Day goeth bold in cloth of gold,
A royal bridegroom he;
But night in jewelled purple waits —
A Queen of Mystery.
Day filleth up his loving cup
With vintage golden clear;
But Night her ebon chalice crowns
With wine as pale as Fear.
Day drinks to Life, to ruddy Life,
And holds a kingly feast.
Night drinks to Death and while she drinks —
Day rises in the East!
They may not meet; they may not greet;
Each keeps a separate way;
Day knoweth not the stars of Night,
Nor Night the Star of Day.
So runs the reign of Other Twain,
Behold, the Preacher saith,
Death knoweth not the Light of Life,
Nor Life the Light of Death!
This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired.
See Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright (January 2019).
This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was in the public domain in Australia in 1996, and no copyright was registered in the U.S. (This is the combined effect of Australia having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.)
This work was published before January 1, 1927, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.