The clouds had each a rainbow rim,
The gracious clouds and golden;
The stars we knew were never dim,
The songs were quaint and olden;
With glamor-glow before our eyes
We left the land of worldly-wise,
We watched the suns of glory rise
(Ah, then the Days were golden!)
The lips we loved were ruby-red
(Ah, sweet the murmurs olden!)
The hair was haloed round the head
(The gracious locks and golden!)
The eyes were always tender-true,
The tale they told was always new,
The wreaths of rose had naught of rue
(Ah, then the Days were golden!)
We loved the glance of flowers a-gleam,
The green that kissed the golden!
Our waking life was drowsy dream
In that dear land and olden;
Our speech ran o'er with words of wine,
Our shade was shot with silver shine,
Our Human sank in Deeps Divine
(Ah, then the Days were golden!)
We heard the vault in rapture ring
Through many a cycle golden;
We heard the Sons of Morning sing
In mystic chorus olden;
We heard the voice of vale and crest,
The bird that sang beside the nest,
The bird that sang within the breast --
(Ah -- then the Days were golden!)
When heart to heart was gently leal,
When Love was fresh and golden,
When Laughter rang in silver peal,
(The peerless Laughter olden!)
When bosoms proud were in their prime
When clust'ring Joys were in their clime,
When Life was all a rippling rhyme --
Ah -- then the Days were golden!
First published in The Bulletin, 20 May 1899
Author: Peter Airey (1865-1950) was born in Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire, England and arrived in Australia in 1875. Airey worked for the Queensland Education Department before being elected to the state parliament in 1901. He later went on to become Queensland Home Secretary and Treasurer before being defeated at an election in 1909. He then went into semi-retirement, living off his writing and investments, though he was still involved in Queensland political life. He died in Brisbane in 1950.
Author reference sites: Austlit, Australian Dictionary of Biography
See also.
The gracious clouds and golden;
The stars we knew were never dim,
The songs were quaint and olden;
With glamor-glow before our eyes
We left the land of worldly-wise,
We watched the suns of glory rise
(Ah, then the Days were golden!)
The lips we loved were ruby-red
(Ah, sweet the murmurs olden!)
The hair was haloed round the head
(The gracious locks and golden!)
The eyes were always tender-true,
The tale they told was always new,
The wreaths of rose had naught of rue
(Ah, then the Days were golden!)
We loved the glance of flowers a-gleam,
The green that kissed the golden!
Our waking life was drowsy dream
In that dear land and olden;
Our speech ran o'er with words of wine,
Our shade was shot with silver shine,
Our Human sank in Deeps Divine
(Ah, then the Days were golden!)
We heard the vault in rapture ring
Through many a cycle golden;
We heard the Sons of Morning sing
In mystic chorus olden;
We heard the voice of vale and crest,
The bird that sang beside the nest,
The bird that sang within the breast --
(Ah -- then the Days were golden!)
When heart to heart was gently leal,
When Love was fresh and golden,
When Laughter rang in silver peal,
(The peerless Laughter olden!)
When bosoms proud were in their prime
When clust'ring Joys were in their clime,
When Life was all a rippling rhyme --
Ah -- then the Days were golden!
First published in The Bulletin, 20 May 1899
Author: Peter Airey (1865-1950) was born in Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire, England and arrived in Australia in 1875. Airey worked for the Queensland Education Department before being elected to the state parliament in 1901. He later went on to become Queensland Home Secretary and Treasurer before being defeated at an election in 1909. He then went into semi-retirement, living off his writing and investments, though he was still involved in Queensland political life. He died in Brisbane in 1950.
Author reference sites: Austlit, Australian Dictionary of Biography
See also.
