The Bride hath paced into the hall, Red as a rose is she; Nodding their heads before her goes The merry minstrelsy.
The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast, Yet he cannot choose but hear; And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner:
'And now the storm-blast came, and he Was tyrannous and strong: He struck with his o'ertaking wings, And chased us south along.
'With sloping masts and dipping prow, As who pursued with yell and blow Still treads the shadow of his foe, And forward bends his head, The ship drove fast, loud roar'd the blast, And southward aye we fled.
'And now there came both mist and snow, And it grew wondrous cold: And ice, mast high, came floating by, As green as emerald.
'And through the drifts the snowy clifts Did send a dismal sheen: Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken-- The ice was all between.
'The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around: It crack'd and growl'd, and roar'd and howl'd, Like noises in a swound!
'At length did cross an Albatross, Thorough the fog it came; As if it had been a Christian soul We hail'd it in God's name.
'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 steer'd us through.
'And a good south wind sprung up behind; The Albatross did follow, And every day, for food or play, Came to the mariners' hollo!
'In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud, It perch'd for vespers nine; Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white, Glimmer'd the white moon-shine.'
'God save thee, ancient Mariner! From the fiends, that plague thee thus!-- Why look'st thou so?'--'With my cross-bow I shot the Albatross!'
'The Sun now rose upon the right: Out of the sea came he, Still hid in mist, and on the left 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 Came to the mariners' hollo!
'And I had done a hellish thing, And it would work 'em woe: For all averr'd, I had kill'd the bird That made the breeze to blow. Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay, That made the breeze to blow!
'Nor dim nor red, like God's own head, The glorious Sun uprist: Then all averr'd, I had kill'd the bird That brought the fog and mist. 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay, That bring the fog and mist.