To The Fire

Books: Sacred Books Of The East

I offer my sacrifice and homage to thee, the Fire, as a good offering,

and an offering with our hail of salvation, even as an offering of

praise with benedictions, to thee, the Fire, O Ahura Mazda's son! Meet

for sacrifice art thou, and worthy of our homage. And as meet for

sacrifice, and thus worthy of our homage, mayest thou be in the houses

of men who worship Mazda. Salvation be to this man who worships thee in

veri y and truth, with wood in hand, and Baresma ready, with flesh in

hand, and holding too the mortar. And mayest thou be ever fed with wood

as the prescription orders. Yea, mayest thou have thy perfume justly,

and thy sacred butter without fail, and thine andirons regularly placed.

Be of full-age as to thy nourishment, of the canon's age as to the

measure of thy food, O Fire, Ahura Mazda's son! Be now aflame within

this house; be ever without fail in flame; be all a-shine within this

house; be on thy growth within this house; for long time be thou thus to

the furtherance of the heroic renovation, to the completion of all

progress, yea, even till the good heroic millennial time when that

renovation shall have become complete. Give me, O Fire, Ahura Mazda's

son! a speedy glory, speedy nourishment, and speedy booty, and abundant

glory, abundant nourishment, abundant booty, an expanded mind, and

nimbleness of tongue for soul and understanding, even an understanding

continually growing in its largeness, and that never wanders, and long

enduring virile power, an offspring sure of foot, that never sleeps on

watch, and that rises quick from bed, and likewise a wakeful offspring,

helpful to nurture, or reclaim, legitimate, keeping order in men's

meetings, yea, drawing men to assemblies through their influence and

word, grown to power, skilful, redeeming others from oppression, served

by many followers, which may advance my line in prosperity and fame, and

my Vis, and my Bantu, and my province, yea, an offering which may

deliver orders to the Province as firm and righteous rulers. And mayest

thou grant me, O Fire, Ahura Mazda's Son! that whereby instructors may

be given me, now and for evermore, giving light to me of Heaven, the

best life of the saints, brilliant, all glorious. And may I have

experience of the good reward, and the good renown, and of the long

forecasting preparation of the soul. The Fire of Ahura Mazda addresses

this admonition to all for whom he cooks the night and morning meal.

From all these, O Spitama! he wishes to secure good care, and healthful

care as guarding for salvation, the care of a true praiser. At both the

hands of all who come by me, I, the Fire, keenly look: What brings the

mate to his mate, the one who walks at large, to him who sits at home?

We worship the bounteous Fire, the swift-driving charioteer. And if this

man who passes brings him wood brought with sacred care, or if he brings

the Baresma spread with sanctity, or the Hadha-naepata plant, then

afterwards Ahura Mazda's Fire will bless him, contented, not offended,

and in its satisfaction saying thus: May a herd of kine be with thee,

and a multitude of men, may an active mind go with thee, and an active

soul as well. As a blest soul mayest thou live through thy life, the

nights which thou shall live. This is the blessing of the Fire for him

who brings it wood well dried, sought out for flaming, purified with the

earnest blessing of the sacred ritual truth. We strive after the flowing

on of the good waters, and their ebb as well, and the sounding of their

waves, desiring their propitiation; I desire to approach them with my

praise.