“ I woke, and we were sailing on

As in a gentle weather : 'Twas night, calm night, the moon was high ;

The dead men stood together.

All stood together on the deck,

For a charnel-dungeon fitter : *All fixed on me their stony eyes

That in the moon did glitter.

The
pang,
the curse,

with which they died, Had never passed away ; I could not draw my eyes from theirs,

Nor turn them up to pray.

And now this spell was snapt: once more

I viewed the ocean green,
And looked far forth, yet little saw

Of what had else been seen

Like one,

that on a lonesome road

Doth walk in fear and dread, And having once turned round, walks on

And turns no more his head ; Because he knows, a frightful fiend

Doth close behind him tread.

But soon there breathed a wind on me,

Nor sound nor motion made :

Its path was not upon the sea

In ripple or in shade.

It raised my hair, it fanned my cheek,

Like a meadow-gale of springIt mingled strangely with my fears,

Yet it felt like a welcoming.

12

Swiftly, swiftly flew the ship,

Yet she sailed 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-

let me be awake, my God!
Or let me sleep alway.'

The harbour-bay was clear as glass,

So smoothly it was stre:vn! And on the bay the moonlight lay,

And the shadow of the moon.

The rock shone bright, the kirk no less

That stands above the rock :
The moonlight s eeped 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 turned my eyes upon the check

O Christ! 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 waved his hand :

It was a heavenly sight :
They stood as signals to the land,

Each one a lovely light :

This seraph-band, each waved his hand,

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

Like music on my heart.

But soon I heard the dash of oars,

I heard the pilot's cheer :
My head was turned perforce away,

And I saw a boat appear.

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.