I heard, and in my soul discerned Two voices in the air. "Is it he?" quoth one, "Is this the man? By Him who died on cross, With his cruel bow he laid full low The harmless Albatross. "The spirit who bideth by himself In the land of mist and snow, He loved the bird that loved the man Who shot him with his bow." The other was a softer voice, As soft as honey-dew: Quoth he, "The man hath penance done, PART VI. FIRST VOICE. BUT tell me, tell me! speak again, Thy soft.response renewing— What makes that ship drive on so fast? What is the ocean doing? SECOND VOICE. Still as a slave before his lord, The ocean hath no blast; 410 415 His great bright eye most silently If he may know which way to go; She looketh down on him. FIRST VOICE. 420 The Mariner But why drives on that ship so fast, hath been cast into a trance; for the angelic power causeth the vessel to drive northward faster than human life could endure. The supernatural motion is retarded; the Mariner awakes, and his penance begins anew. Without or wave or wind? SECOND VOICE. The air is cut away before, And closes from behind. Fly, brother, fly! more high, more high! For slow and slow that ship will go, I woke, and we were sailing on As in a gentle weather: 425 430 "Twas night, calm night, the moon was high; The dead men stood together. All stood together on the deck, For a charnel-dungeon fitter: 435 The pang, the curse, with which they died, Had never passed away : I could not draw my eyes from theirs, Nor turn them up to pray. And now this spell was snapt: once more I viewed the ocean green, And looked far forth, yet little saw Of what had else been seen— Like one, that on a lonesome road Doth walk in fear and dread, And having once turned round walks on, And turns no more his head; Because he knows a frightful fiend Doth close behind him tread. But soon there breathed a wind on me, Nor sound nor motion made: Its path was not upon the sea, In ripple or in shade. It raised my hair, it fanned my cheek It mingled strangely with my fears, Swiftly, swiftly flew the ship, Yet she sailed softly too: The rock shone bright, the kirk no less, That stands above the rock: The moonlight steeped in silentness The steady weathercock. The angelic spirits leave the dead bodies, And appear in their own forms of light. And the bay was white with silent light Till rising from the same, Full many shapes, that shadows were, In crimson colours came. A little distance from the prow Those crimson shadows were: 480 485 I turned my eyes upon the deck Oh, Christ! what saw I there! Each corse lay flat, lifeless and flat, A man all light, a seraph-man, On every corse there stood. This seraph-band, each waved his hand, It was a heavenly sight! They stood as signals to the land Each one a lovely light; This seraph-band, each waved his hand, No voice did they impart No voice; but oh! the silence sank Like music on my heart. 490 495 |