Não consigo encontrar nenhuma versão em prosa desta história; não mudou muito nas revisões, por isso não recebe muito tratamento em História da Terra Média (além da versão mais longa do Lay em The Lays of Beleriand , que é onde o fragmento de poesia do Silmarillion é retirado.
O mais próximo da prosa que posso encontrar é a linha imediatamente anterior à poesia, que diz:
Thus befell the contest of Sauron and Felagund which is renowned. For Felagund strove with Sauron in songs of power, and the power of the King was very great; but Sauron had the mastery, as is told in the Lay of Leithian
The Silmarillion III Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 19: "Of Beren and Lúthien"
Então, isso é algo, mas eu tenho mais. Eu sugeriria que eles provavelmente estão literalmente cantando; Tolkien escreve consistentemente um link entre magia e música. Há uma abundância de exemplos:
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Yavanna. Yavanna cantou para criar as Duas Árvores:
In that time the Valar were gathered together to hear the song of Yavanna, and they sat silent upon their thrones of council in the Máhanaxar, the Ring of Doom near to the golden gates of Valmar, and Yavanna Kementári sang before them and they watched.
And as they watched, upon the mound there came forth two slender shoots; and silence was over all the world in that hour, nor was there any other sound save the chanting of Yavanna. Under her song the saplings grew and became fair and tail, and came to flower; and thus there awoke in the world the Two Trees of Valinor.
The Silmarillion III Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 1: "Of the Beginning of Days"
E mais tarde, depois que as Árvores são destruídas, a música de Yavanna persegue uma única flor de cada uma delas, que se tornaria o sol e a lua:
Then Manwë bade Yavanna and Nienna to put forth all their powers of growth and healing; and they put forth all their powers upon the Trees. But the tears of Nienna availed not to heal their mortal wounds; and for a long while Yavanna sang alone in the shadows. Yet even as hope failed and her song faltered, Telperion bore at last upon a leafless bough one great flower of silver, and Laurelin a single trait of gold.
The Silmarillion III Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 11: "Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"
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Lúthien. Eu já expressei a opinião antes neste site que Lúthien provavelmente exibe mais poder mágico que qualquer outro personagem no Legendarium - certamente o maior de qualquer Elf. Quase toda vez que a vemos fazendo mágica, é explicitamente através da música.
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Em sua introdução (ênfase minha):
There came a time near dawn on the eve of spring, and Lúthien danced upon a green hill; and suddenly she began to sing. Keen, heart-piercing was her song as the song of the lark that rises from the gates of night and pours its voice among the dying stars, seeing the sun behind the walls of the world; and the song of Lúthien released the bonds of winter, and the frozen waters spoke, and flowers sprang from the cold earth where her feet had passed.
The Silmarillion III Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 19: "Of Beren and Lúthien"
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Ela canta na torre de Sauron (ênfase minha):
In that hour Lúthien came, and standing upon the bridge that led to Sauron's isle she sang a song that no walls of stone could hinder. Beren heard, and he thought that he dreamed; for the stars shone above him, and in the trees nightingales were singing. And in answer he sang a song of challenge that he had made in praise of the Seven Stars, the Sickle of the Valar that Varda hung above the North as a sign for the fall of Morgoth. Then all strength left him and he fell down into darkness.
But Lúthien heard his answering voice, and she sang then a song of greater power. The wolves howled, and the isle trembled. Sauron stood in the high tower, wrapped in his black thought; but he smiled hearing her voice, for he knew that it was the daughter of Melian.
The Silmarillion III Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 19: "Of Beren and Lúthien"
Ela continua a destruir a torre com sua magia, e embora o livro não seja específico de como (assim é o Lay, infelizmente) eu sugeriria que é provavelmente também através da música
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E é claro que ela causa muitos danos em Angband (ênfase minha):
She was not daunted by his eyes; and she named her own name, and offered her service to sing before him, after the manner of a minstrel. Then Morgoth looking upon her beauty conceived in his thought an evil lust, and a design more dark than any that had yet come into his heart since he fled from Valinor. Thus he was beguiled by his own malice, for he watched her, leaving her free for awhile, and taking secret pleasure in his thought. Then suddenly she eluded his sight, and out of the shadows began a song of such surpassing loveliness, and of such blinding power, that he listened perforce; and a blindness came upon him, as his eyes roamed to and fro, seeking her.
All his court were cast down in slumber, and all the fires faded and were quenched; but the Silmarils in the crown on Morgoth's head blazed forth suddenly with a radiance of white flame; and the burden of that crown and of the jewels bowed down his head, as though the world were set upon it, laden with a weight of care, of fear, and of desire, that even the will of Morgoth could not support. Then Lúthien catching up her winged robe sprang into the air, and her voice came dropping down like rain into pools, profound and dark. She cast her cloak before his eyes, and set upon him a dream, dark as the outer Void where once he walked alone.
The Silmarillion III Quenta Silmarillion Chapter 19: "Of Beren and Lúthien"
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Gandalf. Embora não conte como uma batalha, em pelo menos uma ocasião também vemos Gandalf usar um feitiço que toma a forma de um dístico de rima, enquanto tenta abrir as Portas de Durin:
'I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves or Men or Orcs that was ever used for such a purpose. I can still remember ten score of them without searching in my mind. But only a few trials, I think, will be needed; and I shall not have to call on Gimli for words of the secret dwarf-tongue that they teach to none. The opening words were Elvish, like the writing on the arch: that seems certain.'
He stepped up to the rock again, and lightly touched with his staff the silver star in the middle beneath the sign of the anvil.
Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen!
Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen!1ele disse em uma voz de comando. As linhas prateadas se desvaneceram, mas a pedra cinzenta em branco não se mexeu.
Muitas vezes ele repetiu essas palavras em ordem diferente, ou as variou. Então ele tentou outros feitiços, um após o outro, falando agora mais rápido e mais alto, agora suave e lento.
Sociedade do Anel Livro 2 Capítulo 4: "Uma jornada no escuro"
Eu incluí o último parágrafo para salientar que, mesmo com os outros feitiços de Gandalf, apesar de não ouvirmos as palavras, Tolkien achou necessário apontar que ele estava variando o ritmo e a intensidade, o que é uma ideia muito musical.
A música tem um grande significado na mitologia de Tolkien; há uma razão pela qual o mito da criação é referido como a Música dos Ainur.
1 De acordo com BennyMcBenBen do SFF.SE :
Gate of the Elves, open now for me!
Doorway of the Dwarf-folk, listen to the word of my tongue!