Back in the days of Gondolin
When Melian was the queen,
There lived the fairest of them all,
The princess, sweet Luthien.

Under the mallorn trees she danced
Fair hair of likeness to gold.
That was how she fared
In the lost days of old.

Beren of the noble kin,
Wanders alone and lost.
Then he spotted fair Luthien,
And would do anything for her, whatever cost.

“Tinuviel, Tinuviel,”
He called softly to Luthien
For like a bird, her voice was fair,
She was the most beautiful he’d ever seen.

For here, fair Beren fell in love
With an elf-maiden beyond his rank
When her father, Elu Thingol, turned him down,
His hope and heart had sank.

But Luthien Tinuviel loved him,
For him had a string of affection
Her father, though he loved her so
Did not approve her selection.

Mockingly, King Thingol,
Asked a kingly gift
A Simaril from Morgoth’s crown
Off that head the crown never did lift.

(Sadly, the Doom of the Noldoli
Was Thingol’s destiny,
For asking for that Simaril
Was to be a tragedy.)

But Beren thought this pricey jewel
Was a price so fair
For he’d do anything for Luthien,
No danger was too hard for him to bear.

Luthien then begged him not to go
That their love would find a way,
But Beren, wanting father’s approval
Said he could not stay.

So Beren ventured out alone
And swore the price would be paid,
And at parting Luthien cried
For she knew that she would fade.