Part VI

    FIRST VOICE

    'But tell me， tell me！ speak again，

    Thy soft response renewing——

    What makes that ship drive on so fast？

    What is the ocean doing？'

    SECOND VOICE

    'Still as a slave before his lord，

    The ocean hath no blast；

    His great bright eye most silently

    Up to the moon is cast——

    If he may know which way to go；

    For she guides him smooth or grim.

    See， brother， see！ how graciously

    She looketh down on him.'

    FIRST VOICE

    'But why drives on that ship so fast，

    Without or wave or wind？'

    SECOND VOICE

    'The air is cut away before，

    And closes from behind.

    Fly， brother， fly！ more high， more high！

    Or we shall be belated：

    For slow and slow that ship will go，

    When the mariner's trance is abated¹.'

    I woke， and we were sailing on

    As in a gentle weather：

    'Twas night， calm night， the moon was high；

    The dead men stood together.

    All stood together on the deck，

    For a charnel-dungeon fitter：

    All fixed² on me their stony³ eyes，

    That in the moon did glitter.

    The pang⁴， the curse， with which they died，

    Had never passed away：

    I could not draw my eyes from theirs，

    Nor turn them up to pray.

    And now this spell was snapped： once more

    I viewed the ocean green，

    And looked far forth⁵， yet little saw

    Of what had else been seen——

    Like one， that on a lonesome road

    Doth walk in fear and dread⁶，

    And having once turned round walks on，

    And turns no more his head；

    Because he knows a frightful⁷ fiend

    Doth close behind him tread.

    But soon there breathed a wind on me，

    Nor sound nor motion made：

    Its path was not upon the sea，

    In ripple⁸ or in shade.

    It raised my hair， it fanned my cheek

    Like a meadow-gale of spring——

    It mingled⁹ strangely with my fears，

    Yet it felt like a welcoming.

    Swiftly， swiftly flew the ship，

    Yet she sailed softly too：

    Sweetly， sweetly blew the breeze——

    On me alone it blew.

    O dream of joy！ is this indeed

    The lighthouse top I see？

    Is this the hill？ is this the kirk？

    Is this mine own country？

    We drifted o'er the harbour bar，

    And I with sobs¹⁰ did pray——

    O let me be awake， my God！

    Or let me sleep alway！

    The harbour bay was clear as glass，

    So smoothly¹¹ it was strewn！

    And on the bay the moonlight lay，

    And the shadow of the moon.

    The rock shone bright， the kirk no less，

    That stands above the rock：

    The moonlight steeped in silentness

    The steady weathercock.

    And the bay was white with silent light，

    Till rising from the same，

    Full many shapes， that shadows were，

    In crimson¹² colours came.

    A little distance from the prow¹³

    Those crimson shadows were：

    I turned my eyes upon the deck——

    O Christ！ what saw I there！

    Each corse lay flat， lifeless and flat，

    And， by the holy rood！

    A man all light， a seraph¹⁴ man，

    On every corse there stood.

    This seraph band， each waved his hand：

    It was a heavenly sight！

    They stood as signals to the land，

    Each one a lovely light；

    This seraph band， each waved his hand，

    No voice did they impart——

    No voice； but oh！ the silence sank

    Like music on my heart.

    But soon I heard the dash of oars¹⁵，

    I heard the pilot's cheer；

    My head was turned perforce away

    And I saw a boat appear.

    The pilot and the pilot's boy，

    I heard them coming fast：

    Dear Lord in heaven！ it was a joy

    The dead men could not blast.

    I saw a third——I heard his voice：

    It is the hermit¹⁶ good！

    He singeth loud his godly hymns¹⁷

    That he makes in the wood.

    He'll shrieve my soul， he'll wash away

    The albatross's blood.

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