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Durin Folk Quote by J. R. R. Tolkien

“The world was young, the mountains green, No stain yet on the Moon was seen, No words were laid on stream or stone When Durin woke and walked alone. He named the nameless hills and dells; He drank from yet untasted wells; He stooped and looked in Mirrormere, And saw a crown of stars appear, As…” quote by J. R. R. Tolkien
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““The world was young, the mountains green, No stain yet on the Moon was seen, No words were laid on stream or stone When Durin woke and walked alone. He named the nameless hills and dells; He drank from yet untasted wells; He stooped and looked in Mirrormere, And saw a crown of stars appear, As gems upon a silver thread, Above the shadow of his head. The world was fair, the mountains tall, In Elder Days before the fall Of mighty kings in Nargothrond And Gondolin, who now beyond The Western Seas have passed away: The world was fair in Durin's Day. A king he was on carven throne In many-pillared halls of stone With golden roof and silver floor, And runes of power upon the door. The light of sun and star and moon In shining lamps of crystal hewn Undimmed by cloud or shade of night There shone for ever fair and bright. There hammer on the anvil smote, There chisel clove, and graver wrote; There forged was blade, and bound was hilt; The delver mined, the mason built. There beryl, pearl, and opal pale, And metal wrought like fishes' mail, Buckler and corslet, axe and sword, And shining spears were laid in hoard. Unwearied then were Durin's folk; Beneath the mountains music woke: The harpers harped, the minstrels sang, And at the gates the trumpets rang. The world is grey, the mountains old, The forge's fire is ashen-cold; No harp is wrung, no hammer falls: The darkness dwells in Durin's halls; The shadow lies upon his tomb In Moria, in Khazad-dûm. But still the sunken stars appear In dark and windless Mirrormere; There lies his crown in water deep, Till Durin wakes again from sleep. -The Song of Durin””

J. R. R. Tolkien

About This Quote

Source Poem: The Song of Durin, 1937, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring

The poem celebrates Durin’s ancient kingdom, its craftsmanship, and the fading of its glory, reflecting on the passage of time and loss.

In simple terms: Durin’s realm glories then fades.

Key Takeaway

Remember the impermanence of greatness.

Themes

history loss craftsmanship

Mood

reflective melancholy

Type

mythic poetic

When to use this quote

  • Cultural heritage study
  • creative writing
  • museum curation

Key Concepts

Mythic storytelling temporal decay

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the fading of Durin’s halls symbolize?
  • How can we honor lost cultures?
A Different Perspective

Nostalgia can idealize past.

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