"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. "And every tongue, through utter drought, 135 Was withered at the root; We could not speak, no more than if We had been choked with soot. "Ah! well-a-day! what evil looks Had I from old and young! 140 Instead of the cross, the Albatross About my neck was hung." PART III "There passed a weary time. Each throat Was parched, and glazed each eye. A weary time! a weary time! 145 How glazed each weary eye, When, looking westward, I beheld A something in the sky. "At first it seemed a little speck, And then it seemed a mist; 150 It moved and moved, and took at last A certain shape, I wist.[23] "A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist! And still it neared and neared; As if it dodged a water-sprite, 155 It plunged and tacked and veered, "With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, We could nor laugh nor wail; Through utter drought all dumb we stood! I bit my arm, I sucked the blood, 160 And cried, 'A sail! a sail!' "With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, Agape[24] they heard me call: Gramercy![25] they for joy did grin, And all at once their breath drew in, 165 As they were drinking all. "See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more! Hither to work us weal,[26] Without a breeze, without a tide, She steadies with upright keel! 170