| The Sun came up upon the right, | |
| Out of the Sea came he; | |
| And broad as a weft upon the left | |
Went down into the Sea.
| |
| And the good south wind still blew behind, | |
| But no sweet Bird did follow | |
| Ne any day for food or play | |
Came to the Marinere's hollo!
| |
| And I had done an hellish thing | |
| And it would work 'em woe; | 90 |
| For all averr'd, I had kill'd the Bird | |
That made the Breeze to blow.
| |
| 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. | |
| T'was 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: | 100 |
| 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.
| 110 |
| 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 Christ! | |
| That ever this should be! | 120 |
| 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.
| 130 |
| 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. | |