HYMN LXXX. Dawn: Rig Veda – Book 5 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

दयुतद्यामानम बर्हतीम रतेन रतावरीम अरुणप्सुं विभातीम |
देवीम उषसं सवर आवहन्तीम परति विप्रासो मतिभिर जरन्ते ||

एषा जनं दर्शता बोधयन्ती सुगान पथः कर्ण्वती यात्य अग्रे |
बर्हद्रथा बर्हती विश्वमिन्वोषा जयोतिर यछत्य अग्रे अह्नाम ||

एषा गोभिर अरुणेभिर युजानास्रेधन्ती रयिम अप्रायु चक्रे |
पथो रदन्ती सुविताय देवी पुरुष्टुता विश्ववारा वि भाति ||

एषा वयेनी भवति दविबर्हा आविष्क्र्ण्वाना तन्वम पुरस्तात |
रतस्य पन्थाम अन्व एति साधु परजानतीव न दिशो मिनाति ||

एषा शुभ्रा न तन्वो विदानोर्ध्वेव सनाती दर्शये नो अस्थात |
अप दवेषो बाधमाना तमांस्य उषा दिवो दुहिता जयोतिषागात ||

एषा परतीची दुहिता दिवो नॄन योषेव भद्रा नि रिणीते अप्सः |
वयूर्ण्वती दाशुषे वार्याणि पुनर जयोतिर युवतिः पूर्वथाकः ||

dyutadyāmānam bṛhatīm ṛtena ṛtāvarīm aruṇapsuṃ vibhātīm |
devīm uṣasaṃ svar āvahantīm prati viprāso matibhir jarante ||

eṣā janaṃ darśatā bodhayantī sughān pathaḥ kṛṇvatī yāty aghre |
bṛhadrathā bṛhatī viśvaminvoṣā jyotir yachaty aghre ahnām ||

eṣā ghobhir aruṇebhir yujānāsredhantī rayim aprāyu cakre |
patho radantī suvitāya devī puruṣṭutā viśvavārā vi bhāti ||

eṣā vyenī bhavati dvibarhā āviṣkṛṇvānā tanvam purastāt |
ṛtasya panthām anv eti sādhu prajānatīva na diśo mināti ||

eṣā śubhrā na tanvo vidānordhveva snātī dṛśaye no asthāt |
apa dveṣo bādhamānā tamāṃsy uṣā divo duhitā jyotiṣāghāt ||

eṣā pratīcī duhitā divo nṝn yoṣeva bhadrā ni riṇīte apsaḥ |
vyūrṇvatī dāśuṣe vāryāṇi punar jyotir yuvatiḥ pūrvathākaḥ ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. THE singers welcome with their hymns and praises the Goddess Dawn who bringeth in the sunlight,
Sublime, by Law true to eternal Order, bright on her path, red-tinted, far-refulgent.

2 She comes in front, fair, rousing up the people, making the pathways easy to be travelled.
High, on her lofty chariot, all-impelling, Dawn gives her splendour at the days’ beginning.

3 She, harnessing her car with purple oxen. injuring none, hath brought perpetual riches.
Opening paths to happiness, the Goddess shines, praised by all, giver of every blessing.

4 With changing tints she gleams in double splendour while from the eastward she displays her body.
She travels perfectly the path of Order, nor fails to reach, as one who knows, the quarters.

5 As conscious that her limbs are bright with bathing, she stands, as ’twere, erect that we may see her.
Driving away malignity and darkness, Dawn, Child of Heaven, hath come to us with lustre.

6 The Daughter of the Sky, like some chaste woman, bends, opposite to men, her forehead downward.
The Maid, disclosing boons to him who worships, hath brought again the daylight as aforetime.