The Albatross fell off, and sank Like lead into the sea. PART V. "Oh sleep! it is a gentle thing, Beloved from pole to pole! To Mary Queen the praise be given! She sent the gentle sleep from Heaven, That slid into my soul. The sillys buckets on the deck, That had so long remained, I dreamt that they were filled with dew; And when I awoke, it rained. My lips were wet, my throat was coid, Sure I had drunken in my dreams, I moved, and could not feel my limbs: I was so light-almost I thought that I had died in sleep, And soon I heard a roaring wind: It did not come anear: But with its sound it shook the sails, That were so thin and sere. The upper air burst into life! To and fro they were hurried about! And the coming wind did roar more loud, And the sails did sigh like sedge; 290 The loud wind, never reached the ship, Yet now the ship moved on! 300 310 And the rain poured down from one black cloud; The Moon was at its edge. The thick black cloud was cleft, and still Like waters shot from some high crag, 320 292-308. By grace of the holy Mother, the ancient Mariner is refreshed with rain. 309-326. He heareth sounds and seeth strange sights and commotions in the sky and the element. 327-376. The bodies of the ship's crew are inspired. and the ship moves on but not by the souls of the men, nor by demons of earth or middle air, but by a blessed troop of angelic spirits, sent down by the invocation of the guardian saint. 8 Perhaps "useless"; but the origipal meaning "blessed" will fit very well. Beneath the lightning and the Moon They groaned, they stirred, they all uprose, It had been strange, even in a dream, To have seen those dead men rise. The helmsman steered, the ship moved on; The mariners all 'gan work the ropes, They raised their limbs like lifeless tools- The body of my brother's son Stood by me, knee to knee: The body and I pulled at one rope "I fear thee, ancient Mariner!"— 'Twas not those souls that fled in pain, Which to their corses came again, But a troop of spirits blest: 330 340 Sweet sounds rose slowly through their mouths, Around, around, flew each sweet sound, Slowly the sounds came back again, Sometimes a-dropping from the sky And now 'twas like all instruments, And now it is an angel's song, It ceased; yet still the sails made on A noise like of a hidden brook Till noon we quietly sailed on, 360 370 Its path was not upon the sea, It raised my hair, it fanned my cheek Swiftly, swiftly flew the ship, Oh! dream of joy! is this indeed Is this the hill? is this the kirk? We drifted o'er the harbour-bar, The harbour-bay was clear as glass, And on the bay the moonlight lay, The rock shone bright, the kirk no less, And the bay was white with silent light Full many shapes, that shadows were, In crimson colours came. A little distance from the prow I turned my eyes upon the deck- Each corse lay flat, lifeless and flat, A man all light, a seraph-man, This seraph-band, each waved his hand: They stood as signals to the land, This seraph-band, each waved his hand, No voice; but oh! the silence sank 460 470 480 490 464-479. The ancient Mariner beholdeth his native country. 480-499. The angelic spirits leave the dead bodies and appear in their own forms of light. 9 cross But soon I heard the dash of oars, The Pilot and the Pilot's boy, I heard them coming fast: Dear Lord in Heaven! it was a joy I saw a third-I heard his voice: He singeth loud his godly hymns He'll shrieve my soul, he'll wash away PART VII. "This Hermit good lives in that wood He kneels at morn, and noon, and eve- It is the moss that wholly hides The skiff-boat neared: I heard them talk, 'Why, this is strange, I trow! Where are those lights so many and fair, That signal made but now?' 'Strange, by my faith!' the Hermit said— 'And they answered not our cheer! 500 510 520 |