A Ship
1.
Aboard, at the ship’s helm,
A young steersman, steering with care.
A bell through fog on a sea-coast dolefully ringing, An ocean-bell—O a warning bell, rocked by the waves.
O you give good notice indeed, you bell by the sea-reefs ringing,
Ringing, ringing, to warn the ship from its wreck-place.
For, as on the alert, O steersman, you mind the bell’s admonition,
The bows turn,—the freighted ship, tacking, speeds away under her grey
sails;
The beautiful and noble ship, with all her precious wealth, speeds away
gaily and safe.
2.
But O the ship, the immortal ship! O ship aboard the ship! O ship of the body—ship of the soul—voyaging, voyaging, voyaging.