The Whale Watch

The four whales slain that evening had died wide apart; one, far to windward; one, less distant, to leeward; one ahead; one astern. These last three were brought alongside ere nightfall; but the windward one could not be reached till morning; and the boat that had killed it lay by its side all night; and that boat was Ahab’s.

The four whales killed that evening had died far apart. One was far upwind, another was closer downwind, one was ahead, and one was behind. The last three were brought alongside before nightfall. But the upwind whale could not be reached until morning. The boat that had killed it stayed beside it all night, and that boat was Ahab’s.

The waif-pole was thrust upright into the dead whale’s spout-hole; and the lantern hanging from its top, cast a troubled flickering glare upon the black, glossy back, and far out upon the midnight waves, which gently chafed the whale’s broad flank, like soft surf upon a beach.

The waif-pole was pushed upright into the dead whale’s blowhole. A lantern hung from its top, casting an unsteady, flickering light across the whale’s black, glossy back and far out over the midnight waves. The waves gently brushed the whale’s broad flank, like soft surf against a beach.

Ahab and all his boat’s crew seemed asleep but the Parsee; who crouching in the bow, sat watching the sharks, that spectrally played round the whale, and tapped the light cedar planks with their tails. A sound like the moaning in squadrons over Asphaltites of unforgiven ghosts of Gomorrah, ran shuddering through the air.

Ahab and all his boat’s crew seemed asleep, except for the Parsee. He crouched in the bow, watching the sharks. They played like ghosts around the whale, tapping the light cedar planks with their tails. A sound shuddered through the air, like the moaning of the unforgiven ghosts of Gomorrah in their ranks over Asphaltites.

Started from his slumbers, Ahab, face to face, saw the Parsee; and hooped round by the gloom of the night they seemed the last men in a flooded world. “I have dreamed it again,” said he.

Ahab woke from sleep and found himself face to face with the Parsee. Surrounded by the darkness of the night, they seemed like the last men in a flooded world. “I have dreamed it again,” Ahab said.

“Of the hearses? Have I not said, old man, that neither hearse nor coffin can be thine?”

“About the hearses? Haven't I told you, old man, that you can have neither a hearse nor a coffin?”

“And who are hearsed that die on the sea?”

“And who is carried in a hearse when they die at sea?”

“But I said, old man, that ere thou couldst die on this voyage, two hearses must verily be seen by thee on the sea; the first not made by mortal hands; and the visible wood of the last one must be grown in America.”

“But I said, old man, that before you could die on this voyage, you must see two hearses at sea. The first must not be made by human hands. The visible wood of the second must have grown in America.”

“Aye, aye! a strange sight that, Parsee:—a hearse and its plumes floating over the ocean with the waves for the pall-bearers. Ha! Such a sight we shall not soon see.”

“Yes, yes! That’s a strange sight, Parsee: a hearse and its plumes floating over the ocean, with the waves as pallbearers. Ha! We won’t see a sight like that again soon.”

“Believe it or not, thou canst not die till it be seen, old man.”

“Believe it or not, you can’t die until it’s been seen, old man.”

“And what was that saying about thyself?”

“And what was that saying about yourself?”

“Though it come to the last, I shall still go before thee thy pilot.”

“Even if it comes to the end, I will still go ahead of you as your pilot.”

“And when thou art so gone before—if that ever befall—then ere I can follow, thou must still appear to me, to pilot me still?—Was it not so? Well, then, did I believe all ye say, oh my pilot! I have here two pledges that I shall yet slay Moby Dick and survive it.”

“And when you go before me, if that ever happens, you must still appear to guide me before I can follow. Wasn’t that what you said? Well then, if I believed all you say, oh my pilot, I would have two promises that I will yet kill Moby Dick and survive.”

“Take another pledge, old man,” said the Parsee, as his eyes lighted up like fire-flies in the gloom—“Hemp only can kill thee.”

“Take another pledge, old man,” said the Parsee, his eyes lighting up like fireflies in the darkness. “Only hemp can kill you.”

“The gallows, ye mean.—I am immortal then, on land and on sea,” cried Ahab, with a laugh of derision;—“Immortal on land and on sea!”

“The gallows, you mean. Then I am immortal on land and at sea!” Ahab cried with a mocking laugh. “Immortal on land and at sea!”

Both were silent again, as one man. The grey dawn came on, and the slumbering crew arose from the boat’s bottom, and ere noon the dead whale was brought to the ship.

Both fell silent again, as if they were one man. The gray dawn came, and the sleeping crew rose from the bottom of the boat. Before noon, the dead whale was brought to the ship.