In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,

It perch'd for vespers nine;

Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white, Glimmer'd the white moon-shine.

'God save thee, ancient Mariner !

'From the fiends, that plague thee thus !— 'Why look'st thou so?'-'With my cross-bow I shot the Albatross.'

PART 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 mariners' hollo!

And I had done a hellish thing,
And it would work 'em woe:
For all averr'd, I had kill'd the bird
That made the breeze to blow.

Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay,
That made the breeze to blow!

Nor dim nor 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.

75 shroud, rigging

76 vespers, evenings

93 averr'd, declared

The fair breeze 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, nor breath nor motion;

As idle as a painted ship

Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, everywhere,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink.

The very deep did rot: O Heaven!

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 danced at night;
The water, like a witch's oils,
Burnt green, and blue, and white.

And some in dreams assuréd 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, through utter drought,
Was wither'd at the root;

We could not speak, no more than if

We had been choked with soot.

Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!

Instead of the cross, the Albatross

About my neck was hung.

PART III

'There pass'd a weary time. Each throat
Was parch'd, and glazed each eye.

A weary time! a weary time !
How glazed each weary eye!
When looking westward, I beheld
A something in the sky.

At first it seem'd a little speck,
And then it seem'd a mist;

It moved and moved, and took at last

A certain shape, I wist.

A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist!

And still it near'd and near'd :

As if it dodged a water-sprite,

It plunged and tack'd and veer'd.

With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, We could nor laugh nor wail;

Through utter drought all dumb we stood !

I bit my arm, I suck'd the blood,

And cried, A sail--a sail !

With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,

Agape they heard me call:

Gramercy! they for joy did grin,

And all at once their breath drew in,

As they were drinking all.

152 wist, perceived

See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more!

Hither to work us weal;

Without a breeze, without a tide,

She steadies with upright keel !

The western wave was all a-flame,
The day was wellnigh done!
Almost upon the western wave
Rested the broad bright Sun ;

When that strange shape drove suddenly
Betwixt us and the Sun.

And straight the Sun was fleck'd with bars, (Heaven's Mother send us grace!)

As if through a dungeon-grate he peer'd
With broad and burning face.

Alas! (thought I, and my heart beat loud)
How fast she nears and nears!

Are those her sails that glance in the Sun, Like restless gossameres ?

Are those her ribs through which the Sun Did peer, as through a grate?

And is that woman all her crew?

Is that a Death? and are there two?

Is Death that woman's mate?

Her lips were red, her looks were free,
Her locks were yellow as gold :

Her skin was as white as leprosy,

The Night-mare Life-in-Death was she,
Who thicks man's blood with cold.

The naked hulk alongside came,

And the twain were casting dice;

'The game is done! I've . . . I've won!' Quoth she, and whistles thrice.

168 do us good

195 hulk, body of the ship

The Sun's rim dips; the stars rush out :
At one stride comes the dark;
With far-heard whisper, o'er the sea,
Off shot the spectre-bark.

We listen'd and look'd sideways up!

Fear at my heart, as at a cup,

My life-blood seem'd to sip!

The stars were dim, and thick the night;

The steersman's face by his lamp gleam'd white; From the sails the dew did drip-

Till clomb above the eastern bar

The hornéd Moon, with one bright star

Within the nether tip.

One after one, by the star-dogg'd Moon,
Too quick for groan or sigh,

Each turn'd his face with a ghastly pang,
And cursed me with his eye.

Four times fifty living. men,

(And I heard nor sigh nor groan,)
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
They dropt down one by one.

The souls did from their bodies fly,-
They fled to bliss or woe!

And every soul, it pass'd me by

Like the whizz of my cross-bow.'

PART IV.

'I fear thee, ancient Mariner !

'I fear thy skinny hand !

'And thou art long, and lank, and brown,

'As is the ribb'd sea-sand.

200 Near the Equator there is hardly any twilight
212 dogg'd, followed closely by