Her lips were red, her looks were free, [190]
Her locks were yellow as gold:
Her skin was as white as leprosy,
The Night-mare Life-in-Death was she,
Who thicks man's blood with cold.
The naked hulk alongside came, [195]
And the twain were casting dice;
'The game is done! I've won! I've won!'
Quoth she, and whistles thrice.
No twilight within the[195:1] courts of the Sun.
The Sun's rim dips: the stars rush out:
At one stride comes the dark; [200]
With far-heard whisper, o'er the sea,
Off shot the spectre-bark.
At the rising of the Moon.
We listened and looked sideways up!
Fear at my heart, as at a cup,
My life-blood seemed to sip! [205]
The stars were dim, and thick the night,
The steersman's face by his lamp gleamed white;
From the sails the dew did drip—
Till clomb above the eastern bar
The hornéd Moon, with one bright star 210
Within the nether tip.
One after another,
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. 215
His shipmates drop down dead.