+ the spint Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Nor any drop to drink. The very deep did rot: O Christ! Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs About, about, in reel and rout And some in dreams assurèd were And every tongue, through utter drought, We had been choked with soot. Ah, well-a-day! what evil looks Had I from old and young! And the Albatross begins to be A spirit had fol- The ship-mates, The ancient Mar PART III. There passed a weary time. Each throat Was parched, and glazed each eye. How glazed each weary eye, iner beholdeth a When looking westward, I beheld sign in the ele ment afar off. At its nearer A flash of joy; And horror follows. For can it be a ship that comes onward without wind or tide? A something in the sky. At first it seemed a little speck, It moved and moved, and took at last A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist! It plunged and tacked and veered. With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, Through utter drought all dumb we stood! And cried, A sail! a sail! With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, Gramercy! they for joy did grin, And all at once their breath drew in, See! see! (I cried), she tacks no more. Without a breeze, without a tide, She steadies with upright keel! The western wave was all a-flame. The day was well-nigh done! Almost upon the western wave Rested the broad bright Sun; When that strange shape drove suddenly And straight the Sun was flecked with bars, As if through a dungeon-grate he peered Alas! (thought I, and my heart beat loud) Are those her sails that glance in the Sun, Are those her ribs through which the Sun And is that Woman all her crew? Her lips were red, her looks were free, Her locks were yellow as gold: The naked hulk alongside came, And the twain were casting dice; 'The game is done! I've won, I've won!' Quoth she, and whistles thrice. It seemeth him but the skeleton of a ship. And its ribs are seen as bars on the face of the setting Sun. The Spectre-Woman and her Deathmate, and no other on board the skeleton ship. Like vessel, like crew! Death and Lifein-Death have diced for the ship's crew and she (the latter) winneth the ancient Mariner. The Sun's rim dips; the stars rush out; We listened and looked sideways up! My life-blood seemed to sip! i The stars were dim, and thick the night, Till clomb above the eastern bar One after one, by the star-dogged Moon, Each turned his face with a ghastly pang Four times fifty living men, (And I heard nor sigh nor groan,) With heavy thump, a lifeless lump, They dropped down one by one. - The souls did from their bodies fly, - Like the whizz of my cross-bow!" V I fear thee and thy glittering eye, And thy skinny hand, so brown.". "Fear not, fear not, thou Wedding-Guest! But the ancient This body dropt not down. Alone, alone, all, all alone, Alone on a wide wide sea! And never a saint took pity on My soul in agony. The many men, so beautiful! I looked upon the rotting sea, I looked to Heaven, and tried to pray; Mariner assureth him of his bodily life, and proceedeth to relate his horrible penance. He despiseth the creatures of the calm. And envieth that they should live, and so many lie dead. |