Lyrical Ballads with Other Poems, 1800 Volume I Part 12

THE ANCIENT MARINER,

A POET'S REVERIE.

_ARGUMENT_.

How a Ship, having first sailed to the Equator, was driven by Storms, to the cold Country towards the South Pole; how the Ancient Mariner cruelly, and in contempt of the laws of hospitality, killed a Sea-bird; and how he was followed by many and strange Judgements; and in what manner he came back to his own Country.

_The ANCIENT MARINER_.

_A POET'S REVERIE_.

I.

It is an ancient Mariner, 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--"

"Nay, if thou'st got a laughsome tale, Mariner! 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 Mariner hath his will.

The wedding-guest sate on a stone, He cannot chuse but hear: And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner.

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: 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 ba.s.soon.

The Bride hath pac'd into the Hall, Red as a rose is she; Nodding their heads before her goes The merry Minstralsy.

The wedding-guest he beat his breast, Yet he cannot chuse but hear: And thus spake on that ancient Man, The bright-eyed Mariner.

But now the Northwind came more fierce, There came a Tempest strong!

And Southward still for days and weeks Like Chaff we drove along.

And now there came both Mist and Snow, And it grew wond'rous cold; And Ice mast-high came floating by As green as Emerald.

And thro' the drifts the snowy clifts Did send a dismal sheen; Nor shapes of men nor 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-- A wild and ceaseless sound.

At length did cross an Albatross, Thorough the Fog it came; As if it had been a Christian Soul, We hail'd it in G.o.d's name.

The Mariners 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; And every day for food or play Came to the Mariner'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.

"G.o.d save thee, ancient Mariner!

From the fiends that plague thee thus--"

"Why look'st thou so?--with my cross bow I shot the Albatross."

II:

The Sun now rose upon the right, Out of the Sea came he; Still hid in mist; and on the left Went down into the Sea.

And the good south wind still blew behind, But no sweet Bird did follow Nor any day for food or play Came to the Mariner's hollo!

And I had done an h.e.l.lish thing And it would work e'm woe: For all averr'd, I had kill'd the Bird That made the Breeze to blow.

Nor dim nor red, like an Angel's head, The glorious Sun uprist: Then all averr'd, I had kill'd the Bird That brought the fog and mist.

'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay That bring the fog and mist.

The breezes blew, the white foam flew, The furrow follow'd free: We were the first that ever burst Into that silent Sea.

Down dropt the breeze, the Sails dropt down, 'Twas sad as sad could be And we did speak only to break The silence of the Sea.

All in a hot and copper sky The b.l.o.o.d.y sun at noon, Right up above the mast did stand, No bigger than the moon.

Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion, As idle as a painted Ship Upon a painted Ocean.

Water, water, every where And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.

The very deeps did rot: O Christ!

That ever this should be!

Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy Sea.

About, about, in reel and rout The Death-fires danc'd at night; The water, like a witch's oils.

Burnt green and blue and white.

And some in dreams a.s.sured were Of the Spirit that plagued us so: Nine fathom deep he had follow'd us From the Land of Mist and Snow.

And every tongue thro' utter drouth Was wither'd at the root; We could not speak no more than if We had been choked with soot.