# The Curlew Song

First published in The Empire, 23 October 1860
The viewless blast, flies moaning past, Away to the forest trees; Where giant pines, and leafless vines Bend 'neath the wandering breeze. From ferny streams, unearthly screams Are heard in the midnight blue; As afar they roam, to the shepherd's home— The shrieks of the wild Curlew As afar they roam, To the shepherd's home,— The shrieks of the wild Curlew.
The mists are curled, o'er a dark-faced world, And the shadows sleep around, Where the clear lagoon reflects the moon, In her hazy glory crowned; While dingoes howl, to wake the growl Of the watchdog brave and true, Whose loud rough bark shoots up in the dark, With the song of the lone Curlew. Whose loud rough bark, Shoots up in the dark, With the song of the lone Curlew.
The clouds are thrown around the cone Of the mountain bare and high, Whose craggy peak uprears to the cheek— To the face of the sombre sky; When down beneath the foggy wreath, Full many a gully through, They rend the air, like cries of despair— The screams of the wild Curlew. They rend the air, Like cries of despair, The screams of the wild Curlew.
Near herby banks, the dark green ranks Of the rushes stoop to drink; And the ripples chime, in a measur'd time, On the smooth and mossy brink; As wind-breaths sigh, and pass and die, To start from the swamps anew And join again, o'er ridge and plain, With the cries of the sad Curlew. And join again, O'er ridge and plain, With the cries of the sad Curlew.
The viewless blast flies moaning past, Away to the forest trees; Where giant pines, and leafless vines, Bend neath the wandering breeze. From ferny streams, unearthly screams, Are heard in the midnight blue— As afar they roam, to the Shepherd's home,— The shrieks of the wild Curlew As afar they roam To the Shepherd's home The shrieks of the wild Curlew.
This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired. According to Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright, the following works are public domain:
* published non-government works whose author died before January 1, 1955,
* anonymous or pseudonymous works and photographs published before January 1, 1955, and
* government works published more than 50 years ago (before January 1, 1974).
This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in Australia on the URAA date (January 1, 1996). 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.
Because the Australian copyright term in 1996 was 50 years, the critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1946.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse