The Book of Lost Tales 1 Quotes

“Thou Melko shalt see that no theme can be played save it come in the end of Ilúvatar’s self, nor can any alter the music in Ilúvatar’s despite. He that attempts this finds himself in the end but aiding me in devising a thing of still greater grandeur and more complex wonder:–for lo! through Melko have terror as fire, and sorrow like dark waters, wrath like thunder, and evil as far from the light as the depths of the uttermost of the dark places, come into the design that I laid before you. Through him has pain and misery been made in the clash of overwhelming musics; and with confusion of sound have cruelty, and ravening, and darkness, loathly mire and all putrescence of thought or thing, foul mists and violent flame, cold without mercy, been born, and death without hope. Yet is this through him and not by him; and he shall see, and ye all likewise, and even shall those beings, who must now dwell among his evil and endure through Melko misery and sorrow, terror and wickedness, declare in the end that it redoundeth only to my great glory, and doth but make the theme more worth the hearing, Life more worth the living, and the World so much the more wonderful and marvellous, that of all the deeds of Ilúvatar it shall be called his mightiest and his loveliest.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales 1

“If a beam from Eärendel fall on a child new-born he becomes ‘a child of Eärendel’ and a wanderer.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One

“Winter is come. Beneath the barren sky The Elves are silent. But they do not die!”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One

“Now Ulmo and Manwë have been great friends and allies in almost all matters since then.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One

“first of all the gems, and were seen by both Ilúvatar and the Ainur to be of exceeding loveliness—there grew a contention”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One

“both Ilúvatar and the Ainur to be of exceeding loveliness”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One

“Behold, the Moon dares not the utter loneliness of the outer dark by reason of his lesser light and majesty, and he journeys still beneath the world and many are the chances of that way; wherefore is it that he is often less timely than the Sun and is more fickle. Sometimes he comes not after Sári at all, and other times is late and maketh but a little voyage or even dares the heavens while Urwendi still is there. Then smile the Gods wistfully and say: “It is the mingling of the lights once more.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales 1

“Through him has pain and misery been made in the clash of overwhelming musics; and with confusion of sound have cruelty, and ravening, and darkness, loathly mire and all putrescence of thought or thing, foul mists and violent flame, cold without mercy, been born, and death without hope. Yet is this through him and not by him; and he shall see, and ye all likewise, and even shall those beings, who must now dwell among his evil and endure through Melko misery and sorrow, terror and wickedness, declare in the end that it redoundeth only to my great glory, and doth but make the theme more worth the hearing, Life more worth the liv- ing, and the World so much the more wonderful and marvellous, that of all the deeds of Ilúvatar it shall be called his mightiest and his loveliest.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales 1

“Small is the dwelling, but smaller still are they that dwell here—for all who enter must be very small indeed, or of their own good wish become as very little folk even as they stand upon the threshold.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One

“Amidst of these was a great green sward of grass smooth as a web of stuffs,”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One

“Then did the Gods praise Vána and Palúrien and rejoice in the light, saying to them: “Lo, this is a very fair tree indeed, and must have a name unto itself,” and Kémi said: “Let it be called Laurelin, for the brightness of its blossom and the music of its dew,” but Vána would call it Lindeloksë, and both names remain.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One

“The Silmarillion’ was intended to move the heart and the imagination, directly, and without peculiar effort or the possession of unusual faculties; but its mode is inherent, and it may be doubted whether any ‘approach’ to it can greatly aid those who find it unapproachable.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One