'Bilbo's Last Song' - Tolkien's last words?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I've only recently purchased a copy of this poem, doubly so, since I now have both the small book which includes Pauline Baynes' illustrations, and the Tolkien/Swann songbook, with the lyrics and music. Apparently, it was written by Tolkien late in his life and was made a gift to Joy Hill, the secretary provided by his publishers. After JRRT's death, she showed it to Donald Swann, who composed the music. I don't have information about the date it was first published.

It seems to me that Tolkien was thinking not only of Bilbo, but also of himself and the end of his life that drew nearer when he wrote it. For copyright reasons, I can't quote the whole poem here, but I'd like to mention several lines that touched me as being very personal.

Day is ended, dim my eyes,
but journey long before me lies.
Farewell, friends! I hear the call.

...beyond the sunset leads my way.

Shadows long before me lie...

Lands there are to west of West,
where night is quiet and sleep is rest.

I seek the West...

Farewell to Middle-earth at last...

The fact that he wrote the poem in first person certainly increases that impression in my mind! While searching to see if old threads discussed this topic, I found a similar comment by Child of the 7th Age:

Some have suggested that this was Tolkien's way of saying goodbye to life and welcoming the future that lay beyond the circles of this world. The author died just three years later in 1973.