"___ sleep comes down to soothe the weary eyes": Paul Laurence Dunbar (3)

I believe the answer is:

ere

(Other definitions for ere that I've seen before include "Old word for before" , "Old prior" , "Before (in poetry)" , "One who steals" , "Before, poetically" .)

I've seen this clue in The New York Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.