The still night wraps Macquarie; The white moon, drifting slow, Takes back her silver glory From watching waves below; To dalliance I give over, Though half the world may chide, And clasp my one true Lover Here on Macquarie side. The loves of earth grow olden Or kneel at some new shrine; Her locks are always golden-- This brave Bush-Love of mine; And for her star-lit beauty, And for her dawns dew-pearled, Her name in love and duty I guard against the world. They curse her desert places! How can they understand, Who know not what her face is And never held her hand?-- Who may have heard the meeting Of boughs the wind has stirred, Yet missed the whispered greeting Our listening hearts have heard. For some have travelled over The long miles at her side, Yet claimed her not as Lover Nor thought of her as Bride: And some have followed after Through sun and mist for years, Nor held the sunshine laughter, Nor guessed the raindrops tears. If we some white arms’ folding, Some warm, red mouth should miss-- Her hand is ours for holding, Her lips are ours to kiss; And closer than a lover She shares our lightest breath, And droops her great wings over To shield us to the death. The winds of Dawn are roving, The river-oaks astir ... What heart were lorn of loving That had no Love but her? Till last red stars are lighted And last winds wander West, Her troth and mine are plighted-- The Lover I love best! _William Ogilvie._ EVANS CCXXVII A FEDERAL SONG In the greyness of the dawning we have seen the pilot-star, In the whisper of the morning we have heard the years afar. Shall we sleep and let them be When they call to you and me? Can we break the land asunder God has girdled with the sea? For the Flag is floating o’er us, And the track is clear before us;-- From the desert to the ocean let us lift the mighty chorus For the days that are to be. We have flung the challenge forward:--‘Brothers stand or fall as one!’ She is coming out to meet us in the splendour of the sun;-- From the graves beneath the sky Where her nameless heroes lie, From the forelands of the Future they are waiting our reply! We can face the roughest weather If we only hold together, Marching forward to the Future, marching shoulder-firm together; For the Nation yet to be. All the greyness of the dawning, all the mists are overpast; In the glory of the morning we shall see her face at last. He who sang, ‘She yet will be,’ He shall hail her, crowned and free! Could we break the land asunder God had girdled with the sea? For the Flag is floating o’er us, And the star of Hope before us, From the desert to the ocean, brothers, lift the mighty chorus For Australian Unity!