Dawn in the June Woods / William Wilfred Campbell

Dawn in the June Woods

When over the edge of night
    The stars pale one by one,
And out of his streams of light
    Rising, the great red sun

Lifteth his splendors up
    Over the hush of the world,
And draining night's ebon cup,
    Leaveth some stars impearled,

Still on its crystal rim,
    Fading like bubbles away,
As out of their cloud-meadows dim,
    The dawn winds blow in this way;

Then bathed in cool dewy wells,
    Old longings of life renew,
Till here in these morning dells
    The dreamings of earth come true;

As up each sun-jewelled slope.
    Over the night-hallowed land.
Wonder and Beauty and Hope
    Walk silently hand in hand.

~~
William Wilfred Campbell (1860-1918)
from Sagas of Vaster Britain, 1914

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

William Wilfred Campbell biography

"Dawn in the June Words" read by Bruce Kachuk for LibriVox. Courtesy LibriVox Audiobooks.

(Poem begins at 4:30)