How a Ship having passed the Line was driven by Storms to the cold Country towards the South Pole; and how from thence she made her course to the tropical Latitude of the Great Pacific Ocean; and of the strange things that befell; and in what manner the Ancyent Marinere came back to his own Country.
| It is an ancyent Marinere, | ||
| And he stoppeth one of three: | ||
| "By thy long grey beard and thy glittering eye | ||
| "Now wherefore stoppest me? | ||
| "The Bridegroom's doors are open'd wide | ||
| "And I am next of kin; | ||
| "The Guests are met, the Feast is set,— | ||
| "May'st hear the merry din. | ||
| But still he holds the wedding-guest— | ||
| There was a Ship, quoth he— | 10 | |
| "Nay, if thou'st got a laughsome tale, | ||
| "Marinere! come with me." | ||
| He holds him with his skinny hand, | ||
| Quoth he, there was a Ship— | ||
| "Now get thee hence, thou grey-beard Loon! | ||
| "Or my Staff shall make thee skip. | ||
| He holds him with his glittering eye— | ||
| The wedding guest stood still | ||
| And listens like a three year's child; | ||
| The Marinere hath his will. | 20 | |
| The wedding-guest sate on a stone, | ||
| He cannot chuse but hear: | ||
| And thus spake on that ancyent man, | ||
| The bright-eyed Marinere. | ||
| The Ship was cheer'd, the Harbour clear'd— | ||
| Merrily did we drop | ||
| Below the Kirk, below the Hill, | ||
| Below the Light-house top. | ||
| The Sun came up upon the left, | ||
| Out of the Sea came he: | 30 | |
| And he shone bright, and on the right | ||
| Went down into the Sea. | ||
| Higher and higher every day, | ||
| Till over the mast at noon— | ||
| The wedding-guest here beat his breast, | ||
| For he heard the loud bassoon. | ||
| The Bride hath pac'd into the Hall, | ||
| Red as a rose is she; | ||
| Nodding their heads before her goes | ||
| The merry Minstralsy. | 40 | |
| The wedding-guest he beat his breast, | ||
| Yet he cannot chuse but hear: | ||
| And thus spake on that ancyent Man, | ||
| The bright-eyed Marinere. | ||
| Listen, Stranger! Storm and Wind, | ||
| A Wind and Tempest strong! | ||
| For days and weeks it play'd us freaks— | ||
| Like Chaff we drove along. | ||
| Listen, Stranger! Mist and Snow, | ||
| And it grew wond'rous cauld: | 50 | |
| And Ice mast-high came floating by | ||
| As green as Emerauld. | ||
| And thro' the drifts the snowy clifts | ||
| Did send a dismal sheen; | ||
| Ne shapes of men ne 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— | ||
| Like noises of a swound. | 60 | |
| At length did cross an Albatross, | ||
| Thorough the Fog it came; | ||
| And an it were a Christian Soul, | ||
| We hail'd it in God's name. | ||
| The Marineres gave it biscuit-worms, | ||
| And round and round it flew: | ||
| The Ice did split with a Thunder-fit; | ||
| The Helmsman steer'd us thro'. | ||
| And a good south wind sprung up behind, | ||
| The Albatross did follow; | 70 | |
| And every day for food or play | ||
| Came to the Marinere's hollo! | ||
| In mist or cloud on mast or shroud | ||
| It perch'd for vespers nine, | ||
| Whiles all the night thro' fog-smoke white | ||
| Glimmer'd the white moon-shine. | ||
| "God save thee, ancyent Marinere! | ||
| "From the fiends that plague thee thus— | ||
| "Why look'st thou so?"—with my cross bow | ||
| I shot the Albatross. | 80 |