The Night’s the Dawn’s Glory

by Stephen Ramsek

The night’s the glory of the dawn

As dawn’s the glory of the night. As woman is a man’s fair crown, So fair-crowned man is woman’s wreath. Great strength’s the laurel of the youth, And hoary hair is to the old What wrinkles are to joy; the truth Revealed, a sign of something seen By few, but true, and good, and sweet. The dawn precedes night and night, The dawn, and yet they never meet; For day outspreads itself between Them. We are night, the Lord, the dawn, And Christ, the day, who stands between— Yet through His intercession’s drawn Aside God’s fury, cast our guilt

As far away as Eden’s bowers, And freely given us Himself. Now we are His, His glory, ours; Like night’s both dawn’s and dawn’s glory. What joy, to be God’s ornament!

To call His crown our own, and in That endless Day whom Heaven sent To know one day we shall meet Dawn.