Joy In the Morning

As the first Silmarillion marches on via the Sketch and Quenta we see the fashioning of the Sun and Moon by the Valar from the last fruits produced by the dying Two Trees. And while this was an unexpected blow to Morgoth it did not fully assuage the grief of Valinor: "The Gods and Elves look forward to a future time when the 'magic sun and moon' of the Trees may be rekindled and the old beauty and bliss renewed" (p. 20, The Shaping of Middle-earth).

Ulmo foretold this would not happen without the aid of Men. "But the Gods, even Manwë, pay little heed to him" (p. 20, The Shaping of Middle-earth). This is from the Sketch which is earlier than the Quenta and the Valar are painted in a much harsher light. But Men will play a key role in Middle-earth and their time was come at the first rising of the Sun. "West, North, and South they spread and wandered, and their joy was the joy of the morning before the dew is dry, when every lead is green" (p. 99, The Shaping of Middle-earth).

I love that depiction. As I look out my window I see new life bursting forth with the slow onset of spring. Nothing quite like a bright, cool, clear, and green morning. Another difference between Men and Elves: our joy is in the morning while Elves delight in starlight. May you have joy in the morning.