Before, in odes (3)
I believe the answer is:
ere
'before in odes' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for ere that I've seen before include "Before (lit.)" , "Old word for before" , "Archaic word for before - a palindrome" , "Before (poetic)" , "Before (literary)" .)