The Mariner and the Albatross

~ The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge ~ Full Version - Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZET9Q2RhONw

The Mariner and the Albatross

Inspired by the poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (1817)

written by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797"1799

* * *

The evening had settled down and I was resting my aching feet by the fire

when that strange man came inside the pub, not young nor old

but his beard was long, very long and his eyes were piercing bright!

 

He looked very tired and weary so I stood up and said;

‘Welcome fellow traveler, how can I help thou?

Would you prefer food and drink, or whether sleep?’

But he raised his pale hand to interrupt me and said;

‘Ere long good landlord, but first let me tell you a tale,

a tale of old, the tale of the mariner and the albatross!’

He was speaking eagerly; pleading me to listen,

the tone of his voice seemed almost demanding,

and his eyes so keen and bright!

 

I stepped back with slightly confused expression on my face

and he continued hastily with more friendly voice;

‘Do not fear me, my friend! Thou seem a man of sense,

so I plead thou to hear what I’ve got to tell’.

I nodded and asked him to sit by the fireplace.

I bought on the table two large beer stains and sat to nearby chair to listen him.

It was now dark and the room was dim, expect for the fire blazing in the fireplace

and few candles on the tables.

 

The Mariner

‘Thou see I was, and I always will be, a mariner

and I had a mighty ship whose captain I was’.

 

‘It was a tall ship, made of oak with white sails,

neither before nor since has there been such a magnificent ship!

We sailed the seven seas, and many sea birds we saw.

There were endless foam-waves singing happily and

wherever we looked, we saw emerald glimmering far!’

 

‘The wind was favorable, and the sky so blue!

My crew, they sang many songs and greeted with joy

those sea gulls who flew alongside.’

 

‘After a long time, my crew and I, we began to get tired

and we yearned to see again those familiar hills and forests.

So we turned towards home, but soon we got lost on the way

and the mist covered all the landmarks, the wind ceased and the air got colder.’

 

‘Many days past and we no longer knew where we were and despair came over us,

and we thought that this is the very last voyage we made.

But then I heard a joyful cry;

“Look, look! The albatross has come!”

And indeed; the great white albatross flew from the mist!

In black and white the albatross wing’s touched the sky and lo! the wind again blew on our faces!

Everyone cheered, because for all the mariner’s the world over,

the albatross was the most sacred bird.’

 

‘Hooray! Hooray!’ they all cheered and danced on the deck.

But I, I was very young and in my deepest pride I had never believed in those mariner’s belief!

So in foolishness and in nonchalance

 because of that fact that my crew in that situation trusted more in albatross help than in their captain’s,

I shot the albatross with my crossbow!’

 

‘The albatross fell heavy like a stone

and the guilt were hung around my neck!’

 

‘My crew were weeping and keening,

grieving for the albatross.

And someone cried out;

‘Why O why you did so, badly it was

and accident will face us!’’

 

At present time (In the pub)

It was death quiet and the air felt cold, very cold

and in the tables next to us the candles suddenly went out.

Fire was still burning and the shadows rested on the man’s pale face.

 

Suddenly the mariner keened and wailed out loud;

“O what a horrible fate I choose

when that arrow I got loose,

and I shot the albatross!”

 

‘Alas! The blood of innocent in my hands.

Albatross, the fellow traveler of mariner’s ,

greatly loved by God!

Thou must respect the life which He has given!

 

The Landlord

The mariner’s timeless appearance seemed almost a ghostly thing!

I was shivering; ‘Who art thou? A ghost or what?’ I said.

 

The Mariner

‘Nay, good landlord I am not a ghost, believe in me!

I am the hapless mariner who got to hear his judgement,

because so lightly I handled my crossbow!

 

 Until seventy times seventy years have passed,

and ‘til I’ve issued a refund for the innocent blood

to tell this tale to all who will listen,

 

because so lightly I choosed between life and death!’

 

Then the mariner was gone and landlord sat alone in the room

and he was greatly moved by mariner’s wise words.

The room was lit by various shades of gold as the morning sun

rise from the depths of the sea and the tale, the tale of the mariner lives on.

* * *

It was told that in the very end the mariner atone for albatross death and at last he was granted peace and he was no longer seen on Earth. Some say that the mariner took the form of albatross for a respect and love for this majestic sea bird. While others say that the Almighty gave mariner the shape of the albatross after he was completed the task given to him.

Author's Note

My poem ‘The Mariner and the Albatross’ was inspired by
"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (1817) is a poem written by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797–1799 and published in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads (1797). It is Coleridge's longest major poem.
(wikisource)

See more:
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rime_of_the_Ancient_Mariner_(1817)

Reviews

[emmajoy]

' “Look, look! The albatross has come!”

What an incredible adaptation of a wonderful tale! You've retained the heart of the story but invested it with thoughts and sights of your own. The work involved must have taken time, you've been so careful to add Coleridge's mythical perceptions... I think that's what I think.

Wonderful work, thank you so very much for sharing it with the Café, Sarah.. Many more people should read it...

[~Sarah~ Idríel The Fair]

Thank you for your kind words fellow writer.

I'm just a writer and I feel humble in front of "the big names" you know and in this poem written by me I wanted to honor the original work by my own way.

Thank you again.

[emmajoy]

Tis fine to feel humble bu - t a little pride in one's adventuring is allowed, Sarah. Please, forget the mundane and adventure like crazy! :)

[~Sarah~ Idríel The Fair]

Well maybe I will allow myself to feel a sense of pride. Thank you. =)

[emmajoy]

Please, please, allow it. :)

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Sarah for sharing the story. I love the ancient writers. They are my muses. I use often. Donne, Dryden and Ben Jonson. Give me reasons to write.
Coyote

[~Sarah~ Idríel The Fair]

Many, many thanks to you my fellow poet friend.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome my dear friend.