The Battle of Sauron and Finrod Felagund - Clamavi De Profundis
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Here is our version of . Tolkien’s poem, “The Battle of Sauron and Finrod Felagund!“ We have been working on this for several months. We hope you enjoy it:).
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A note on our interpretation:
The song on which this piece is based is taken from Chapter 19 of . Tolkien’s Silmarillion. The chief feature of the piece is the back-and-forth sensation created by the movement from a ‘Sauron’ theme in the beginning to a series of heroic Elven themes and then back to Sauron themes at the end. This back-and-forth movement represents the battle between Sauron, the lieutenant of Morgoth, and Finrod Felagund, the king of the Noldor, shortly before Finrod’s death. The initial Sauron theme, impressing the feel of the dungeons of the Necromancer, is met by determined Elven resistance that is eventually entirely overcome.
The poem represents the fall of Finrod to Sauron in many ways, the most obvious of which is Finrod’s losing the battle, a battle, remarkably, of song. It is noteworthy, however, that Finrod is subjugated by Sauron in the tower called Tol-in-Gaurhoth, Island of Werewolves. This tower was built by Finrod himself, who called it Minas Tirith, Tower of Guard, since it was built to guard the pass of the River Sirion, but it was taken by Sauron for Morgoth. This makes it Sauron’s original Dark Tower, acquired by theft and mutilation, a den of wolves and vampires. Sauron’s mutilation of things high and beautiful and Elven is one of the recurring musical features of the piece.
Another element of interest is the thought represented by the Elven interludes between the verses of the poem. The words sung are: “Nai hiruvalyë Valimar. Nai elyë hiruva. Namárië! Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva? Sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!” These are taken from the famous lament for Valimar sung by Galadriel in Lothlorien in the Fellowship of the Ring. They are translated, first: “Maybe thou shalt find Valimar. Maybe even thou shalt find it. Farewell!” And then, “Who now shall refill the cup for me? Now lost, lost to those from the East is Valimar!” They help to communicate, first, the sensation that Valimar and its power, a power that Finrod invokes in vain one last time, have been lost by the Noldor through the Doom of Mandos, and, second, the link between Finrod and Galadriel, his sister, both at the moment of his fall, and much later, in a different age of the world, in memory.
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My brothers composed and arranged this piece. My family sang it.
Artwork by:
Michael Howe
Please no bad language in the comments. We want this to be family friendly:) Thank you!
Lyrics:
The Battle of Sauron and Finrod Felagund
He chanted a song of wizardry,
Of piercing, opening, of treachery,
Revealing, uncovering, betraying.
Then sudden Felagund there swaying,
Sang in a song of staying,
Resisting, battling against power,
Of secrets kept, strength like a tower,
And trust unbroken, freedom, escape;
Of changing and shifting shape,
Of snares eluded, broken traps,
The prison opening, the chain that snaps.
Nai hiruvalyë Valimar.
Nai elyë hiruva. Namárië!
Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva?
Sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!
Backwards and forwards swayed their song.
Reeling foundering, as ever more strong
The chanting swelled, Felagund fought,
And all the magic and might he brought
Of Elvenesse into his words.
Softly in the gloom they heard the birds
Singing afar in Nargothrond,
The sighting of the Sea beyond,
Beyond the western world, on sand,
On sand of pearls on Elvenland.
Nai hiruvalyë Valimar.
Rómello vanwa, Valimar!
Then in the doom gathered; darkness growing
In Valinor, the red blood flowing
Beside the Sea, where the Noldor slew
The Foamriders, and stealing drew
Their white ships with their white sails
From lamplit havens. The wind wails,
The wolf howls. The ravens flee.
The ice mutters in the mouths of the Sea.
The captives sad in Angband mourn.
Thunder rumbles, the fires burn-
And Finrod fell before the throne.