SONG: Name That Tune

SUMMARY: The members of the Fellowship amuse themselves with a guessing game while journeying through Eregion.

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"And take the hidden paths that run...."

"Oh, I know that one, hang on," young Pippin exclaimed and Merry obliged by remaining quiet.

The four Hobbits were playing a guessing game of reciting a line from a song and the others having to guess the opening line while they walked through the wilderness. They had been at the game for some time now as the night waned and another day was beginning to dawn. The other members of the Fellowship had been entertained simply by listening to the plethora of different songs that these Halflings all knew, marveling anew at how many seemed to center around such simple pleasures as eating and drinking, sunshine and rain, walking along a country lane or working in a garden.

The young Hobbit scrunched his face in thought and then his expression brightened. "Still round the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate," he recited with a pleased smile.

"Very good, Pip," Frodo said with an indulgent smile of his own.

"One of Bilbo’s Walking Songs?" Aragorn asked quietly, giving Frodo a small grin.

Frodo nodded. "Do the Dúnedain have any such songs?"

"Nay," the future king of Gondor and Arnor shook his head. "Our songs are usually about death and loss."

"How sad," Pippin exclaimed. "No wonder you’re such a grouch in the morning."

"Pippin!!" Frodo and Merry shouted at the same time while Sam just shook his head in dismay.

Aragorn merely laughed and both Legolas and Gimli smiled. Gandalf made a hrumphing noise but there was a twinkle in his eyes as he winked at Aragorn. Boromir, having taken point this time around, was scouting ahead.

"Well, if you’re going to sing sad songs ALL the time," Pippin protested in defense, "you’re bound to be as moody as a... as an Elf."

"PIPPIN!!!" Now all three older hobbits came to a complete halt to confront the youngest member of their Fellowship, forcing the others to stop as well.

"What did I say?" the tweenager asked, throwing up his hands in exasperation.

Legolas knelt down to better see the youngster’s eyes, his own expression unreadable to the Hobbits and Gimli. Only Aragorn and Gandalf realized that the Elf was more amused than affronted. "Elves are not moody, Master Hobbit," the prince of Mirkwood said soberly in that lovely voice that was more musical than anything the Mortals had ever heard. Even Gimli found himself wanting the Elf-prince to speak more often than he did, just to hear that lilting voice.

Pippin gulped. "Sorry," he whispered, looking at his hairy toes. "I wasn’t thinking."

"Apology accepted," Legolas said, casting the tweenager a warm smile. "However, you are correct about one thing."

"What’s that?" Pippin asked, looking up in curiosity.

Legolas’ grin became absolutely wicked as he glanced up at Aragorn. "You are a grouch in the mornings."

Aragorn gave him a swat on the head in mock affront while everyone else laughed, the tension broken. As they resumed their march, Frodo turned to the Elf. "So now it’s your turn, Legolas," he said.

"It will hardly be fair, Frodo," Legolas said gently. "The songs I know are unknown to any of you."

"Except maybe Strider and Gandalf," Sam interjected as he encouraged Bill up a small rise. The land around them was becoming more hilly the closer they came to the mountains. "Go ahead, Mr. Legolas, see if you can stump ol’ Gandalf here."

Legolas gave the Wizard a merry look before turning his attention to the Hobbits and nodded. It was a moment or two before he started singing though and when he did it was not in Westron. "Alcarë Ardahínion, elen morniessë, mirë andúnessë, alcarinqu’ arinessë!"

The beauty of the words, which only two others amongst them understood, smote the listeners and the Hobbits stopped in amazement and delight. Gandalf raised a bushy eyebrow. "And which part of that should I consider the first line?"

Legolas gave him a gay laugh that sounded like the lightest of bells. "Just the beginning of the canto, mellon nîn," he said.

Gandalf nodded and gave the Elf his own smile. "Sië Eärendil attullë metimav’ Eärenna," he quoted.

"But what does it mean?" Pippin asked in confusion.

"It’s part of the ‘Narn en-Êl’, which means ‘The Tale of the Star’," Aragorn explained. "It is the story of Eärendil and the Silmaril." He pointed towards the burgeoning sunrise. Already the stars had faded from view, all but one. There, shining brightly, was Eärendil, a beacon of Hope against the Shadow. He turned to Legolas, his own expression quizzical. "I did not know you knew it in Quenya, mellon nîn."

Legolas nodded, his grey eyes shining with reflected starlight. "Elladan and Elrohir taught me that version many centuries ago."

Then before anyone else could comment, Sam turned to Gandalf. "Do Wizards have songs they sing, Gandalf?"

Gandalf gave the Hobbit a considering look. "I have heard and learned the songs of Men and Elves, Dwarves and Hobbits, Sam, but the songs of Wizards...." He shook his head. "Our songs are not for the ears of the Eruhíni."

"The Eru-who?" Merry asked and only Frodo among the Hobbits did not look confused.

"The Children of the One," Gandalf explained gently. "Elves, Men, Hobbits and Dwarves." He nodded to each of them as he named their races.

"We Dwarves are the Children of Mahal," Gimli muttered with a hrumph. "Eru had naught to do with our making."

"Yet it was by the grace of Eru that the Fathers of Dwarves were given existence, my friend," the Wizard said without taking offense. "You might say then that the Dwarves are Eru’s stepchildren, but no less loved by him because of it."

Gimli looked thoughtful at Gandalf’s words. Sam, however, was still intent on his own question for the Wizard. "Don’t you have just one song for us, Gandalf?" he asked. "You guessed Mr. Legolas’ song, so now’s your turn."

The Wizard sighed and closed his eyes. Then, an errant memory came to the fore, a memory of an earlier time and place when he’d been called Olórin. Well, after all, why not?, he thought to himself and nodded as he opened his eyes to see his fellow Walkers looking at him expectantly. "Well, none of you will guess this song so I’ll just sing it from the beginning, shall I?"

The Hobbits all nodded enthusiastically while Aragorn gave his old friend a wry smile. Legolas’ expression went distant and Gimli just stood there with his axe before him, waiting. Gandalf closed his eyes again and then started singing. At first, the voice was rough and unschooled in song but then as he continued, slowly, almost imperceptibly, his voice began to change, to deepen and lighten at the same time until it’s beauty rivaled that of any Elf’s. The song was not long but when it was done the others just stood there in shocked amazement. None of them could move or speak at first but, finally, Legolas stirred.

"What song was that, Mithrandir?" he asked in a whisper. "Never have I heard such... such a terrible beauty."

The Wizard smiled at the Elf, his eyes gentle with sympathy. "It is the Song that your ancestors heard on the shores of Cuiviénen when they first awoke under the stars," he explained. "It is the Song of Awakening sung by Ilúvatar himself as he welcomed his Firstborn Children into Arda."

They all stood there, frozen by awe at Gandalf’s words. Before anyone could respond though, Boromir came up to them, his expression quizzical. "Did I miss anything?"

Aragorn gave a start as if coming out of a dream and looked at the Gondorian. "Nay, Boromir," he said with a tinge of sadness, "you have missed naught. The Hobbits were merely playing a game. Have you found our camp for the day?"

Boromir nodded, giving them all a searching look. "Aye, it’s just beyond this ridge," he said, pointing ahead.

"Then lead us, good Boromir," Gandalf said, clapping a hand on the Man’s shoulder in a friendly manner, his expression warm and loving. "I wish to be under cover before it becomes too much brighter."

"And while we’re getting breakfast together, perhaps Mr. Boromir can entertain us with a song," Sam suggested, giving the Man a bright smile, as he pulled on Bill’s lead.

Boromir gave the Hobbit a surprised look, then nodded, smiling down at the gardener. "I would be honored, Master Gamgee."

"Nay, sir," Sam said with all seriousness. "The honor will be ours."

To that all the other Walkers agreed.

****

Alcarë Ardahínion, elen morniessë, mirë andúnessë, alcarinqu’ arinessë!: (Quenya) "Splendour of the Children of Earth, star in the darkness, jewel in the sunset, radiant in the morning!"

Sië Eärendil attullë metimav’ Eärenna: (Quenya) "Therefore Eärendil turned back at last towards the sea."

The line that Legolas gives are the words spoken by Eönwë to Eärendil at the coming of Eärendil to Valinor, as recorded in the Silmarillion. The line that Gandalf speaks is also from the Silmarillion. The full text can be found in Chapter 24, ‘Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath’. We don’t know how the Narn en-Êl went but I am assuming that Eönwë’s greeting to Eärendil would be part of it. The Quenya translation is my own.

Mahal: The Dwarves' name for the Vala Aulë who created them.