We heard of the horns in the hills ringing,
The swords shining in the South-kingdom.
Steeds went striding to the stoning
As wind in the morning.
War was kindled.
There Theoden fell,
Thengling mighty,
To his golden halls and green
In the Northern fields never returning,
High lord of the host.
Harding and Guthlaf,
Dunhere and Deorwine, doughty Grimbold,
Herefara and Herubrand,
Horn and Fastred,
Fought and fell there in a far country:
In the Mounds of Mundberg under mould they
With their leauge-fellows, lords of Gondor.
Neither Hirluin the Fair to the hills by the sea,
Nor Forlong the old to the flowering
Ever, to Arnach, to his own
Returned in triumph; nor the tall bowmen,
Derufin and Duilin, to their dark waters,
Meres of Morthond under mountain-shadows.
Death in the morning and at day's
Lords took and lowly.
Long now they
Under grass in Gondor by the Great River.
Grey now as tears, gleaming
Red then it rolled, roaring water.
Foam dyed with blood flamed at sunset;
As beacons mountains burned at evening;
Red fell the dew in Rammas Echor.
