User blog:Forten/The Fall of Gundabad

Far above the misty mountains cold,

There stand three peaks, three spires of old,

There Durin rose from slumber-throes,

And first his hammer-thunder rolled,



There first he hollowed halls of stone,

And long he laboured there alone,

The empty hills sang chisel-trills,

And cold the wind and mountain-bone,



The dwarves returned after he left,

Fine gems and greater halls they cleft,

Grim Gundabad they made and marred

And named and soon their hands were deft,



Pale gold in gleaming hoards they flung,

<p style="font-size:14px;">And ever-burning lamps they hung,

<p style="font-size:14px;">Of shunnèd stars on jewellèd vase

<p style="font-size:14px;">And cups of crystal-glass they sung,

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<p style="font-size:14px;">Far above the misty mountains white,

<p style="font-size:14px;">The moon was shining in the night,

<p style="font-size:14px;">The silent snow fell soft below,

<p style="font-size:14px;">And cloud-tops shimmered in the light,

<p style="font-size:14px;">

<p style="font-size:14px;">The dwarves delved deeper in the earth,

<p style="font-size:14px;">Their halls were filled with wealth and mirth,

<p style="font-size:14px;">Their vaults they lined with mithril mined,

<p style="font-size:14px;">And feasts were held to Durin's birth,

<p style="font-size:14px;">

<p style="font-size:14px;">They raised grey tow'rs above the mines,

<p style="font-size:14px;">And saw the vales and waving pines,

<p style="font-size:14px;">They watched the ways of mountain-maze,

<p style="font-size:14px;">And orcs engaged in dark designs,

<p style="font-size:14px;">

<p style="font-size:14px;">In steel were the dwarves arrayed;

<p style="font-size:14px;">The hunter's bow was metal-made,

<p style="font-size:14px;">The guard was girt in mail-shirt,

<p style="font-size:14px;">The lord was armed with aureate blade,

<p style="font-size:14px;">

<p style="font-size:14px;">Far above the misty mountains high,

<p style="font-size:14px;">The stars were burning in the sky,

<p style="font-size:14px;">The moon shone down on granite-crown,

<p style="font-size:14px;">And wind hissed whistling lullaby,

<p style="font-size:14px;">

<p style="font-size:14px;">A smoke was rising from below,

<p style="font-size:14px;">And gledes flew up from fiery glow,

<p style="font-size:14px;">A dark unease was on the breeze,

<p style="font-size:14px;">And distant cries began to grow,

<p style="font-size:14px;">

<p style="font-size:14px;">Up snowy slope leapt fire-drake,

<p style="font-size:14px;">The mountain trembled in their wake,

<p style="font-size:14px;">Their legion came in midst of flame,

<p style="font-size:14px;">In flying rock and cinder-flake,

<p style="font-size:14px;">

<p style="font-size:14px;">Through cloven gate spilled goblin-guard,

<p style="font-size:14px;">On banner burnt and shield charred,

<p style="font-size:14px;">The dwarves they fell, in citadel,

<p style="font-size:14px;">In dolven-hall, in Gundabad,

<p style="font-size:14px;">

<p style="font-size:14px;">The gold unglinting lay in gloom,

<p style="font-size:14px;">In filth upon the unbuilt tomb,

<p style="font-size:14px;">The iron-rust lay thick, and dust

<p style="font-size:14px;">Lay deep in vault and treasure-room,

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<p style="font-size:14px;">Far above the misty mountains bleak,

<p style="font-size:14px;">The moon shines bright on triple-peak,

<p style="font-size:14px;">There Durin woke, and now is broke,

<p style="font-size:14px;">And there we go, to test the weak!