The Bard's preposition (3)
I believe the answer is:
ere
'the bard's preposition' 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, poetically" , "Before (in time)" , "One who steals" , "Before (in poetry)" , "Old word for before" .)