The Ice was here, the Ice was there, The Ice was all around : It cracked and growled, and roared and howled, A wild and ceaseless sound. At length did cross an Albatross, As if it had been a Christian Soul, The Mariners 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 Mariner's hollo! In mist or cloud on mast or shroud It perched for vespers nine, Whiles all the night through fog-smoke white Glimmered the white moon-shine." "God save thee, antient Mariner ! From the fiends that plague thee thus !— Why look'st thou so?"—" With my cross bow I shot the Albatross." II. "The Sun now rose upon the right, Out of the Sea came he; Still hid in mist; and on the left Went down into the Sea. And the good South wind still blew behind, But no sweet Bird did follow, Nor any day for food or play Came to the Mariner's hollo! And I had done an hellish thing, For all averred, I had killed the Bird That made the Breeze to blow. Nor dim nor red, like an Angel's head, The glorious Sun uprist: Then all averred, I had killed the Bird That brought the fog and mist. 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay That bring the fog and mist. The breezes blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed 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 The bloody sun at noon, Right up above the mast did stand, Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion, As idle as a painted Ship Upon a painted Ocean. Water, water, every where, 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. |