With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, Agape they heard me call: Gramercy!1 they for joy did grin, And all at once their breath drew in, As they were drinking all. A flash of joy; 165 See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more! And horror Hither to work us weal; Without a breeze, without a tide, The western wave was all a-flame. Rested the broad bright Sun; When that strange shape drove sud denly Betwixt us and the Sun. follows. For can it be a ship that comes 170 And straight the Sun was flecked with It seemeth him bars, (Heaven's Mother send us grace !) As if through a dungeon-grate he peered With broad and burning face. Alas! (thought I, and my heart beat loud) How fast she nears and nears! but the skeleton 1 An English form of a French word for thanks. 175 180 And its ribs are seen as bars on the face of the setting Sun. The Are those her sails that glance in the Sun, Like restless gossameres? 1 Are those her ribs through which the Did peer, as through a grate? and her Deathmate, and no other on board the skeleton-ship. Like vessel, like crew! Is that a Death? and are there two? Her lips were red, her looks were Her locks were yellow as gold: Her skin was as white as leprosy, Death and Life- The naked hulk alongside came, And the twain were casting dice; "The game won!" Quoth she, and whistles thrice. The Sun's rim dips; the stars rush out: At one stride comes the dark; With far-heard whisper, o'er the sea, 1 Fine cobwebs. 185 190 195 200 We listened and looked sideways up! At the rising of Fear at my heart, as at a cup, My life-blood seemed to sip! The stars were dim, and thick the night, The steersman's face by his lamp gleamed white; From the sails the dew did drip Till clomb1 above the eastern bar The horned Moon, with one bright star Within the nether tip. the Moon, One after one, by the star-dogged One after Moon, Too quick for groan or sigh, Each turned 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 dropped down one by one. another, His shipmates The souls did from their bodies fly,— But Life-in They fled to bliss or woe! And every soul, it passed me by, Like the whizz of my cross-bow!' 1 Old form for climbed. Death begins her work on the ancient Mariner. 205 210 215 220 The Wedding- that a Spirit is But the ancient PART IV 'I fear thee, ancient Mariner ! And thou art long, and lank, and brown, I fear thee and thy glittering eye, Mariner assureth And thy skinny hand, so brown.' him of his bodily life, and proceed-Fear not, fear not, thou Wedding 225 230 horrible penance. This body dropt not down. Alone, alone, all, all alone, Alone on a wide wide sea! And never a saint took pity on He despiseth the The many men, so beautiful! creatures of the calm. And envieth that they should live, and so many lie dead. And they all dead did lie: And a thousand thousand slimy things I looked upon the rotting sea, I looked upon the rotting deck, I looked to heaven, and tried to pray; 235 240 245 A wicked whisper came, and made My heart as dry as dust. I closed my lids, and kept them close, And the balls like pulses beat; For the sky and the sea, and the sea The cold sweat melted from their limbs, But the curse liv Nor rot nor reek1 did they : 250 eth for him in the eye of the dead 255 The look with which they looked on men. me Has never passed away. An orphan's curse would drag to hell A spirit from on high; But oh more horrible than that Is a curse in a dead man's eye! Seven days, seven nights, I saw that curse, And yet I could not die. The moving Moon went up the sky, And nowhere did abide: Softly she was going up, And a star or two beside 1 Probably steam or smell. In his loneliness move onward; 260 265 |