The Ice was here, the Ice was there, The Ice was all around: It crack'd and growl'd, and roar'd and howl'd— Like noises of a swound. At length did cross an Albatross, Thorough the Fog it came; And an it were a Christian Soul, The Marineres gave it biscuit-worms, The Ice did split with a Thunder-fit; And a good south wind sprung up behind, And every day for food or play Came to the Marinere's hollo! In mist or cloud on mast or shroud It perch'd for vespers nine, Whiles all the night thro' fog smoke-white "God save thee, ancyent Marinere ! "From the fiends that plague thee thus— Why look'st thou so?"—with my cross bow I shot the Albatross. II. The Sun came up upon the right, Out of the Sea came he; And broad as a weft upon the left Went down into the Sea. And the good south wind still blew behind, But no sweet Bird did follow Ne any day for food or play Came to the Marinere's hollo! And I had done an hellish thing For all averr'd, I had kill'd the Bird That made the Breeze to blow. Ne dim ne red, like God's own head, Then all averr'd, I had kill'd the Bird 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay The breezes blew, the white foam flew, The furrow follow'd free: We were the first that ever burst Into that silent Sea. Down dropt the breeze, the Sails dropt down, 'Twas sad as sad could be And we did speak only to break The silence of the Sea. All in a hot and copper sky Right up above the mast did stand, Day after day, day after day, We stuck, ne breath ne motion, As idle as a painted Ship Upon a painted Ocean. Water, water, every w here And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, The very deeps did rot: O Christ! That ever this should be! Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy Sea. |