Indra, the Rain-God
1
I WILL sing the wondrous story, —
Thunder-armed Indra's glory, —
How he won from Vritra's might
Captive waters sparkling bright,
Cleft for them the mountain way,
Rolled the rivers rich and gay!
2
Indra pierced the dragon cloud, —
Darkening mountains in a shroud,
Twashtri forged the lightning-dart, —
Fashioned with celestial art,
As the milch-kine to the fold
Rivers to the ocean rolled!
3
Like a bull, impetuous, strong,
Indra, hymned in ancient song,
Drank the Soma three times given,
Grasped the forked brand of heaven,
Smote the first-born fiend of might,
Rolling up the mountain's height!
4
Indra! When you slew the first-born,
Cleared the shadows of the red morn,
When with bright flame-fashioned arms
You dispelled his spells and charms,
Leaped the light of ruddy dawn,
Foe or fiend of gloom was none!
5
Darkling Vritra hid the world,
Lightning-lances Indra hurled,
And his thunders' deadly stroke
Clouds to pieces rent and broke,
Like a tree by woodsman felled
Fell the fiend by Indra quelled!
6
Feeble foe, by madness fired,
Combat with the strong desired;
Many-slayer, stout of hand,
Indra hurled his restless brand;
How the vanquished splashing fell,
How the streams did roar and swell!
7
Footless, handless, in his rage
Vritra still the war would wage;
On his shoulders deep and broad
Fell the thunders of the God;
Boastful but emasculate,
Crushed and torn he sought his fate!
8
Like the leaping wild cascade
Torrents rolled above the dead;
Erst the coiling fiend of gloom
Compassed waters in his womb,
Prostrate now and low he lay,
Rivers laughed in boisterous play!
9
Mother rain-cloud gathered new,
Indra to the combat flew,
Hurled new thunders dark and dun,
Smote the mother like the son;
As the calf beside the cow,
Whelp and dam alike lay low!
10
Rolled the rivers fresh and new,
Ceaseless waters onward flew,
Bursting torrents, copious fed,
Bore away the shapeless dead;
Indra's foe, bereft of breath,
Slept the endless sleep of death!
11
Light was prisoned in the gloom,
Indra freed her from its womb;
Rain was prisoned in the cloud,
Indra smote the demon proud;
Oped the caverns of the night,
Gave us rain and gave us light!
12
Vain were Vritra's angry blows,
Indra shielded him from foes;
And he freed the captive kine,
Conquered Soma's sparkling wine,
Rolled seven rivers famed of old,
Feeding nations as they rolled!
13
Bolt of thunder, storm of hail,
'Gainst the hero harmless fell;
Shrouds of mists and gusts of rain
'Gainst the scatheless God were vain;
Vritra strove in furious mood,
Calm the conquering Indra stood!
14
Indra! When thy foe was dead,
Didst thou dimly, darkly dread
Some avenger in the fray;
Didst thou like a bird of prey
Swoop o'er ninety streams and nine
Through the blue sky which was thine?
15
Thunder armed Sovran-king,
Of each life and lifeless thing,
Of each creature in his station,
Of each clime and race and nation!
Spokes are circled by the rim,
Worlds encircled live in Him !
I WILL sing the wondrous story, —
Thunder-armed Indra's glory, —
How he won from Vritra's might
Captive waters sparkling bright,
Cleft for them the mountain way,
Rolled the rivers rich and gay!
2
Indra pierced the dragon cloud, —
Darkening mountains in a shroud,
Twashtri forged the lightning-dart, —
Fashioned with celestial art,
As the milch-kine to the fold
Rivers to the ocean rolled!
3
Like a bull, impetuous, strong,
Indra, hymned in ancient song,
Drank the Soma three times given,
Grasped the forked brand of heaven,
Smote the first-born fiend of might,
Rolling up the mountain's height!
4
Indra! When you slew the first-born,
Cleared the shadows of the red morn,
When with bright flame-fashioned arms
You dispelled his spells and charms,
Leaped the light of ruddy dawn,
Foe or fiend of gloom was none!
5
Darkling Vritra hid the world,
Lightning-lances Indra hurled,
And his thunders' deadly stroke
Clouds to pieces rent and broke,
Like a tree by woodsman felled
Fell the fiend by Indra quelled!
6
Feeble foe, by madness fired,
Combat with the strong desired;
Many-slayer, stout of hand,
Indra hurled his restless brand;
How the vanquished splashing fell,
How the streams did roar and swell!
7
Footless, handless, in his rage
Vritra still the war would wage;
On his shoulders deep and broad
Fell the thunders of the God;
Boastful but emasculate,
Crushed and torn he sought his fate!
8
Like the leaping wild cascade
Torrents rolled above the dead;
Erst the coiling fiend of gloom
Compassed waters in his womb,
Prostrate now and low he lay,
Rivers laughed in boisterous play!
9
Mother rain-cloud gathered new,
Indra to the combat flew,
Hurled new thunders dark and dun,
Smote the mother like the son;
As the calf beside the cow,
Whelp and dam alike lay low!
10
Rolled the rivers fresh and new,
Ceaseless waters onward flew,
Bursting torrents, copious fed,
Bore away the shapeless dead;
Indra's foe, bereft of breath,
Slept the endless sleep of death!
11
Light was prisoned in the gloom,
Indra freed her from its womb;
Rain was prisoned in the cloud,
Indra smote the demon proud;
Oped the caverns of the night,
Gave us rain and gave us light!
12
Vain were Vritra's angry blows,
Indra shielded him from foes;
And he freed the captive kine,
Conquered Soma's sparkling wine,
Rolled seven rivers famed of old,
Feeding nations as they rolled!
13
Bolt of thunder, storm of hail,
'Gainst the hero harmless fell;
Shrouds of mists and gusts of rain
'Gainst the scatheless God were vain;
Vritra strove in furious mood,
Calm the conquering Indra stood!
14
Indra! When thy foe was dead,
Didst thou dimly, darkly dread
Some avenger in the fray;
Didst thou like a bird of prey
Swoop o'er ninety streams and nine
Through the blue sky which was thine?
15
Thunder armed Sovran-king,
Of each life and lifeless thing,
Of each creature in his station,
Of each clime and race and nation!
Spokes are circled by the rim,
Worlds encircled live in Him !
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