• Sometimes a dropping from the sky • I heard the Lavrock sing; • Sometimes all little birds that are • How they seem'd to fill the sea and air • With their sweer jargoning. And now 'twas like all instruments, • Now like a lonely flute; 6 And now it is an Angel's song « That makes the Heavens be mute. • It ceas'd; yet still the sails made on • A pleasant noise till noon. A noise like of a hidden brook • In the leafy month of June, · That to the sleeping woods all night • Singeth a quiet tune. Listen, O listen, thou wedding-guest!' “ Marinere! thou hast thy will; “ For that, which comes out of thine eye, doth make 66 Never sadder tale was told • To a man of woman born; • Sadder and wiser thou wedding-guest! « Thou’lt rise to-morrow morn. 6 Never sadder tale was heard By a man of woman born: • The marineres all return'd to work " As silent as beforne. • The marineres all 'gan pull the ropes, • But look at me they n'old: • Thought I, I am as thin as air, • They cannot me behold. « Till noon we silently sailid on " Yet never a breeze did breathe, • Slowly and smoothly went the ship • Moy'd onward from beneath. • Under the keel nine fathom deep - From the land of inist and snow * The Spirit slid; and it was He « That made the ship to go. • The sails at noon left off their túne . And the ship stood still also. • The sun right up above the mast Had fixt her to the ocean: • But in a minute she 'gan stir • With a short uneasy motion;• Backwards and forwards half her length • With a short uneasy motion. • Then, like a pawing horse let go, • She made a sudden bound: It flung the blood into my head, • And I fell into a swound. 6 • How long in that same fit I lay, • I have not to declare; * But ere my living life return'a, • I heard and in my soul discern’d • Two Voices in the air. “ Is it he? (quoth one) Is this the man? “ By him who died on Cross, “ With his cruel bow he lay'd full low 66 The harmless Albatross. “ The Spirit who bideth by himself 6. In the land of mist and snow, “ He lov'd the bird that lov'd the man " Who shot him with his bow." • The other was a softer voice, * As soft as honey-dew: Quoth he, “ The man hath penance done, “ And penance more will do." & 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,- 66 "If he may know which way to go, “ For she guides him smooth or griiri. " See, brother, see! how graciously " She looketh down on him.' FIRST VOICE. " But why drives on that ship so fast • Withouten 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 Marinere's trance is abated,” 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 fix'd on me their stony eyes • That in the moon did glitter. • The pang, the curse, with which they died Had never pass'd away: I could not draw my een from theirs • Ne turn them up to pray. 5 And in its time the spell was 'snapt, • And I could move my een: • I look'd far-forth, but little saw • Of what might else be seen. |