Sunrise [poem, 19 September 1885]

Sunrise.

Oh, for the hues of the early morn,
Before the glorious sun is born,
Dispelling the darkness of the night
With rays of its pellucid light:
Gilding the mountain tops of snow,
And painting all with a ruddy glow;
Making all nature smile in gold —
A very wealth of light untold !
Streaming from depths beyond our view,
Through liquid gems of pearly dew,
Pendant drops from leaf and flower,
Like diamond lights in a fairy bower.
Glistening brighter with every ray
Of the rising orb of coming day,
Till all the earth is bathed in light,
Rending the sable garb of night.
And nature’s voice wakes up to raise
A tribute of eternal praise:
A very wealth of song and sound
Re-echoed from the hills around,
From bird, and bee, and rippling stream,
Rejoicing at the sun’s bright gleam;
While the restless waves of the distant main,
All seem to join the glad acclaim
To Him who woke eternal night,
By His command — “Let there be light!”
And from the depths of that vast gloom,
They came like meteors from their tomb.