For passing were the days, my friend And doomed the nights (and doomed the nights) When flitting ghostmoths danced Round tapers in the moveless air And doomed already were The radiant dawns (the radiant dawns) The odour and the noise of meads And all about is night One moment now may give us more Than fifty years of reason Our minds shall drink of every pore The spirit of the season To her fair works did nature link The human souls that through me ran And much it grieved my heart to think What I can make of man You look around on Middle-Earth As if she no purpose bore you As if you were her first-born birth And no one had lived before you I sit upon this old grey stone And dream my time away I sit upon this old grey stone And dream my time away For passing were the days, my friend And doomed the nights (and doomed the nights) When flitting ghostmoths danced Round tapers in the moveless air And doomed already were The radiant dawns The odour and the noise of meads And all about is night To her fair works did nature link The human souls that through me ran And much it grieved my heart to think What I can make of man You look around on Middle-Earth As if she no long purpose bore you As if you were her first-born And no one had lived before you