The Rime of the Ancient Mariner（四）

    "I fear thee， ancient mariner！

    I fear thy skinny hand！

    And thou art long， and lank， and brown，

    As is the ribbed sea-sand.

    I fear thee and thy glittering eye，

    And thy skinny hand， so brown."——

    "Fear not， fear not， thou wedding-guest！

    This body dropped not down.

    Alone， alone， all， all alone，

    Alone on a wide wide sea！

    And never a saint took pity on

    My soul in agony.

    The many men， so beautiful！

    And they all dead did lie：

    And a thousand thousand slimy things

    Lived on； and so did I.

    I looked upon the rotting sea，

    And drew my eyes away；

    I looked upon the rotting deck，

    And there the dead men lay.

    I looked to heaven， and tried to pray；

    But or ever a prayer had gushed，

    A wicked whisper came， and made

    My heart as dry as dust.

    I closed my lids， and kept them close，

    Till the balls like pulses beat；

    For the sky and the sea， and the sea and the sky

    Lay like a load on my weary eye，

    And the dead were at my feet.

    The cold sweat melted from their limbs，

    Nor rot nor reek did they：

    The look with which they looked on me

    Had never passed away.

    An orphan's curse would drag to hell

    A spirit from on high；

    But oh！ more horrible than that

    Is the curse in a dead man's eye！

    Seven days， seven nights， I saw that curse，

    And yet I could not die.

    The moving moon went up the sky，

    And nowhere did abide：

    Softly she was going up，

    And a star or two beside——

    Her beams bemocked the sultry main，

    Like April hoar-frost spread；

    But where the ship's huge shadow lay，

    The charmed water burnt alway

    A still and awful red.

    Beyond the shadow of the ship，

    I watched the water snakes：

    They moved in tracks of shining white，

    And when they reared， the elfish light

    Fell off in hoary flakes.

    Within the shadow of the ship

    I watched their rich attire：

    Blue， glossy green， and velvet black，

    They coiled and swam； and every track

    Was a flash of golden fire.

    O happy living things！ No tongue

    Their beauty might declare：

    A spring of love gushed from my heart，

    And I blessed them unaware：

    Sure my kind saint took pity on me，

    And I blessed them unaware.

    The selfsame moment I could pray；

    And from my neck so free

    The albatross fell off， and sank

    Like lead into the sea.