Just Before the Dawning

O’er the sil­ver wa­ters of a pear­ly stream

Just be­fore the dawn­ing of the day;

Angel guards des­cend­ing in a hap­py dream

Bear us to the sum­mer land away.

Lo

a shin­ing band

wait­ing on the strand

Greet us with a sweet and tune­ful lay;

Gentle words of cheer in that dream we hear

Just be­fore the dawn­ing of the day.

O the bliss en­chant­ing! O the vi­sions there!

Bursting like a flood of gold­en light;

Not a wave of sor­row

not a throb of care

In that hap­py

hap­py dream so bright.

Dreaming still we wan­der while our lift­ed eyes

View a world of love and joy un­told

Dreaming still we list­en to the songs that rise

From the hearts that nev­er more grow old.

Now from sleep awak­ing

see the morn­ing beams

Chasing all the clouds of night away;

Yet the harp of me­mo­ry brings the hap­py dream

Just before the dawn­ing of the day.