The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

4 LITTLE PRINCESS MEE



Lovely was she



As in elven-song is told:



She had pearls in hair



All threaded fair;



Of gossamer shot with gold



Was her kerchief made,



And a silver braid



Of stars about her throat.



Of moth-web light



All moonlit-white



She wore a woven coat,



And round her kirtle



Was bound a girdle



Sewn with diamond dew.



She walked by day



Under mantle grey



And hood of clouded blue;



But she went by night



All glittering bright



Under the starlit sky,



And her slippers frail



Of fishes' mail



Flashed as she went by



To her dancing-pool,



And on mirror cool



Of windless water played.



As a mist of light



In whirling flight



A glint like glass she made



Wherever her feet



Of silver fleet



Flicked the dancing-floor.



She looked on high



To the roofless sky,



And she looked to the shadowy shore;



Then round she went,



And her eyes she bent



And saw beneath her go



A Princess Shee



As fair as Mee:



They were dancing toe to toe!



Shee was as light



As Mee, and as bright;



But Shee was, strange to tell,



Hanging down



With starry crown



Into a bottomless well!



Her gleaming eyes



In great surprise



Looked up to the eyes of Mee:



A marvellous thing,



Head-down to swing



Above a starry sea!



Only their feet



Could ever meet;



For where the ways might lie



To find a land



Where they do not stand



But hang down in the sky



No one could tell



Nor learn in spell



In all the elven-lore.



So still on her own



An elf alone



Dancing as before



With pearls in hair



And kirtle fair



And slippers frail



Of fishes' mail went Mee:



Of fishes' mail



And slippers frail



And kirtle fair



With pearls in hair went Shee!