Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold

**Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold** is a song sung by Thorin II Oakenshield and Company in J.R.R. Tolkien's novel *The Hobbit*. As Tolkien left no title for the song, "Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold" is sometimes referred to as The Dwarf Song, Thorin's Song, The Song of The Lonely Mountain, or shortened to simply "The Misty Mountains".

The song explains the backstory of Thorin and Company, and foreshadows the adventure to come for the group. It also helps lead to the large development of Bilbo from his often quiet and calm "Baggins" nature, to the more adventurous and outgoing "Tookish" side of his heritage.

## The Hobbit

This song is first heard at the assembly in Bag End. Here it is sung accompanied by instruments; Fíli and Kíli on fiddles; Dori, Nori, and Ori on flutes; Bombur on a drum; Bifur and Bofur on clarinets; Dwalin and Balin on viols, and finally Thorin with his golden harp. While the dwarves sing, Tolkien describes how something Tookish and adventurous wakes up inside Bilbo.

Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away ere break of day

To seek the pale enchanted gold.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,

While hammers fell like ringing bells

In places deep, where dark things sleep,

In hollow halls beneath the fells.

For ancient king and elvish lord

There many a gleaming golden hoard

They shaped and wrought, and light they caught

To hide in gems on hilt of sword.

On silver necklaces they strung

The flowering stars, on crowns they hung

The dragon-fire, in twisted wire

They meshed the light of moon and sun.

Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away, ere break of day,

To claim our long-forgotten gold.

Goblets they carved there for themselves

And harps of gold; where no man delves

There lay they long, and many a song

Was sung unheard by men or elves.

The pines were roaring on the height,

The winds were moaning in the night.

The fire was red, it flaming spread;

The trees like torches blazed with light.

The bells were ringing in the dale

And men they looked up with faces pale;

The dragon’s ire more fierce than fire

Laid low their towers and houses frail.

The mountain smoked beneath the moon;

The dwarves they heard the tramp of doom.

They fled their hall to dying fall

Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.

Far over the misty mountains grim

To dungeons deep and caverns dim

We must away, ere break of day,

To win our harps and gold from him!

By the end of the same chapter, whilst laying in bed at night, Bilbo can hear Thorin humming this tune to himself, and the fifth verse from above is repeated, though with a slight difference in the last sentence, as 'claim' is changed to 'find':

Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away, ere break of day,

To find our long-forgotten gold.

Whilst residing with Beorn, Bilbo also hears the dwarves sing. Though it is not mentioned here whether these verses are of the same song as heard before, it follows the same form, and mentions, though briefly, both the Lonely Mountain and "the dragon's lair" and thus it is widely considered to be so.

The wind was on the withered heath,

but in the forest stirred no leaf:

there shadows lay by night or day,

and dark things silent crept beneath.

The wind came down from mountains cold,

and like a tide it roared and rolled;

the branches groaned, the forest moaned,

and leaves were laid upon the mould.

The wind went on from West to East;

all movement in the forest ceased,

but shrill and harsh across the marsh

its whistling voices were released.

The grasses hissed, their tassels bent,

the reeds were rattling--on it went

o'er shaken pool under heavens cool

where racing clouds were torn and rent.

It passed the Lonely Mountain bare

and swept above the dragon's lair:

there black and dark lay boulders stark

and flying smoke was in the air.

It left the world and took its flight

over the wide seas of the night.

The moon set sail upon the gale,

and stars were fanned to leaping light.

After slaying Smaug and reclaiming the Lonely Mountain, yet another new form of the song is sung.

Under the Mountain dark and tall

The King has come unto his hall!

His foe is dead, the Worm of Dread,

And ever so his foes shall fall.

The sword is sharp, the spear is long,

The arrow swift, the Gate is strong;

The heart is bold that looks on gold;

The dwarves no more shall suffer wrong.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,

While hammers fell like ringing bells

In places deep, where dark things sleep,

In hollow halls beneath the fells.

On silver necklaces they strung

The light of stars, on crowns they hung

The dragon-fire, from twisted wire

The melody of harps they wrung.

The mountain throne once more is freed!

O! wandering folk, the summons heed!

Come haste! Come haste! across the waste!

The king of friend and kin has need.

Now call we over the mountains cold,

‘Come back unto the caverns old’!

Here at the Gates the king awaits,

His hands are rich with gems and gold.

The king is come unto his hall

Under the Mountain dark and tall.

The Worm of Dread is slain and dead,

And ever so our foes shall fall!

## The Lord of the Rings

In *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*, verses of this song is heard. During Frodo and company's brief stay at Crickhollow before leaving the Shire, a song sung by Merry and Pippin is described as *"made on the model of the dwarf-song that started Bilbo on his adventure long ago, and went to the same tune."*

*Farewell we call to hearth and hall!*

*Though wind may blow and rain may fall,*

*We must away ere break of day*

*Far over wood and mountain tall.*

*To Rivendell, where Elves yet dwell*

*In glades beneath the misty fell,*

*Through moor and waste we ride in haste,*

*And whither then we cannot tell.*

*With foes ahead, behind us dread,*

*Beneath the sky shall be our bed,*

*Until at last our toil be passed,*

*Our journey done, our errand sped.*

*We must away! We must away!*

*We ride before the break of day!*

Though begun by Merry and Pippin, it is assumed that Frodo, and possibly Sam, joined in the singing, as Frodo himself makes up the last sentence.