As we steered the ship away, away,
From the boat that rocked on that dismal Bay,
There arose from the wretches left behind,
Helpless by famine, sick and blind,
A cry that would pierce through iron bars;
The despairing groan
Of those left alone
Passed through the ranks of the shivering stars,
To the dreadful God on His holy throne.
When out of that accursed Bay,
Southward, homeward we sailed away.
We had favouring winds, we hurried fast,
Had our sails been of the hurricane's blast,
Our guilt so surrounded and hemmed us in
That we could not sail away from our sin;
For all nature knew that we had done
The awfullest deed beneath the sun
Our burning eyes were forbid to weep,
We lost the rest of the blessed sleep;
For scared by dreams and terrified
By visions, leaving us weary-eyed,
We knew that the tempter's work was done,
We had staked our souls and the fiend had won.
I stood one night at the wheel alone:
Stars in millions were in the sky,
Every star an accusing eye;
I heard again that horrible groan
Of horror, of helpless terror and pain,
I had hoped to nevermore hear again--
The cry of those we had left alone.
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