Till noon we silently sailed on,

Yet never a breeze did breathe:

Slowly and smoothly went the Ship
Moved onward from beneath.

Under the keel nine fathom deep
From the land of mist and snow

The Spirit slid: and it was He
That made the Ship to go.

The sails at noon left off their tune,
And the Ship stood still also.

The Sun right up above the mast
Had fixed her to the ocean :

But in a minute she 'gan stir

With a short uneasy motionBackwards and forwards half her length,

With a short uneasy motion.

Then, like a pawing horse let go,

She made a sudden bound:

It flung the blood into my head,
And I fell into a swound.

How long in that same fit I lay,
I have not to declare;

But ere my living life returned,

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, And penance more will do.'

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:

His great bright eye most silently

Up to the moon is cast

If he

may

know which

way to go,

For she guides him smooth or grim.

See, brother, see! how graciously.

She looketh down on him.'

FIRST VOICE.

'But why drives on that ship so fast

Without or wave or wind?'

SECOND VOICE.

The air is cut away before,

And closes from behind.

Fly, brother, fly! more high, more high,

Or we shall be belated:

For slow and slow that ship will go,

When the Mariner's trance is abated.'