The wedding-guest he beat his breast, Yet he cannot chuse but hear : And thus spake on that ancient Man, But now the Northwind came more fierce, And Southward still for days and weeks And now there came both Mist and Snow, And it grew wond'rous cold; And Ice mast-high came floating by As green as Emerald. And thro' the drifts the snowy clifts Did send a dismal sheen; Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken The Ice was all between. The Ice was here, the Ice was there, The Ice was all around: It crack'd and growl'd, and roar'd and howl'd A wild and ceaseless sound. At length did cross an Albatross, As if it had been a Christian Soul, The Mariners gave it biscuit-worms, The Ice did split with a Thunder-fit; The Helmsman steer'd us thro'. And a good south wind sprung up The Albatross did follow; And every day for food or play Came to the Mariner's hollo! behind. In mist or cloud on mast or shroud It perch'd for vespers nine, Whiles all the night thro' fog-smoke white "God save thee, ancient Mariner ! "From the fiends that plague thee thusWhy look'st thou so ?"-with my cross bow I shot the Albatross. II. The Sun now rose upon the right, Out of the Sea came he; Still hid in mist; and on the left Went down into the Sea. And the good south wind still blew behind, But no sweet Bird did follow Nor any day for food or play Came to the Mariner's hollo! And I had done an hellish thing That made the Breeze to blow. L Nor dim nor red, like an Angel's 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.' |