Which Tolkien poem tells of Beren and Lúthien’s quest for a Silmaril?

The Lay of Leithian is J.R.R. Tolkien’s long poem about Beren and Lúthien’s quest for a Silmaril.

The poem presents the romance and adventure of the mortal man Beren and the Elf-maiden Lúthien. Beren must obtain a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, the great enemy of the First Age, as part of the condition imposed by Lúthien’s father, Thingol.

Tolkien began composing the poem in 1925 and worked on it for many years, but he never completed it. The title is often translated as “The Release from Bondage.” Its surviving passages are among the most substantial poetic treatments of the Beren and Lúthien story.

The tale was later incorporated into The Silmarillion and also received standalone publication in Beren and Lúthien. The Lay of Leithian is distinct from The Lay of the Children of Húrin, another major unfinished poem from Tolkien’s First Age mythology.