From the sails the dew did drip--
Till clomb above the eastern bar
The horn{'e}d Moon, with one bright star
Within the nether tip.
One after one, by the star-dogged Moon,
Too quick for groan or sigh,
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang,
And cursed me with his eye.
Four times fifty living men,
(And I heard nor sigh nor groan)
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
They dropped down one by one.
The souls did from their bodies fly,--
They fled to bliss or woe!
And every soul, it passed me by,
Like the whizz of my cross-bow!
Part IV
- '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 dropt 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