So, today is J. R. R. Tolkien's hundred and twenty-eighth birthday.
A good time to dig out and reread a favorite from among his many works. For me, this year it's THE DRAGON'S VISIT, a little gem that exists in two versions --both good, but I much prefer the earlier variant, the one which ends
The moon shone through his green wings
the night air beating,
And he flew back over the dappled sea
to a green dragon's meeting.
--John R.
--current reading THE PENGUIN HISTORICAL ATLAS OF ANCIENT EGYPT by Bill Manley (1996)
sweet dish served cold
2 days ago
2 comments:
What more can you tell us about The Dragon's Gem, John? I'm not familiar with that piece.
Also: other than Volume 4 of HoME, has anyone compiled JRRT's poetry?
Allan.
Dear G.
The easiest place to find the original (1937) version is in Doug Anderson's THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT, second edition pages 309-311. Doug immediately follows this with the revised ending of circa 1962 (ibid 312).
I still wish this poem had made it into THE ADVENTURES OF TOM BOMBADIL.
--John R.
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