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Dwarf-songs[1] were songs sung by Thorin II and Company throughout the Quest of Erebor.

As Tolkien left no official title for these songs, "Far over the Misty Mountains cold" is how it is referred to in the 75th anniversary edition of The Hobbit. It is also called The Dwarf Song, Thorin's Song, The Song of The Lonely Mountain, or shortened to simply The Misty Mountains.

The song explains the backstory of Thorin & Company, and foreshadows their adventure to come.

The Hobbit[]

One dwarf-song in particular was sung at the Unexpected Party in Bag End. It was sung accompanied by instruments; Fíli and Kíli on fiddles; Dori, Nori, and Ori on flutes; Bombur on a drum; Bifur and Bofur on clarinets; Dwalin and Balin on viols, and finally Thorin with his golden harp. While the Dwarves sang, Tolkien describes how something Tookish and adventurous wakes up inside Bilbo.[2]

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.

For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.

On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.

Goblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold; where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves.

The pines were roaring on the height,
The winds were moaning in the night.
The fire was red, it flaming spread;
The trees like torches blazed with light.

The bells were ringing in the dale
And men looked up with faces pale;
The dragon’s ire more fierce than fire
Laid low their towers and houses frail.

The mountain smoked beneath the moon;
The dwarves they heard the tramp of doom.
They fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.

Far over the misty mountains grim
To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!

By the end of the same chapter, whilst laying in bed at night, Bilbo can hear Thorin humming this tune to himself, and the fifth verse from above is repeated, though with a slight difference in the last sentence, as 'claim' is changed to 'find':

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To find our long-forgotten gold.

Whilst residing with Beorn, Bilbo also hears the Dwarves sing.[3] Though it is not mentioned here whether these verses are of the same dwarf-song as heard before, it follows the same form, and mentions, though briefly, both the Lonely Mountain and "the dragon's lair".

The wind was on the withered heath,
but in the forest stirred no leaf:
there shadows lay by night or day,
and dark things silent crept beneath.

The wind came down from mountains cold,
and like a tide it roared and rolled;
the branches groaned, the forest moaned,
and leaves were laid upon the mould.

The wind went on from West to East;
all movement in the forest ceased,
but shrill and harsh across the marsh
its whistling voices were released.

The grasses hissed, their tassels bent,
the reeds were rattling--on it went
o'er shaken pool under heavens cool
where racing clouds were torn and rent.

It passed the Lonely Mountain bare
and swept above the dragon's lair:
there black and dark lay boulders stark
and flying smoke was in the air.

It left the world and took its flight
over the wide seas of the night.
The moon set sail upon the gale,
and stars were fanned to leaping light.

After slaying Smaug and reclaiming the Lonely Mountain, yet another dwarf-song is sung.[4]

Under the Mountain dark and tall
The King has come unto his hall!
His foe is dead, the Worm of Dread,
And ever so his foes shall fall.

The sword is sharp, the spear is long,
The arrow swift, the Gate is strong;
The heart is bold that looks on gold;
The dwarves no more shall suffer wrong.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.

On silver necklaces they strung
The light of stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, from twisted wire
The melody of harps they wrung.

The mountain throne once more is freed!
O! wandering folk, the summons heed!
Come haste! Come haste! across the waste!
The king of friend and kin has need.

Now call we over the mountains cold,
‘Come back unto the caverns old’!
Here at the Gates the king awaits,
His hands are rich with gems and gold.

The king is come unto his hall
Under the Mountain dark and tall.
The Worm of Dread is slain and dead,
And ever so our foes shall fall!

The Lord of the Rings[]

In The Fellowship of the Ring, verses of the first dwarf-song are heard. During Frodo and company's brief stay at Crickhollow before leaving the Shire, a song sung by Merry and Pippin that is described as being "made on the model of the dwarf-song that started Bilbo on his adventure long ago, and went to the same tune."[1]

Farewell we call to hearth and hall!
Though wind may blow and rain may fall,
We must away ere break of day
Far over wood and mountain tall.

To Rivendell, where Elves yet dwell
In glades beneath the misty fell,
Through moor and waste we ride in haste,
And whither then we cannot tell.

With foes ahead, behind us dread,
Beneath the sky shall be our bed,
Until at last our toil be passed,
Our journey done, our errand sped.

We must away! We must away!
We ride before the break of day!

Though begun by Merry and Pippin, it is assumed that Frodo, and possibly Sam, joined in the singing, as Frodo himself makes up the last sentence.

Portrayals in adaptations[]

The Hobbit film trilogy[]

The_Hobbit_Misty_Mountains_song_scene

The Hobbit Misty Mountains song scene

Theatrical version of the song

In Peter Jackson's film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, there are several changes from Tolkien's novel. Only two verses are sung:

Far over the misty mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away, ere break of day,
To find our long-forgotten gold.

The pines were roaring on the height,
The winds were moaning in the night,
The fire was red, it flaming spread,
The trees like torches blazed with light.

In the film, the song is sung without instrumental accompaniment, whereas in the book it was sung to music. The song is featured on the film's soundtrack, titled "Misty Mountains". The tune of the song is crafted into Thorin and Company's main musical theme. The song is composed and conducted by Plan 9 and David Long.

Neil Finn performed the original version named "Song of the Lonely Mountain". According to an interview with Rolling Stones, Neil Finn wrote the song and recorded it with his two sons, Elroy and Liam. Dave Fridmann did the mixing and "...[responded] well to my demands for 'more anvil!' Pop music needs more anvil!" The song was used as the credits song of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

File:Song of the Lonely Mountain Performed by Neil Finn "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" Soundtrack

The ending credits for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Neil Finn's version:

Far over the Misty Mountains rise
Leave us standing upon the heights
What was before, we see once more
Our kingdom, a distant light

Fiery mountain beneath the moon
The words unspoken, we’ll be there soon
For home a song that echoes on
And all who find us will know the tune
(yah yah yah-yah!)

Some folk we never forget (yah yah yah-yah!)
Some kind we never forgive (yah yah yah-yah!)
Haven’t seen the back of us yet (yah yah yah-yah!)
We’ll fight as long as we live (yah yah yah-yah!)

All eyes on the hidden door (yah yah yah-yah!)
To the Lonely Mountain borne (yah yah yah-yah!)
We’ll ride in the gathering storm
Until we get our long-forgotten gold.

We lay under the Misty Mountains cold
In slumbers deep and dreams of gold
We must awake, our lives to make
And in the darkness a torch we hold.

From long ago when lanterns burned
Till this day our hearts have yearned
Her fate unknown the Arkenstone
What was stolen must be returned

We must awake and make the day
To find a song for heart and soul.

Some folk we never forget (yah yah yah-yah!)
Some kind we never forgive (yah yah yah-yah!)
Haven’t seen the end of it yet (yah yah yah-yah!)
We’ll fight as long as we live (yah yah yah-yah!)

All eyes on the hidden door (yah yah yah-yah!)
To the Lonely Mountain borne (yah yah yah-yah!)
We’ll ride in the gathering storm (yah yah yah-yah!)
Until we get our long-forgotten gold.

Far away from Misty Mountains cold.

Rankin and Bass version[]

In the 1977 animated movie of The Hobbit, the first verse of the song was sung. After the verse, Gandalf speaks verses two to four, and then verses six to nine.

Translations[]

Foreign Language Translated name
Bulgarian Отвъд планините с мъгла увенчани
French Au delà des Montagnes embrumées
German Weit über dem Nebelgebirge kalt
Italian Lontan sui monti fumidi e gelati
Spanish Más allá de las frías y brumosas montañas
Hungarian Messze túl egy kéklő hegység vár
Russian За синие горы, за белый туман

References[]

External links[]

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