Friends, this is “lie” as in “lie down” because the next line of the song is “There lay they long” and, as we all know, “lay” is the past tense of “lie”.

It’s going to take me the whole weekend, at least, to sort out Lie/Lay/Lie among the words of the Hobbit, so meanwhile for your pleasure, here’s the video on the topic that I made for my wonderful students:

I. 1. a. intransitive. Of persons or animals: To be in a prostrate or recumbent position. Formerly also with reflexive pronoun.

“lie, v.1.” OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2019, http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/108041. Accessed 6 December 2019.

Someone – not I – should make a little frequency distribution chart of who is being referred to with each of these 110 instances. I double-dog-dare you.

My own students, please take note (colleagues, do as you please!!!):

Man was considered until the 20th cent. to include women by implication, though referring primarily to males. It is now frequently understood to exclude women, and is therefore avoided by many people.

“man, n.1 (and int.).” OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2019, http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/113198. Accessed 5 December 2019.

• 1.007 was an old man with a staff.
• 1.012 pretending to take no more notice of the old man.
• 1.012 But the old man did not move.
• 1.017 Not the man that used to make
• 1.078 And harps of gold; where no man delves
• 1.078 Was sung unheard by men or elves.
• 1.080 And men looked up with faces pale;
• 1.098 that there was a man of the sort
• 1.099 You asked me to find the fourteenth man for your expedition,
• 1.099 Just let any one say I chose the wrong man or the wrong house,
• 1.109 and men of Dale.’
• 1.122 and treated with great reverence by the mortal men,
• 1.123 from men
• 2.036 when Balin, who was always their look-out man, said:
• 2.115 nor by any smith among men
• 3.032 and the first men
• 4.003 since the dragons had driven men from the lands,
• 5.008 that men have mostly never heard or have forgotten long ago.
• 5.054 man at table sitting on a stool,
• 5.129 No great leap for a man,
• 6.014 of a look-out man who let people walk right into them
• 6.061 like men do on horses.
• 6.062 bold men had of late been making their way back into it from the South,
• 6.095 anywhere near where men lived.
• 7.021 a man that calls rabbits conies,
• 7.022 sometimes he is a great strong black-haired man with huge arms
• 7.022 Others say that he is a man
• 7.022 descended from the first men who lived
• 7.023 and as a man he keeps cattle and horses
• 7.034 Standing near was a huge man with a thick black beard
• 7.036 of the man’s brown tunic.
• 7.038 growled the man.
• 7.042 Goblins?’ said the big man less gruffly.
• 7.044 said the man leading the way through a dark door
• 7.069 The big man was frowning at first,
• 7.070 in my merry men,
• 7.122 or to take vengeance on the men
• 8.131 and after the coming of Men they took ever more
• 9.006 he told his men to unbind them,
• 9.018 or from the vineyards of Men
• 9.019 It seemed a town of Men still throve there,
• 10.007 not a town of elves but of Men,
• 10.008 But men remembered little of all that,
• 10.009 Soon men would come up from the South
• 10.028 and with six men about them he led them over the bridge
• 10.033 of the Men of the Lake,
• 10.041 and wiser than the men of the town,
• 11.001 but none of the men of the town would stay with them
• 12.005 the look-out man,
• 12.015 since Men changed the language
• 12.032 that men had come up from the river and the lake
• 12.084 The Men of Dale used to have the trick
• 12.084 to fly to the Men of the Lake
• 12.103 but if you are not one of those men of the Lake,
• 13.048 wide enough for many men abreast.
• 14.002 The men of the lake-town Esgaroth
• 14.012 and the shouts of men
• 14.013 if it had not been for the grim-voiced man
• 14.016 Already men were jumping
• 14.016 Now men cursed their names.
• 14.023 With a shriek that deafened men,
• 14.031 and have not endured the rule of mere fighting men.
• 14.032 We have had enough of the old men
• 14.033 I am the last man
• 14.035 if he could but find the men.
• 14.037 unless it was to call loudly for men to bring him fire
• 14.038 Men spoke of the recompense for all their harm
• 14.042 and the men
• 14.043 and with him were some men of crafts
• 14.044 But all the men of arms
• 15.017 in battle with the men of Esgaroth
• 15.019 By the lake men murmur
• 15.020 he is a grim man but true.
• 15.020 and men
• 15.031 Before long they could see that both men of the lake armed
• 15.046 A tall man stood forward,
• 15.048 the dwellings of the men of Esgaroth,
• 15.050 no man has a claim,
• 15.053 with armed men at my gate.
• 15.056 for the comfort of the men of the Lake.’
• 16.006 and snow will bite both men
• 16.042 As they passed through the camp an old man,
• 17.003 before whom an old man wrapped
• 17.008 and at the same moment the old man opened the casket
• 17.016 The old man with the casket
• 17.032 Trumpets called men
• 17.044 and Men
• 17.045 and themselves to man the great spurs
• 17.048 on the Eastern spur were men
• 17.048 and some of the nimblest of men
• 17.048 A few brave men were strung before them
• 17.051 and beside them came the men of the Lake with long swords.
• 17.054 and men,
• 17.057 and Men!
• 17.059 lay many men
• 17.059 and upon either side men
• 18.005 Suddenly he was aware of a man climbing up
• 18.007 said the man halting
• 18.010 said the man striding forward.
• 18.012 said the man,
• 18.013 The man was swift
• 18.021 and men on either side of the valley
• 18.043 in man’s shape,
• 18.051 and men came from far
• 18.051 so that men went abroad without fear.
• 18.051 the men of his line had the power of taking bear’s shape,
• 18.051 and some were grim men
• 19.002 With strength that men trusted
• 19.043 and men had gathered to him
• 19.043 and men.

Our song is changing!!!

• 1.077 To claim our long-forgotten gold.
• 9.016 would suffer seriously if the Wood-elves claimed part of it,
• 10.044 You must claim your own.
• 14.033 From whom should we claim the recompense of our damage,
• 15.050 no man has a claim,
• 15.052 And still my other claims remain unanswered.’
• 15.054 though they had no claim but friendship on him,’
• 15.056 and we bid him consider well the claims that have been urged,
• 16.027 Personally I am only too ready to consider all your claims carefully,
• 16.027 in my own claim.
• 16.039 I am willing to let it stand against all my claim,
• 18.035 since so many have a claim
• 18.035 to lay aside all your claim,

Indeed. The sun was shining. That makes me smile. Perfectly Imperfect.

• 1.008 The sun was shining,
• 1.076 They meshed the light of moon and sun.
• 2.002 By that time the sun was shining;
• 2.030 Somewhere behind the grey clouds the sun must have gone down,
• 2.110 dug somewhere near to hide from the sun in?
• 3.026 when sun has been all day on the snow far up above.
• 3.034 with the early sun
• 3.044 “and the setting sun
• 3.047 and the sun
• 3.050 and the sun dancing on the water.
• 4.002 let loose by mid-day sun upon the snow,
• 5.036 Sun on the daisies it means,
• 5.146 the sun came out from behind a cloud
• 5.149 But they don’t like the sun:
• 5.149 and keeping out of the sun;
• 6.001 till the sun began to sink westwards –
• 6.045 The sun had long gone behind the mountains.
• 6.067 that could look at the sun unblinking,
• 7.001 with the early sun
• 7.002 The sun was still close to the eastern edge of things.
• 7.008 where the sun sails
• 7.014 in the sun,
• 7.045 and filled with the light of the westering sun which slanted into it,
• 7.089 the sun had fallen behind the peaks of the Misty Mountains
• 7.105 you must not stray outside until the sun is up,
• 7.111 We have been about looking for Beorn ever since the sun got up;
• 7.132 The sun had only just turned west when they started,
• 7.133 but soon the sun rose red
• 8.002 Occasionally a slender beam of sun
• 8.004 long after they were sick for a sight of the sun
• 8.004 and lived at times for long whiles without the light of the sun;
• 8.042 The sun was shining brilliantly,
• 8.043 that had been lightened by the sight of the sun
• 8.131 in the twilight of our Sun
• 9.064 Luckily there was no sun at the time to cast an awkward shadow,
• 10.006 The sun had set when turning
• 10.035 And grass beneath the sun;
• 11.013 until the sun began to sink towards the forest,
• 11.029 As the sun turned west
• 11.029 Soon he saw the orange ball of the sun
• 11.032 The sun sank lower
• 11.032 a red ray of the sun escaped like a finger through a rent
• 11.037 the sun sank,
• 12.042 The sun was shining when he started,
• 12.097 in the sun,
• 13.048 A misty sun sent its pale light
• 13.050 And I never expected to be so pleased to see the sun again,
• 13.051 they shivered in the sun.
• 13.065 and saw the wintry sun going downwards to the West.
• 14.008 His wealth is like the Sun,
• 17.005 and setting of a few suns,’
• 18.052 and a bright sun,
• 18.053 and looking backward they saw a white sun
• 19.029 By caves where never sun has shone,

Oh, my. Oh, this is delightful! Oh, look at the very first one!

• 1.070 and was swept away into dark lands under strange moons,
• 1.076 They meshed the light of moon and sun.
• 1.081 The mountain smoked beneath the moon;
• 1.081 Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.
• 2.031 and a wandering moon appeared
• 3.010 for the moon had not risen.
• 3.040 The moon was shining
• 3.042 They can only be seen when the moon shines behind them,
• 3.042 it must be a moon of the same shape
• 3.042 in a crescent moon,
• 3.047 the first day of the last moon of Autumn
• 3.047 when the last moon of Autumn
• 3.049 “None to be seen by this moon,” said Elrond,
• 4.003 perhaps that very next last moon of Autumn
• 6.033 There will be a bit of moon,
• 6.033 Not that they mind the moon much,
• 6.048 The moon was up
• 6.049 It was wolves howling at the moon,
• 6.050 in the forest under the moon
• 6.052 in the moon as he peeped out.
• 6.067 Also he could see the glint of the moon
• 6.086 and there with the light of the moon on a hill-side rock or a stream
• 7.008 and the moon walks,’
• 7.023 on the top of the Carrock at night watching the moon
• 7.103 The moon set sail upon the gale,
• 7.106 a splash of white on the floor came from the high moon,
• 7.133 and into the night beneath the moon.
• 7.136 in the moon watching our camps.
• 8.131 and Moon,
• 11.029 and faint was a thin new moon above the rim of Earth.
• 11.032 The little moon was dipping to the horizon.
• 11.037 the moon was gone,
• 12.097 like rain upon the Moon!’
• 14.020 The moon is rising.
• 14.021 and as he came the moon rose above the eastern shore
• 14.023 in the moon –
• 14.024 white in the sudden dark under the moon.
• 14.025 The waxing moon rose higher
• 15.017 the third night back from now at the rising of the moon.’
• 19.003 The moon is far whiter
• 19.010 and the moon shining through an open window.
• 19.011 The stars are in blossom, the moon is in flower,
• 19.014 Fall Moon! Dark be the land!
• 19.015 What time by the moon is this?
• 19.030 And under mountains in the moon.

I’m pretty certain that after this poem is complete I’m going to run to the Chapter 15 reprise so we can compare. Shall we?

• 1.076 The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
• 8.106 bobbing on a wire.
• 15.039 The dragon-fire, from twisted wire

I am fascinated by the change in what is wrought of twisted wire between chapters 1 and 15…

• 1.076 The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
• 5.009 in spite of a twist
• 5.111 when we twisted that nassty young squeaker.
• 7.134 their branches twisted,
• 9.005 and the elf-guards sang as they marched along the twisting,
• 9.038 and twisted
• 9.060 and twisted off down the stream,
• 13.044 that hung twisted on their hinges
• 14.025 It twisted the white fog into bending pillars
• 14.043 twisted upon the floor of the shallows.
• 15.039 The dragon-fire, from twisted wire