“It ate the food it ne’er had eat,
  And round and round it flew. 
  The ice did split with a thunder-fit;
  The helmsman steered us through. 70

  “And a good south wind sprung up behind;
  The Albatross did follow,
  And every day, for food or play,
  Came to the mariner’s hollo!

  “In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,[14] 75
  It perched for vespers nine;[15]
  Whiles[16] all the night, through fog-smoke white,
  Glimmered the white moon-shine.”

  “God save thee, ancient Mariner! 
  From the fiends that plague thee thus!—­ 80
  Why look’st thou so?”—­“With my cross-bow
  I shot the Albatross.”

PART II

  “The Sun now rose upon the right:[17]
  Out of the sea came he,
  Still hid in mist, and on the left 85
  Went down into the sea.

  “And the good south wind still blew behind,
  But no sweet bird did follow,
  Nor any day for food or play
  Come to the mariners’ hollo! 90

  “And I had done a hellish thing,
  And it would work ’em woe;
  For all averred, I had killed the bird
  That made the breeze to blow. 
  ‘Ah wretch!’ said they, ’the bird to slay, 95
  That made the breeze to blow!’

  “Nor dim nor red, like God’s own head
  The glorious sun uprist:[18]
  Then all averred, I had killed the bird
  That brought the fog and mist. 100
  ‘’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;[19]
  We were the first that ever burst
  Into that silent sea.[20] 105

  “Down dropped the breeze, the sails dropped down,
  ’T was sad as sad could be;
  And we did speak only to break
  The silence of the sea! 110

  “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, 115
  We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
  As idle as a painted ship
  Upon a painted ocean.

  “Water, water, everywhere,
  And all the boards did shrink; 120
  Water, water, everywhere,
  Nor any drop to drink.

  “The very deep did rot:  O Christ! 
  That ever this should be! 
  Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs 125
  Upon the slimy sea.

  “About, about, in reel and rout
  The death-fires[21] danced at night;
  The water, like a witch’s oils,
  Burnt green, and blue, and white, 130

  “And some in dreams assured were
  Of the spirit that plagued us so;[22]
  Nine fathom deep he had followed us
  From the land of mist and snow.