Part 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 mariners' hollo !
-
- His shipmates cry out against the ancient Mariner, for killing the bird of good luck.
- And I had done an hellish thing,
- And it would work 'em woe :
- For all averred, I had killed the bird
- That made the breeze to blow.
- Ah wretch ! said they, the bird to slay,
- That made the breeze to blow !
-
- But when the fog cleared off, they justify the same, and thus make themselves accomplices in the crime.
- Nor dim nor red, like God's own head,
- The glorious Sun uprist :
- Then all averred, I had killed the bird
- That brought the fog and mist.
- 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay,
- That bring the fog and mist.
-
- The fair breeze continues; the ship enters the Pacific Ocean, and sails northward, even till it reaches the Line.
- The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
- The furrow stream’d off free;
- We were the first that ever burst
- Into that silent sea.
-
- The ship hath been suddenly becalmed.
- 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 bloody 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.
- And the Albatross begins to be avenged.
- Water, water, every where,
- And all the boards did shrink;
- Water, water, every where,
- Nor any drop to drink.
-
- The very deep 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 danced at night;
- The water, like a witch's oils,
- A Spirit had followed them; one of the invisible inhabitants of this planet, neither departed souls nor angels; concerning whom the learned Jew, Josephus, and the Platonic Constantinopolitan, Michael Psellus, may be consulted. They are very numerous, and there is no climate or element without one or more.
- Burnt green, and blue and white.
-
- And some in dreams assuréd were
- Of the Spirit that plagued us so;
- Nine fathom deep he had followed us
- From the land of mist and snow.
-
- And every tongue, through utter drought,
- Was withered at the root;
- We could not speak, no more than if
- We had been choked with soot.
-
- The shipmates, in their sore distress, would fain throw the whole guilt on the ancient Mariner : in sign whereof they hang the dead sea-bird round his neck.
- Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks
- Had I from old and young !
- Instead of the cross, the Albatross
- About my neck was hung.”
- --oOo-- -