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The Sun now rose upon the right: |
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Out of the sea came he, |
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Still hid in mist, and on the left |
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Went down into the sea. |
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And the good south wind still blew behind |
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But no sweet bird did follow, |
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Nor any day for food or play |
|
Came to the mariners' hollo! |
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And I had done an hellish thing, |
|
And it would work 'em woe: |
|
For all averred, I had killed the bird |
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That made the breeze to blow. |
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Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay |
|
That made the breeze to blow! |
|
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 blew, the white foam flew, |
|
The furrow followed 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 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. |
|
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, |
|
Burnt green, and blue and white. |
|
And some in dreams assured 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. |
|
Ah! well a-day! what evil looks |
|
Had I from old and young! |
|
Instead of the cross, the Albatross |
|
About my neck |
