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The lay of Nimrodel
ForestMaid
:: An elven maid there was of old A shining star by day Her mantle white was hemmed with gold Her shoes of silver grey :: A star was bound upon her brows A light was on her hair As sun upon the golden boughs In Lorien the fair :: Her hair was long, her limbs were white And fair she was and free And in the wind she went as light As leaf of linden tree :: Beside the falls of Nimrodel By water clear and cool Her voice as falling silver fell Into the shining pool :: Where now she wanders none can tell In sunlight or in shade For lost of yore was Nimrodel And in the mountains strayed :: The elven ship in haven grey Beneath the mountain-lee Awaited her for many a day Beside the roaring sea :: A wind by night in northern lands Arose and loud it cried And drove the ship from elven strands Across the streaming tide :: When dawn came dim the land was lost The mountains sinking grey Beneath the heaving waves that tossed Their plumes of blinding spray :: Amroth beheld the fading shore Now low beyond the swell And cursed the faithless ship that bore Him far from Nimrodel :: Amroth was an elven-king A lord of tree and glen When golden were the boughs of spring in fair Lothlorien :: From helm to sea the saw him leap As arrow from the string And dive into the water deep As mew upon the wing :: But from the west has come no word And on the hither shore No tidings elven folk have heard Of Amroth ever more.