep on and know no waking
Til we two be withdrawn.
The Silmaril we claim as dowry;
From thy black hand we wrest it
And cloak ourselves in shadow
Oh Morgoth, adversary of light.