In the days before the children of Iluvatar arose When elves and men lay sleeping underneath the frozen snows As Arda lay in solemness, beneath the empty skies For mortal men and firstborn elves were still yet to arise The mighty smith of Arda, the lord of craft and skill Grew restless in the Timeless Halls, against his master's will And so he came to his secret hall, beneath the newborn earth And there he forged the mighty dwarves to bring about their birth Seven Fathers of iron and stone Wrought of flesh, sinew and bone In caverns of darkness, sleeping alone But to Iluvatar they were known Iluvatar knew of the ironsmith's plan, to awaken his dwarves before elf and man To bring his creations into existence, and bring them to life against his insistence To pass on his knowledge of craftwork and stone, freedom and power, this they were shown To give them the caverns beneath Middle Earth, their metals and jewels, show them their worth The mighty smith of Arda, the lord of craft and skill Had brought about his secret children against his master's will And in their golden secret hall, beneath the newborn earth The mighty dwarves which he had forged, he brought about their birth Seven Fathers of iron and stone Wrought of flesh, sinew and bone In caverns of darkness, sleeping alone But to Iluvatar they were known Why would you exceed your authority and power Your children are but imitations, born before their hour I gave them life and taught my ways, the way you did to me I only wished to spread my knowledge and how the world shall be I submit my children to you, do with them what you will I take them to their cavern home, their fate i will fulfil No, i take them as my children, take them by my side They will sleep under the earth til firstborn elves arise