Durin's Awakening and the Moon's Stain

[Arothir]

So something has been mildly pestering my brain, namely when did Durin the Deathless awaken? The reason why it intrigued me is that in the Song of Durin, it is noted (and assuming we take Dwarven oral history in the form of song at face value) that "No stain yet on the Moon was seen," as the stain on the Moon is not noted anywhere else, it would imply that either:

1. The Moon had risen but had no stain on it; or,
2. The Moon had not yet risen.

As we know the Moon rising is one of the events that ushered in the First Age, it would make things strange. Namely in the fact that the Firebeards and Broadbeams had long been awake, having hewn Menegroth for Thingol and built both Belegost and Nogrod. That the Sindar hunted petty dwarves means that other dwarves had long been awake by the time the Moon rose, so I would presume that Durin also did not sleep as long as the fathers of the aforementioned clans. Considering Taliska was impacted by Khuzdul, dwarves were likely well established by the time the folk of Beor and Hador encountered them. However, the Dwarves also use a lunar calendar, so that certainly would make things interesting for them prior to its rising, namely how years are measured.

With that in mind, I am inclined to believe that Durin awoke prior to the Moon's rising; however, it leaves me with the question of the stain on the moon. Is it the metaphorical "Man in the Moon" mentioned in Frodo's song at The Prancing Pony or as we know the face-like splotches on the surface of our Moon? I will apologize for the rambling as since the Moon plays a significant part in Dwarven culture, and its specific inclusion in the song, if it had any specific bearing on the awakening of Durin.

[Drífa]

Could 'no stain yet on the Moon was seen' be a metaphor for the darkening of the moon?

But Tilion was wayward and uncertain in speed, and held not to his appointed path;
and he sought to come near to Arien, being drawn by her splendour, though the
flame of Anar scorched him, and the island of the Moon was darkened. The Silmarillion

[Arothir]

I'll buy that. I am curious now though that the moon being noted in the song as unstained simply means that During came to Mirrormere in that window of time between the Moon's rising and scorching or just simply noting that it was a very long time ago

[Drífa]

This thread slipped my mind.

Some interesting readings in the Parma Endorion, Essays on Middle-earth by Michael Martinez, under Khazad-dûm, may answer your question.