Lyrical "before" (3)
I believe the answer is:
ere
'lyrical before' 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.)" , "Before (in time)" , "One who steals" , "Before, poetically" , "Archaic word for before - a palindrome" .)