"I looked first on stars" by Amy Fortuna (starbrow)

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Challenge: Other Silmarillion-based locations: something about a female couple at Cuiviénen who awoke together.
Format: Poem
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Characters: Original Female Characters (unnamed)
Pairings: OFC/OFC
Creators' Notes (optional): Written for International Women's Day.
Summary: A poem about the lives of a female couple who awoke at Cuiviénen together.

Note: Written originally in Quenya by an anonymous Noldorin nis, apparently written after the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. Appears in several books now held in the Library of Rivendell, including There Is No Returning (a collection of poems about Cuiviénen), Love Poems Of The Noldorin, and Translations From The Elvish (Volume 2) by Bilbo Baggins. The poem is also mentioned (and highly praised) in Form And Function Of First Age Poetry, author unknown (speculation holds that this is by Maglor Feanorion, though if he wrote half the stuff he’s rumoured to have written he wouldn’t have had time to do any Kinslaying, that’s for sure). The poem has no title and as such is referred to by its first line.


I looked first on stars
In your eyes reflected.
Pools and whirls of galaxies
Defined by pupils and irises.
Dark eyes, bright stars,
Inside you, in the sky.

Long the road we walked
Under tree, under stars.
We sang the forest awake
Together; we danced and dreamed
Of Light beyond the seas.

There, at the Mingling
With you in my arms,
Your breasts against mine
Our lips together, our bodies entwined
In your eyes still I saw stars.

Across the Ice we walked
Through pain, under stars.
We sang to keep each other awake.
Together we dreamed
Of Light, lost, to be regained.

There, in Beleriand
With you in my arms
Dark hair and gold mingling,
Our mouths meeting, blood on our armour
In your eyes still I saw stars.

I looked last on stars
In your eyes reflected.
Pools and whirls of love
Defined by pupils and irises.
Dark eyes, bright stars
Inside you, eternal skies.

Comments

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

*looks suspiciously at fellow b2memers* (xD) you lot are out to make me like slash between Elves, aren't you? lol :D

All teasing aside, though, Starbrow, this is a really beautiful poem. I'd never considered the idea of two ellith waking together, but after all, why not, I suppose. And it's a perfect poem for International Women's Day.

Kaylee

P.S., the Note, specifically the bit about Maglor, (... if he wrote half the stuff he’s rumoured to have written he wouldn’t have had time to do any Kinslaying, that’s for sure) had me howling. You're too funny. xD :)

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

Mmmm, elfslash. For some reason I really am all about the elfslash these days!

I'm so glad the bit about Maglor gave you LOLs, because it certainly did me! I can just picture Erestor or some other librarian of Rivendell looking around at all the work 'attributed' to Maglor and just being like, "Nope." I have this theory that in the wake of the destruction of Beleriand, a lot of work survived, at least in part, but the authors' names were lost, so people started attributing works they liked or thought were good to famous people.

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous.

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

This was beautiful! I almost want to read the poem in its original Quenya form now - though it was very lovely already. The star imagery is beautiful, in particular, and I love how applicable it stays throughout their lives.

And - did I mention that I'm a sucker for ficcish-historical statements like your introductory one? That pretty much was the cherry on top. :)

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I would love to read the poem in its original Quenya too, I might have a stab at translating it 'back again' later. :)

I love historical commentary as well - and wanted to add more books to the Library of Rivendell. *grin*

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Ooh, nice! Please post it up here when you do? :)

More books in the library are great! I think I'm going to have to take that angle myself for one of my other fics that's practically begging for a place there.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Very beautiful! I love it.

And I love the very proper-to-Tolkien-form intro.

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I had such fun writing that note. :)

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

Full of the hope and grief the Firstborn were so aware of.

[independence1776]

This is stunning and lovely and the imagery is perfect! Love, love this poem.

[zdenka]

This is a beautiful piece.