BEFORE DAWN
DIM-BERRIED is the mistletoeWith globes of sheenless grey,The holly mid ten thousand thornsSmoulders its fires away;And in the manger Jesu sleepsThis Christmas Day.Bull unto bull with hollow throatMakes echo every hill,Cold sheep in pastures thick with snowThe air with bleatings fill;While of his mother's heart this BabeTakes His sweet will.All flowers and butterflies lie hid,The blackbird and the thrushPipe but a little as they flitRestless from bush to bush;Even to the robin Gabriel hathCried softly, 'Hush!'Now night is astir with burning starsIn darkness of the snow;Burdened with frankincense and myrrhAnd gold the Strangers goInto a dusk where one dim lampBurns faintly, Lo!No snowdrop yet its small head nods,In winds of winter drear;No lark at casement in the skySings matins shrill and clear;Yet in this frozen mirk the DawnBreathes, Spring is here!
DIM-BERRIED is the mistletoeWith globes of sheenless grey,The holly mid ten thousand thornsSmoulders its fires away;And in the manger Jesu sleepsThis Christmas Day.Bull unto bull with hollow throatMakes echo every hill,Cold sheep in pastures thick with snowThe air with bleatings fill;While of his mother's heart this BabeTakes His sweet will.All flowers and butterflies lie hid,The blackbird and the thrushPipe but a little as they flitRestless from bush to bush;Even to the robin Gabriel hathCried softly, 'Hush!'Now night is astir with burning starsIn darkness of the snow;Burdened with frankincense and myrrhAnd gold the Strangers goInto a dusk where one dim lampBurns faintly, Lo!No snowdrop yet its small head nods,In winds of winter drear;No lark at casement in the skySings matins shrill and clear;Yet in this frozen mirk the DawnBreathes, Spring is here!
DIM-BERRIED is the mistletoeWith globes of sheenless grey,The holly mid ten thousand thornsSmoulders its fires away;And in the manger Jesu sleepsThis Christmas Day.
DIM-BERRIED is the mistletoe
With globes of sheenless grey,
The holly mid ten thousand thorns
Smoulders its fires away;
And in the manger Jesu sleeps
This Christmas Day.
Bull unto bull with hollow throatMakes echo every hill,Cold sheep in pastures thick with snowThe air with bleatings fill;While of his mother's heart this BabeTakes His sweet will.
Bull unto bull with hollow throat
Makes echo every hill,
Cold sheep in pastures thick with snow
The air with bleatings fill;
While of his mother's heart this Babe
Takes His sweet will.
All flowers and butterflies lie hid,The blackbird and the thrushPipe but a little as they flitRestless from bush to bush;Even to the robin Gabriel hathCried softly, 'Hush!'
All flowers and butterflies lie hid,
The blackbird and the thrush
Pipe but a little as they flit
Restless from bush to bush;
Even to the robin Gabriel hath
Cried softly, 'Hush!'
Now night is astir with burning starsIn darkness of the snow;Burdened with frankincense and myrrhAnd gold the Strangers goInto a dusk where one dim lampBurns faintly, Lo!
Now night is astir with burning stars
In darkness of the snow;
Burdened with frankincense and myrrh
And gold the Strangers go
Into a dusk where one dim lamp
Burns faintly, Lo!
No snowdrop yet its small head nods,In winds of winter drear;No lark at casement in the skySings matins shrill and clear;Yet in this frozen mirk the DawnBreathes, Spring is here!
No snowdrop yet its small head nods,
In winds of winter drear;
No lark at casement in the sky
Sings matins shrill and clear;
Yet in this frozen mirk the Dawn
Breathes, Spring is here!