[mark12_30]

Peony, that's GREAT! If you go to Tunes By Meter they have wierd meters by the numbers. I've often put celtic tunes to LOTR songs (there's a thread about that somewhere) and I have a list; but the Old Walking Song stumped me totally because it's WIERD meter. 8 8 8 8 8 8 6 6 6 6. Very wierd. Celtic songs don't do that particular kind of wierd that I've been able to find. But-- there are tunes for wierd meters there. I'm going looking!


EDIT

Y'know, he fooled me. Tolkien and his rythms!! It's 8888888888, and on some of it he just leaves out some syllables. But Frodo's final "coda" or whatever yo ucall it that he sings in The Grey Havens chapter, is 888888.

How's a hiker sposedta put it all together?
Frodo's last verse:

Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate,
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.

Old Walking Song

Upon the hearth the fire is red,
Beneath the roof there is a bed;
But not yet weary are our feet,
Still round the corner we may meet
A sudden tree or standing stone
That none have seen but we alone.
Tree and flower, leaf and grass,
Let them pass! Let them pass!
Hill and water under sky,
Pass them by! Pass them by!

Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate,
And though we pass them by today,
Tomorrow we may come this way
And take the hidden paths that run
Towards the Moon or to the Sun.
Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe,
Let them go! Let them go!
Sand and stone and pool and dell,
Fare you well! Fare you well!

Home is behind, the world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadows to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Then world behind and home ahead,
We'll wander back to home and bed.
Mist and twilight, cloud and shade,
Away shall fade! Away shall fade!
Fire and lamp and meat and bread,
And then to bed! And then to bed!



[ April 28, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]