This scene on Cerin Amroth is such a jewel!

To be clear. I mean exactly this quote:

At the hill’s foot Frodo found Aragorn, standing still and silent as a tree; but in his hand was a small golden bloom of elanor, and a light was in his eyes. He was wrapped in some fair memory: and as Frodo looked at him he knew that he beheld things as they once had been in this same place. For the grim years were removed from the face of Aragorn, and he seemed clothed in white, a young lord tall and fair; and he spoke words in the Elvish tongue to one whom Frodo could not see. Arwen vanimelda, namarie ¨! he said, and then he drew a breath, and returning out of his thought he looked at Frodo and smiled.

‘Here is the heart of Elvendom on earth,’ he said, ‘and here my heart dwells ever, unless there be a light beyond the dark roads that we still must tread, you and I. Come with me!’

And taking Frodo’s hand in his, he left the hill of Cerin Amroth and came there never again as living man. (FOTR, Lothlorien)

First, the description itself. After reading Tale of Aragorn and Arwen, we (unlike Frodo), understand what memory Aragorn is re-living in that very moment. He even seems to look the same as he did then, in the raiment provided by Galadriel herself.

Then we get a reminder of his hope. He may be the Hope of the Dunedain, or even of Middle Earth, but he draws his personal hope from Arwen, as said in the Tale:

And Arwen said: ‘‘Dark is the Shadow, and yet my heart rejoices; for you, Estel, shall be among the great whose valour will destroy it.’’

‘But Aragorn answered: ‘‘Alas! I cannot foresee it, and how it may come to pass is hidden from me. Yet with your hope I will hope. (The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen)

Now, if you by chance, came across my other posts, you will know that I usually point to Gandalf or Elrond as the ones being responsible for making Aragorn ever hopeful, even against hope. And I still stand by it. They are his most important role - models in that aspect. The hope they place in him, however is general hope for the wellbeing of the world, and fulfilling his own mission in that world. And to fulfill his role, he needs to all but forsake his personal desires, at least for a time.

But the hope Arwen provides him with is a little bit different, much more personal, connected to his own happiness. It is the hope that allows place for his feelings, desires and dreams, all these things he usually needs to control and forsake for greater good (like at the Feast in FOTR for example).

So we have the reminder of that very special, powerful hope Arwen (or the thoughts of her) provide for him, and then.... the last sentence is so powerful.

As my first language is not English, for many years I've used a translation, which, though, generally well done, overlooked and mistook this last sentence. (There, if anyone is interested, the whole sentence referred to both Frodo and Aragorn). I discovered the difference only several months ago. And it is a huge difference.

he left the hill of Cerin Amroth and came there never again as living man.

This sentence is so... mysterious, if you would like. It makes it clear that this is the last time Aragorn visits this very place during his lifetime. He doesn't need to visit Lorien ever again afterwards - after all, the Elves are passing and Lothlorien gets deserted, it seems, pretty quickly. So there is no one he needs to visit there anymore. However, as we know, Arwen is an entirely different matter. She visits Lothlorien twice more - once on the way from Rivendell to Minas Tirith, and for the second time after Aragorn's death. And since we know that she chooses to die on this very hill.... well, the wording of this sentence gets interesting.

We obviously cannot be 100% certain, but... I think this phrasing implies very heavily that Aragorn in fact CAME to Cerin Amroth for Arwen in the moment of her death, to take her to whatever fate is appointed for Mortals by Iluvatar. After all, she had agreed to share this very fate with him, whatever it might be. Of course, at this point we don't speak about living person, more of a spiritual being. It is just me, but I think that this very being would bring peace and relief to Arwen's grieving soul...

Anyway, I find the final sentence VERY powerful!