Swiftly, swiftly flew the ship,

Yet she sail'd softly too:

Sweetly, sweetly blew the breeze

On me alone it blew.

O dream of joy! is this indeed
The light-house top I see?

Is this the Hill? Is this the Kirk?

Is this mine own countrée ?

We drifted o'er the Harbour-bar,
And I with sobs did pray-
"O let me be awake, my God!
"Or let me fleep alway !"

The harbour-bay was clear as glass,
So smoothly it was strewn !
And on the bay the moon light lay,

And the shadow of the moon.

The moonlight bay was white all o'er, Till rising from the same,

Full many shapes, that shadows were,

Like as of torches came.

A little distance from the prow

Those dark-red shadows were ;

But soon I saw that niy own flesh
Was red as in a glare.

I turn'd

my head in fear and dread,

And by the holy rood,

The bodies had advanc'd, and now

Before the maft they ftood.

They lifted up their stiff right arms,
They held them strait and tight ;
And each right-arm burut like a torch,
A torch that's borne upright.
Their stony eye-balls glitter'd on

In the red and smoky light.

I pray'd and turn'd my bead away
Forth looking as before.

There was no breeze upon the bay,
No wave against the shore.

The rock fhone bright, the kirk no less
That stands above the rock :

The moonlight steep'd in silentness
The steady weathercock.

And the bay was white with silent light,

Till rising from the same

Full

many shapes, that shadows were,

In crimson colours came.

A little distance from the

prow

Those crimson shadows were :

I turn'd my eyes upon the deck-→→→

O Chrift! what saw I there?

Each corse lay flat, lifeless and flat;

And by the Holy rood

A man all light, a seraph-man,
On every corse there stood.

This seraph-band, each wav'd his hand :

It was a heavenly sight:

They stood as signals to the land,

Each one a lovely light:

This seraph-band, each wav'd his hand,

No voice did they impart—
No voice; but O! the silence sank,

Like music on my heart.

Eftsones I heard the dash of oars,

I heard the pilot's cheer:
My head was turn'd perforce away

And I saw a boat appear.

Then vanish'd all the lovely lights;

The bodies rose anew :

With silent pace, each to his place,
Came back the ghastly crew.

The wind, that shade nor motion made,
On me alone it blew.

The pilot, and the pilot's boy
I heard them coming fast:
Dear Lord in Heaven! it was a joy,
The dead men could not blast.

I saw a third-I heard his voice :
It is the Hermit good!

He fingeth loud his godly hymns

That he makes in the wood.

He'll shrieve my soul, he'll wash away

The Albatross's blood.