 | Lyrical Ballads |  |
1.
THE RIME
OF THE
ANCYENT MARINERE,
IN
SEVEN PARTS.
—
I.
—
It is an ancyent Marinere,
And he stoppeth one of three:
"By thy long grey beard and thy glittering eye
"Now wherefore stoppest me?
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.
"And I am next of kin;
"The Guests are met, the Feast is set, —
"May'st hear the merry din.
6
There was a Ship, quoth he —
"Nay, if thou'st got a laughsome tale,
"Marinere! 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.
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 Marinere hath his will.
The wedding guest stood still
And listens like a three year's child;
The Marinere hath his will.
The wedding-guest sate on a stone,
He cannot chuse but hear:
And thus spake on that ancyent man,
The bright-eyed Marinere.
He cannot chuse but hear:
And thus spake on that ancyent man,
The bright-eyed Marinere.
7
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.
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 bassoon.
Till over the mast at noon —
The wedding-guest here beat his breast,
For he heard the loud bassoon.
The Bride hath pac'd into the Hall,
Red as a rose is she;
Nodding their heads before her goes
The merry Minstralsy.
Red as a rose is she;
Nodding their heads before her goes
The merry Minstralsy.
8
Yet he cannot chuse but hear:
And thus spake on that ancyent Man,
The bright-eyed Marinere.
Listen, Stranger! Storm and Wind,
A Wind and Tempest strong!
For days and weeks it play'd us freaks —
Like Chaff we drove along.
A Wind and Tempest strong!
For days and weeks it play'd us freaks —
Like Chaff we drove along.
Listen, Stranger! Mist and Snow,
And it grew wond'rous cauld:
And Ice mast'high came floating by
As green as Emerauld.
And it grew wond'rous cauld:
And Ice mast'high came floating by
As green as Emerauld.
And thro' the drifts the snowy clifts
Did send a dismal sheen;
Ne shapes of men ne beasts we ken —
The Ice was all between.
Did send a dismal sheen;
Ne shapes of men ne beasts we ken —
The Ice was all between.
9
The Ice was all around:
It crack'd and growl'd, and roar'd and howl'd —
Like noises of a swound.
At length did cross an Albatross,
Thorough the Fog it came;
And an it were a Christian Soul,
We hail'd it in God's name.
Thorough the Fog it came;
And an it were a Christian Soul,
We hail'd it in God's name.
The Marinere 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 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 Marinere's hollo!
The Albatross did follow;
And every day for food or play
Came to the Marinere's hollo!
10
It perch'd for vespers nine,
Whiles all the night thro' fog-smoke white
Glimmer'd the white moon-shine.
"God save thee ancyent Marinere!
"From the fiends that plague thee thus —
"Why look'st thou so?" — with my cross bow
I shot the Albatross.
"From the fiends that plague thee thus —
"Why look'st thou so?" — with my cross bow
I shot the Albatross.
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