Before Sunrise (Smith)
I rose in that hushed hour before the dawn
Unveils its wonder old yet ever-new,
When still the night lies languidly upon
The earth, though stars are growing faint and few.
Up the long path I went, nor paused to rest
Along the cool, dark way, till on the hill
I stood, where dawn's first breeze my brow caressed
With mingled odorous breath and mountain chill.
To west hung heavily the drowsy night,
Weighted with fog, low-clinging, grey and dim,
Adown each valley and about each height,
Thro' which the sinking stars appeared to swim.
I turned, and lo! how pale the eastland's face,
As if it mourned the starlit night's decline,
Ere youthful Day, coming with eager pace,
With kisses should that cheek incarnadine.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1961, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 62 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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