Bilbo's Last Song?

[Amithrellas]

Just got an email from Alibris with suggestions for me and this was one of them... Why haven't I ever heard of this?? Is this a repackaging job of Christopher Tolkein's? :blink:

[Mirkgirl]

Thought Ive heard of it before, but couldn't really place it somewhere, that's what wiki and tolkienlibrary have to say. I'm not really into poems...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilbo's_Last_Song
http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/booksbytolkien/bilbolastsong/description.htm

[Arwen~Undómiel]

This sounds interesting! I've never heard of it before, but I'll definitely have to read it!! Thanks for posting!

[Elijah's Girl]

I've heard of it...I love it so much!! It's one of my all time favorite Tolkien-made songs veryhappy

EDIT: Here it is!! :grin:

Bilbo's Last Song
Day is ended, dim my eyes,
but journey long before me lies.
Farewell, friends! I hear the call.
The ship’s beside the stony wall.
Foam is white and waves are grey;
beyond the sunset leads my way.
Foam is salt, the wind is free;
I hear the rising of the Sea.

Farewell, friends! The sails are set,
the wind is east, the moorings fret.
Shadows long before me lie,
beneath the ever-bending sky,
but islands lie behind the Sun
that I shall raise ere all is done;
lands there are to west of West,
where night is quiet and sleep is rest.

Guided by the Lonely Star,
beyond the utmost harbour-bar,
I’ll find the heavens fair and free,
and beaches of the Starlit Sea.
Ship, my ship! I seek the West,
and fields and mountains ever blest.
Farewell to Middle-earth at last.
I see the Star above my mast!

— J. R. R. Tolkein (1892 - 1973)

[Arwen~Undómiel]

Thanks for posting it EG! It's really beautiful!! Love it!!

[Frodo's Pearl]

I'm suprised that you hadn't heard about this before! It's sooo lovely, isn't it? My sister has it as a really beautiful little book with gorgeous illustrations.

[Arwen~Undómiel]

I think I did hear of it, but I never read it or knew any details about it...

[Nessa the Dancer]

I first heard it on the BBC Radio recording and I think it is wonderful. I'm always singing it. Aparently on the BBC Recording John John Le Mesurier was going to sing it but it was decided that it would sound better if he spoke the first verse then a boy soprano. The played the original recording of John Le Mesurier singing the first verse though :grin:

[Elijah's Girl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbpqnAxF7Lc
In this clip, Charley MacGowan is singing the song :) it is a very pretty version of the song.

[Arwen~Undómiel]

This is really beautiful! Thanks for the link EG!

[Frodo's Pearl]

"Bilbo's Last Song" is also sung in Elvish in the RotK fanclub credits.