BETA

The Reveille.

He who, from some rocky summit, watches o’er
the dusky deep,1
For the coming of the day-god, rising from his rosy
sleep ;2
Sees the darkness slowly riven, and a line of silver-
gray3
Glimmer—gleam—then change, and scatter all the
heav’ns with golden spray ;4
Sees the hidden verge of waters, murm’ring ever
through the night,5
Move around the dim horizon, one great arc of roll-
ing light ;6
While amid a blaze of ensigns, in the Orient far un-
furl’d,7
Dazzling, comes the central sov’reign, sole sustainer
of the world ;—8
So hung round by Winter, weary, I have waited
through the Night,9
And have seen the dead Earth tremble into music,
warmth, and light ;10
Seen the barren hawthorn ridges, brake and bram-
ble, bush and tree,11
Braid the sunny lanes with verdure, skirt with living
green the lea ;12
Seen the furrows of the corn fields fring’d with
bands of emerald bloom ;13
In the harebell halls a splendour spread, cerulean,
through the gloom ;14
In the glen, the streamlet quiver into motion, into
light ;15
Openers bountiful with blossom, meadows gar-
landed with white.16
Fragrance rises from the woodlands, perfume floats
along the meads ;17
Far above, the lark sings high; the thrush a grate-
ful anthem leads.18
From the sunny meadows, hark! the merry laugh
rings loud and clear ;19
Happy children, men, and maidens now the balmy
hillocks rear.20
All the lanes are odour-laden; bowers of roses
blushing blow—21
All the radiant Earth is redolent of summers long
ago.22
For a voice awoke the heav’ns, and a footstep shook
the hills,23
And the valleys felt the Presence in their thousand
upland rills.24
Eyes of violet looked southward—waves of gold
were backward blown—25
Rainbow robes descended lightly from an azure-
belted zone ;26
And she moved, imperial goddess—Spring—her
virgin triumphs won—27
Like a bride to meet the bridegroom, she advanc’d
to meet the sun.28