Ne dim ne red, like God's own head,
The glorious Sun uprist:
Then all averr'd, I had kill'd 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 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

The bloody sun at noon,
Right up above the mast did stand,
No bigger than the moon.

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,
Ne any drop to drink.

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
The Death-fires danc'd at night;
The water, like a witch's oils,
Burnt green and blue and white.

And some in dreams assured were
Of the Spirit that plagued us so:
Nine fathom deep he had follow'd us
From the Land of Mist and Snow.

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

Had I from old and young;
Instead of the Cross the Albatross

About my neck was hung.

III.

I saw a something in the Sky
No bigger than my fist;
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!
And still it ner'd and ner'd;
And, an it dodg'd a water-sprite,

It plung'd and tack'd and veer'd.

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.