They Who Go Down to the Sea in Ships

How wonderful! The day is done,
Now I may climb on high again,
To steer the star-ship through the night,
In voids no elf has ever been.

A mere month gone, I love the sky,
I wish my wife could come along;
Alas, the air is far too thin,
But I am sure I here belong.

Ten years have passed since I left port,
On that first wondrous, lovely day,
I hope the night will soon be done,
The wind has leached my warmth away.

A thousand years I've spent up here,
Cold winds and stars my only friends,
Ah, look! A package waits in port,
My caring wife some lembas sends.

I cannot stand this any more!
Uncounted years I've sailed the skies,
My only hope waits now for dawn:
Tomorrow Russandol will rise.

Ah, sweet relief! He took the thing,
While I was resting for the day,
I hope that Varda doesn't mind
Her favorite star has gone away.

Now that I'm home to stay for good,
My lovely Elwing's full of joy.
The star-queen cannot say the same,
She's hunting for "that silly boy."

Alas! She caught the valiant elf,
And brought me back that hateful thing,
What does she take me for, a dwarf?
I've never loved that shiny bling!

Around the earth another time,
My thoughts are almost blasphemy,
If only I could drop it now!
The second son below I see.

It's nearly noon, I ought to sleep,
And rest from journeys in the skies,
But Ambarussa are reborn,
Another hope within them lies.

They looked surprised, the blessed elves,
But took the jewel well enough,
I'm free another week or so,
Provided they are smart and tough.

The Star-queen looks both high and low,
She wants me in the air again,
The twins are hid with Oromë,
They're lurking in a badger den.

A thousand curses, they were found
An hour before yestereve,
I had to up and sail away,
At least I got a week's reprieve.

The middle three are out at last,
I'll hand it off to them today,
I hope they last at least a fortnight,
Tomorrow's Elrond's begetting day.

I sing as I rise with the dawn,
And not the moon: oh wondrous thought!
For it's been gone at least a month,
And none of them has yet been caught.

Six months are gone, my ship leaves port,
As Varda calls them reprobates,
But as for me, I only sigh
As I fly through the heavenly gates.

Another thousand years go by,
With weary days and wearier nights,
It's dull up here, when people sleep,
A darkened globe; not many lights.

I tried one final, desperate plot,
Though world should end in blood and gore,
I shall be free in truth at last:
I gave the jewel to Fëanor.

They let him out three hours ago,
I dropped it off on my way home,
He thanked me kindly, disappeared,
I went off, the beach to roam.

An hour later, I heard a groan,
A wave reared over Valinor,
It didn't drown us, far from that,
It gave a jewel to Fëanor.

Ulmo, it seemed, was sick of his,
And soon followed my example,
With Fëanor he left the gem,
And a good-sized seafood sample.

Then the earth began to quake;
Would Eru break our land apart?
Not so, Aulë had brought a gift,
A fire-lit gem, a work of art.

Their maker stood in wondering shock,
He gazed upon his handiwork,
Joined again before him there,
Behind his eyes a fire lurked.

And then he laughed, and chuckled deep,
His cackle shattered windowpanes,
He laughed for minutes without cease,
And then we knew he was insane.

Thus madness ended Valinor,
The fairest land in days of yore,
All joy was drowned in blood and gore,
For I gave my jewel to Fëanor.

That was not at all how I was expecting that to end...