Lyrical Ballads With a Few Other Poems (1798‪)‬

It is an ancyent Marinere,

    And he stoppeth one of three:

“By thy long grey beard and thy glittering eye

    “Now wherefore stoppest me?


“The Bridegroom’s doors are open’d wide

    “And I am next of kin;

“The Guests are met, the Feast is set,—

    “May’st hear the merry din.—


But still he holds the wedding-guest—

    There was a Ship, quoth he—

“Nay, if thou’st got a laughsome tale,

    “Marinere! come with me.”


He holds him with his skinny hand,

    Quoth he, there was a Ship—

“Now get thee hence, thou grey-beard Loon!

    “Or my Staff shall make thee skip.”


He holds him with his glittering eye—

    The wedding guest stood still

And listens like a three year’s child;

    The Marinere hath his will.


The wedding-guest sate on a stone,

    He cannot chuse but hear:

And thus spake on that ancyent man,

    The bright-eyed Marinere.


The Ship was cheer’d, the Harbour clear’d—

    Merrily did we drop

Below the Kirk, below the Hill,

    Below the Light-house top.


The Sun came up upon the left,

    Out of the Sea came he:

And he shone bright, and on the right

    Went down into the Sea.


Higher and higher every day,

    Till over the mast at noon—

The wedding-guest here beat his breast,

    For he heard the loud bassoon.