But, swift as dreams, myself I found Upon the whirl, where sank the Ship, I mov'd my lips: the Pilot shriek'd The Holy Hermit rais'd his eyes I took the oars: the Pilot's boy, Who now doth crazy go, Laugh'd loud and long, and all the while His eyes went to and fro, "Ha ha!" quoth he—" full plain I see, "The devil knows how to row." And now all in mine own Countrée I stood on the firm land! The Hermit stepp'd forth from the boat, "O shrieve me, shrieve me, holy Man! The Hermit cross'd his brow— "Say quick," quoth he, "I bid thee say "What manner man art thou? Forthwith this frame of mine was wrench'd With a woeful agony, Which forc'd me to begin my tale And then it left me free. Since then at an uncertain hour, Now oftimes and now fewer, That anguish comes and makes me tell My ghastly aventure. I pass, like night, from land to land; I have strange power of speech; The moment that his face I see I know the man that must hear me; To him my tale I teach. What loud uproar bursts from that door! The Wedding-guests are there; But in the Garden-bower the Bride And Bride-maids singing are: And hark the little Vesper-bell Which biddeth me to prayer. O Wedding-guest! this soul hath been Alone on a wide wide sea : So lonely 'twas, that God himself Scarce seemed there to be. D O sweeter than the Marriage-feast, 'Tis sweeter far to me To walk together to the Kirk To walk together to the Kirk And all together pray, While each to his great father bends, Old men, and babes, and loving friends, And Youths, and Maidens gay. Farewell, farewell! but this I tell He prayeth best who loveth best, He made and loveth all. |