return

1278 the return of the king
for ever; and hereafter let no man enter it without their leave!’
Then the drums rolled loudly, and were silent.
At length after fifteen days of journey the wain of King
Théoden passed through the green fields of Rohan and came
to Edoras; and there they all rested. The Golden Hall was
arrayed with fair hangings and it was filled with light, and
there was held the highest feast that it had known since the
days of its building. For after three days the Men of the Mark
prepared the funeral of Théoden; and he was laid in a house
of stone with his arms and many other fair things that he had
possessed, and over him was raised a great mound, covered
with green turves of grass and of white evermind. And now
there were eight mounds on the east-side of the Barrowfield.
Then the Riders of the King’s House upon white horses
rode round about the barrow and sang together a song of
Théoden Thengel’s son that Gléowine his minstrel made,
and he made no other song after. The slow voices of the
Riders stirred the hearts even of those who did not know the
speech of that people; but the words of the song brought a
light to the eyes of the folk of the Mark as they heard again
afar the thunder of the hooves of the North and the voice of
Eorl crying above the battle upon the Field of Celebrant; and
the tale of the kings rolled on, and the horn of Helm was loud
in the mountains, until the Darkness came and King Théoden
arose and rode through the Shadow to the fire, and died in
splendour, even as the Sun, returning beyond hope, gleamed
upon Mindolluin in the morning.
Out of doubt, out of dark, to the day’s rising
he rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing.
Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended;
over death, over dread, over doom lifted
out of loss, out of life, unto long glory.
But Merry stood at the foot of the green mound, and he
wept, and when the song was ended he arose and cried: