 | Poems at Home and Abroad |  |
69
The Waking of the Birds
First through the fragrant silence on mine ear
The blackbird's song came bravely, then the bush
Of dim white-flowering laurel, where the thrush
Warmed her young nestlings, throbbed with music clear;
Next roused the merry robin with his cheer,
The chiff-chaff answered, and in solemn hush,
Solemn, but with her monitory crush
And mellow mourning, hark! the ring-dove near.
The blackbird's song came bravely, then the bush
Of dim white-flowering laurel, where the thrush
Warmed her young nestlings, throbbed with music clear;
Next roused the merry robin with his cheer,
The chiff-chaff answered, and in solemn hush,
Solemn, but with her monitory crush
And mellow mourning, hark! the ring-dove near.
So broke the birds upon my night-time's sorrow,
For May was come, and tulips were awake,
And lake and vale lay brightening to the sun.
With happy cries the rooks cawed out ‘good morrow!’
While the quaint landrail with his magic crake
For very joyance from his voice did run.
For May was come, and tulips were awake,
And lake and vale lay brightening to the sun.
With happy cries the rooks cawed out ‘good morrow!’
While the quaint landrail with his magic crake
For very joyance from his voice did run.
| Poems at Home and Abroad | |