***

Beloved but forsaken place!
My dream's of seeing you in grace,
Your lofty ceilings, mighty walls,
And all the beauty of your halls:
The gold, and silver, and the light
Of jewels which for every sight
Gave pleasure great. And I am fond
Of lofty halls of Nargothrond.

I'd like to see them once again.
To wander through the Guarded Plain
(And not to fall on its green grass...)
The river by the Ford to pass,
To go straightly to the Gate -
I know for sure which path is straight -
To greet my friends from far beyond
Beneath the domes of Nargothrond.

But naught is left by Time's fell wings.
Two fair golden-haired Kings,
The treasures, arms, and works of craft -
All gone. But all of it I love.
I love the memory of might,
I love the memory of light.
And while I live, the World sure won't
Forget the halls of Nargothrond.

            ***