Maidens of Middle-earth V: Turin's Women - “Finduilas”

Poem by Michelle Markey Butler

Eventually, Túrin winds up in another Elf-kingdom, Nargothrond, where the king’s daughter, Finduilas, falls in love him. Nargothrond is overthrown by an army of marauding orcs and a dragon named Glaurung. The dragon puts Túrin under a paralysis spell, preventing him from aiding Finduilas, who is carried off by the orcs. When Glaurung lifts the spell, he taunts Túrin with the choice of either aiding his mother and sister (whom he’d never met; his mother was pregnant with Nienor at the time Túrin was sent to Doriath) or going after Finduilas to rescue her. Túrin makes the wrong choice (of course), abandoning Finduilas to her fate, and heads back to Dor-lómin.

***

Fate splinters, and all paths lead to ruin
But the one I can help you walk.
Look, Túrin. Look up and see Finduilas,
Only light in the shadow that stalks you,
Only thread in the maze of your doom.

The city burns, flames laughing, loud as the orcs.
Broken, the orcs delight in destruction.
They savor our pain, and our terror is sweet.
They are us, or were, though we prefer to forget.
It is easy to forget as they drag us away,
And hate, and then remember.

Fate splinters, and all paths lead to ruin
But the one I can help you walk.
Reach, Túrin. Grasp the hand of Finduilas,
Only light in the shadow that stalks you,
Only thread in the maze of your doom.

The city burns, and Glaurung laughs
Louder than the gulping blaze, or the orcs.
He is the spilling roar of an avalanche.
He is the liquid fire of a kindled mountain.
He is the blue shadow in the deep of the world.

Fate splinters, and all paths lead to ruin
But the one I can help you find.
Close your eyes, Turin. Hear Finduilas and follow,
Only light in the shadow that stalks you,
Only thread in the maze of your doom.

Túrin! Túrin! Heed not the worm.
His eyes hold pools of death. His tongue lashes forked flame.
You will drown and burn at once
But dragons do not know mercy. He will let you live.

Fate has splintered, and all paths lead to ruin.
The wind weeps with the tears of Finduilas.
No light can pierce the shadow that whelms you,
The thread has snapped in the snare of your doom.