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From Vingilot
October 6, 2004
Submitted By Gil-Estel
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By Valars' grace once more I set Vingilot on Arda's face upon the skies I have kept watch from the War of Wrath until the Current Age, lighting the nights by the Silmaril that acts as a palantir of time. Thus all the Ages lie before my eyes. all remade is Arda Marred, redeemed and marred again. Though faded now are all the Eldar, half-Elven, I perceive them yet. Near spent is the blood of Númenor yet I see it in the faces of my offspring. O, Círdan, you are from the Havens gone, where in older days we wrought together Vingilot. Of the first of the Firstborn at Cuiviénen awakened, your promise to the Valar kept crafting each ship and biding time until the last of the Elder race set sail the Straight Road to Tirion, you cast off at last for Elven-home. And too, upon the shore lies ruined Vinyalondë, once the port of Aldarion, by the Haradrim thrown to dust. Here the remains of Vinyamar on Nevrast's shore, where Turgon left helm and sword, shield and hauberk that in later days Tuor, my sire, bore to Gondolin. In the fulfillment of Ulmo's words: "Remember that the last hope of the Noldor cometh from the sea." to this mountain fastness that hid Gondolin the Fair he came. And, in the end, at Cristhorn fell Glorfindel of the Golden Flower, Balrog slewing and slain. Off the western shore, the Isle of Balar where Círdan sheltered the remant of Falathrim after the Unnumbered Tears. The Ages pass before my eyes: the voyage to Valinor, the slaying of Ancalgon, those were the days of Valars' Wrath. And Men voyage to Numenor, Andor, the Gift of the Valar to the Dúnedain, led there by Elros my son Who took mortality to be the king of Men. In another Age before the Seas were bent. to Imladris came Elrond and made a home where the mountains are cloven by Bruinen's stream. And where are Elladan and Elrohir, riding the roads of Rivendell? Here lies the Shire with fields of sheep, patchy crop along the lane High is the line of Hithaeglir, Fanuidhol, the Cloudyhead, called Reachtain Mhòr in Current Age. Silvertine shines in the sun, in dwarrow tongue named Zirakizigil' to the Eldar known as Celebdil the White. Caradhras the cruel, the Redhorn cloaked in snow dazzles against the darkening sky. Moria, the Dwarrowdelf, here the Dwarves woke Durin's Bane which banished them from Khazad-Dûm. Taller than the eye can compass the mellyrn are rooted deeply into the earth, fairest of trees, they crown Caras Galadon, in Laurelindórenan, the Golden Wood, bright realm of Celeborn and Galadriel. Wide are the plains of Rohan, stretching eastward from this gap. Ah, Legolas, the gulls still cry on the shore. even in Ithilien you heard their voice, and slipped your ties from the green leaves, to sail to Elven-home beyond the Sea. Gil-Estel
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That is quite beautiful. And the pictures added so muc more to it. I want to go to Ireland. My roommate brought me a celtic knot necklace from Ireland this past summer.
Anyway, we can't get to Valinor, so the beautiful places of this world is the best we can do. . . . that and describe as best we can with words the way we see it in our hearts.
Comment by Elflet - October 6, 2004 @ 6:44 PM
Goodness, this is spectacular. I agree with Elflet. The pictures add so much more to it.
Comment by Lalaith-Elerrina - October 7, 2004 @ 6:00 AM
this really took me to another world. it captured me. like everyone has said, the pictures add so much...
Comment by LadyKatherine - October 7, 2004 @ 2:20 PM
I quite agree with everyone. It's a lovely poem, and pictures make it even lovelier!!
Marvelous!!
Comment by Lanthiriel - October 7, 2004 @ 5:36 PM
Its beautiful, everyone else pretty much said it all so all I can say is I loved it.
Ashly
Comment by 1eowynfanshieldmaiden - October 7, 2004 @ 6:18 PM
Many thanks for the kind comments. I must give credit to Lady Coralie who masterminded the linking of the images within the text and got the file size down to something reasonable.
Comment by Gil-Estel - October 8, 2004 @ 9:00 AM
I think it was lovely!
I want to go to Ireland soooooooooooobad! I'm an Irish Dancer, so,y'know, naturaly I want to go. You are soooooo lucky! Did you go to Blarney castle?!
Did you go to Dublin? Cork?! Limerick?!! A two hundred year old pub????!!!!!! That's where I want to go! I Heard that you can walk up to a pub and from 20 ft. away you can hear the ground shaking and when you walk in, you see like, ten or twenty Irish Dancers all doing either soft-shoe or hard-shoe. Is it true?! Did you hear and see it??!!
Take me next time you go!!!!!!!!!!! ( HA, ha, ha, ha!!
just kidding!) Well, your poem was GRRREATT! Sounds like J.R.R. Tolkien himself wrote it!!!!
I rate it a 10!!!!!!* Tee-hee*
Comment by loralie - October 9, 2004 @ 3:02 PM
I have been to Ireland 8 times because I have friends in Northern Ireland. But I have been to several parts. Slightly into Co.Cork - the Beara Peninsula where I had a flat tire on the road up the Healy Pass (not one of the better moments). I have stayed in Co. Kerry and driven out the Dingle Peninsula and seen some of the lakes at Killarney. I did not drive the Ring of Kerry because it was crowded with tour buses which are a real menace on the roads. I drove up from Killarney past Limerick to a beautiful village in Galway called Clifden. The neaxt day I drove farther up the west coast to a village near Sligo and then back to near Belfast. I have been to Dublin but only briefly and found it a terrible place to try to drive as is Belfast also. The countryside is much more preferable to me. Some of my friends live in the village of Broughshane in Co. Antrim. It is s very beautiful area with wonderful coastline scenery. Other friends live in Omagh, Co. Tyrone and others near Killinchy, Co. Down. I hae driven through the mountains of Mourne and the area around Downpatrick. But my great love and the location for most of this set of photos is Donegal. It is still very rural. The roads are a challenge if you are like me and use an ordinance survey map to find the small out of the way places. I have not been to the central counties nor the southeast of the Republic (yet). Most of my photos are _not_ on computer because I still shoot real film, not digital but last year I had them put on CD ROM so that I could put the poem together.
I haven't been in any pubs except during the day when I've stopped somewhere to eat and there usually isn't music at that hour. I did stay once in a small hotel near Bunberg, Donegal called Teac Jack which is celebrated for it pub and music. But generally I can be found driving twisting lanes or hiking. Hope this comment isn't too long but I thought Loralie might enjoy it. If anyone wants a longer description, pick a forum, start a thread, and post the notice of the thread here and I'll tell you more than you ever wanted to know!
Comment by Gil-Estel - October 9, 2004 @ 5:08 PM
Aye, it kindles a flame of hope and an aching for what once was..................... The photos speak to my soul.
My thanks.
Comment by Neenime - October 13, 2004 @ 9:17 AM
Very nice! Lovely pictures and great poem. Cool that you are able to collect such wonderfully relevant pictures.
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Comment by balrogthane - May 9, 2005 @ 1:26 PM