Classic Poem

1

What Immortal wakes my song,
Unto whom my lays belong?
Fair Aditi! Shine before us,
Mother of Light! To thee restore us, —
That my father I may see,
With my mother I may be!

2

Flame Immortal, Agni bright,
We invoke thy holy light!
Priest and God! He shines before us,
To Aditi shall restore us, —
That my father I may see,
With my mother I may be!

3

Bright Savitri, Sun unrisen,
Beam upon our earthly prison!
Thine is every golden treasure,
Grant to us our earthly measure, —
Grant, they never may grow less,
Hope and health and happiness!

4

Golden-handed God of Light,
Grant thy stainless favours bright,
May thy gifts upon us wait
Free from sin, reproach, and hate, —
Grant they never may grow less,
Hope and health and happiness!

5

Life-inspiring God of Day,
Mortals for thy favours pray,
Thou hast wealth for sons of men
Affluence beyond their ken, —
Radiant Bhaga deals thy grace,
Hope and health and happiness!

6

Lord Varuna, Righteous King,
Joyous heavens thy glories sing;
Not the birds that sail the sky
Thy resistless speed can vie,
Not the winds in ceaseless course
Nor the torrent's matchless force!

7

Lord Varuna, Hallowed Light,
Throned in Heaven's etherial height,
Thine the radiance, rooted high,
Streaming downwards from the sky;
May it fill our heart with gladness
Quell the gloom of sin and sadness!

8

Thine the mighty hand hath laid,
Pathway for the sun to tread,
Thine the finger, day to day
Points to him his viewless way,
Thine the rays that darkness banish,
Sorrow, sin, and sadness vanish!

9

Hundred thousand balms that heal
From thy hands on mortals steal;
Hundred thousand blessings pour
From thy mercy's endless store;
Teach us, future sins to shun,
Save us, Lord, from sins we've done!

10

Yonder radiant stars of night,
Where are they when dawns the light?
Nature owns thy changeless law,
Universe obeys in awe,
And the orb of silver ray
Silent walks her nightly way!

11

Teach me, Lord, to chant thy lays,
And with gifts repeat thy praise;
Stay with us devoid of wrath,
Save us from the downward path;
World-extending in thy might,
Ruler of the realms of light!

12

Sages tell me night and day,
And my whispering heart doth say: —
Let the sinner in his chains
Ask his grace who grace ordains;
He is King and he is Love,
Bonds of sin he can remove!

13

Shackled to the three-fold stake,
Suppliant for his grace, I speak: —
May Aditi's Royal Son
Heed this humble worship done,
May he who in mercy reigns
Loose the fettered captive's chains!

14

Loose the fetters from above,
Mid and lower chains remove;
Free from sins, in law abiding,
May we heed thy holy guiding;
Stand, Aditi's Son, before us,
To Aditi yet restore us!