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Many years later my father rewrote the poem, and I give this version here. Still later he turned to it again and made a few further alterations (here recorded in footnotes); at this time he noted that the revised version dated from ‘1940?’.

(2)

I know a window in a Western tower

that opens on celestial seas,

and there from wells of dark behind the stars

blows ever cold a keen unearthly breeze.

It is a white tower builded on the Twilit Isles, 5

and springing from their everlasting shade

it glimmers like a house of lonely pearl,

where lights forlorn take harbour ere they fade.

Its feet are washed by waves that never rest.

There silent boats go by into the West 10

all piled and twinkling in the dark

with orient fire in many a hoarded spark

that divers won

in waters of the rumoured Sun.

There sometimes throbs below a silver harp, 15

touching the heart with sudden music sharp;

or far beneath the mountains high and sheer

the voices of grey sailors echo clear,

afloat among the shadows of the world

in oarless ships and with their canvas furled, 20

chanting a farewell and a solemn song:

for wide the sea is, and the journey long.

O happy mariners upon a journey far,

beyond the grey islands and past Gondobar,

to those great portals on the final shores 25

where far away constellate fountains leap,

and dashed against Night’s dragon-headed doors

in foam of stars fall sparkling in the deep!

While I, alone, look out behind the moon

from in my white and windy tower, 30

ye bide no moment and await no hour,

but go with solemn song and harpers’ tune

through the dark shadows and the shadowy seas

to the last land of the Two Trees,

whose fruit and flower are moon and sun, 35

where light of earth is ended and begun.

Last revisions:

3 and there omitted

blows ever cold] there ever blows

17 mountains] mountain

22 the journey] their journey

29 While I look out alone

30 imprisoned in the white and windy tower

31 ye] you

33–6 struck through

Ye follow Eärendel without rest,

the shining mariner, beyond the West,

who passed the mouth of night and launched his bark

upon the outer seas of everlasting dark. 40

Here only comes at whiles a wind to blow

returning darkly down the way ye go,

with perfume laden of unearthly trees.

Here only long afar through window-pane

I glimpse the flicker of the golden rain 45

that falls for ever on the outer seas.

I cannot explain the reference (in the revised version only, line 24) to the journey of the mariners ‘beyond the grey islands and past Gondobar’. Gondobar (‘City of Stone’) was one of the seven names of Gondolin (p. 158).

NOTES

1 Falasquil was the name of Tuor’s dwelling on the coast (p. 152); the Oarni, with the Falmaríni and the Wingildi, are called ‘the spirits of the foam and the surf of ocean’ (I.66).

2 Irildë: the ‘Elvish’ name corresponding to Gnomish Idril. See the Appendix on Names, entry Idril.

3 ‘Elwing of the Gnomes of Artanor’ is perhaps a mere slip.

4 For the Swan-wing as the emblem of Tuor see pp. 152, 164, 172, 193.

5 The words ‘Idril has vanished’ replace an earlier reading: ‘Sirion has been sacked and only Littleheart (Ilfrith) remained who tells the tale.’ Ilfrith is yet another version of Littleheart’s Elvish name (see pp. 201–2).

6 Struck out here: ‘The Sleeper is Idril but he does not know.’

7 Cf. Kortirion among the Trees (I.36, lines 129–30): ‘I need not know the desert or red palaces Where dwells the sun’ lines retained slightly changed in the second (1937) version (I.39).

8 This passage, from ‘Eärendel distraught…’, replaced the following: ‘[illegible name, possibly Orlon] is [?biding] there and tells him of the sack of Sirion and the captivity of Elwing. The faring of the Koreldar and the binding of Melko.’ Perhaps the words ‘The faring of the Koreldar’ were struck out by mistake (cf. Outline B).

9 Earum is emended (at the first occurrence only) from Earam; and following it stood the name Earnhama, but this was struck