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many partings 1285
farewell, my hobbits! You should come safe to your own
homes now, and I shall not be kept awake for fear of your
peril. We will send word when we may, and some of us may
yet meet at times; but I fear that we shall not all be gathered
together ever again.’
Then Treebeard said farewell to each of them in turn, and
he bowed three times slowly and with great reverence to
Celeborn and Galadriel. ‘It is long, long since we met by
stock or by stone, A vanimar, vanimálion nostari!’ he said. ‘It
is sad that we should meet only thus at the ending. For the
world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth,
and I smell it in the air. I do not think we shall meet again.’
And Celeborn said: ‘I do not know, Eldest.’ But Galadriel
said: ‘Not in Middle-earth, nor until the lands that lie under
the wave are lifted up again. Then in the willow-meads of
Tasarinan we may meet in the Spring. Farewell!’
Last of all Merry and Pippin said good-bye to the old Ent,
and he grew gayer as he looked at them. ‘Well, my merry
folk,’ he said, ‘will you drink another draught with me before
you go?’
‘Indeed we will,’ they said, and he took them aside into the
shade of one of the trees, and there they saw that a great
stone jar had been set. And Treebeard filled three bowls, and
they drank; and they saw his strange eyes looking at them
over the rim of his bowl. ‘Take care, take care!’ he said. ‘For
you have already grown since I saw you last.’ And they
laughed and drained their bowls.
‘Well, good-bye!’ he said. ‘And don’t forget that if you hear
any news of the Entwives in your land, you will send word
to me.’ Then he waved his great hands to all the company
and went off into the trees.
The travellers now rode with more speed, and they made
their way towards the Gap of Rohan; and Aragorn took leave
of them at last close to that very place where Pippin had
looked into the Stone of Orthanc. The Hobbits were grieved