Ne dim ne red, like God's own head, The glorious Sun uprist: 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 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 where And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, The very deeps did rot: O Chrift! That ever this should be! Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy Sea. About, about, in reel and rout And some in dreams assured were And every tongue thro' utter drouth Was wither'd at the root; We could not speak no more than if We had been choked with soot. Ah wel-a-day! what evil looks About my neck was hung. III. I saw a something in the Sky At first it seem'd a little speck And then it seem'd a mist: It mov'd and mov'd, and took at last A certain shape; I wist. A speck, amist, a shape, I wist! With throat unslack'd, with black lips bak'd Ne could we laugh, ne wail: Then while thro' drouth all dumb they stood I bit my arm and suck'd the blood And cry'd, A sail! a sail! With throat unslack'd, with black lips bak'd Agape they hear'd me call: Gramercy! they for joy did grin And all at once their breath drew in As they were drinking all. She doth not tack from side to side— Hither to work us weal Withouten wind, withouten tide She steddies with upright keel. |