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The First Hymn to the Dawn
[The Rishi prays for the full epiphany of the Dawn of the light of Truth in all its lavish splendour, with all the bountiful companies of its gods and seers, the shining herds of its thought, the rushing steeds of its force, the luminous impulsions with which it comes —companioned, as they are, by the burning rays of the Sun of gnosis. Let the Dawn arrive and the work will no longer be long and tardy.]
1. O Dawn, come with all thy splendours of heaven, awaken us today to the great felicity, even as once thou awakenedst us, —in the sonhood of the birth of knowledge, in the inspired hearing of the Truth.1 O, thy birth is complete! O, truth is in the tramp of thy steeds!
2. Thou who breakest forth into dawning, O daughter of heaven, in him who has the perfect leading of the flaming chariot of light,2 so break forth today, —O greater still in thy force, in the sonhood of the birth of knowledge, in the inspired hearing of the Truth.
1 The name of the Rishi is here a covert figure for the characteristics of the Sun-birth in man. 2 The same figure, with another name; it gives the result of the Sun-birth.
Page – 549 O, thy birth is complete! O, truth is in the tramp of thy steeds!
3. Break forth into light a bearer of treasures, O daughter of heaven, as once thou brokest forth, — O greater still in thy force, in the sonhood of the birth of knowledge, in the inspired hearing of the Truth O, thy birth is complete! O, truth is in the tramp of thy steeds!
4. There are bearers of the sacrifice3 who bring thee out in their speech, by their hymns they manifest thee, O wide and lustrous Dawn; they are glorious with thy plenty, O queen, their gifts are lavish, their boons are full. O, thy birth is complete! O, truth is in the tramp of thy steeds!
5. When these companies of thy godheads seek to pleasure thee in hope of thy plenitudes, they set their desires all around, they lavish thy undeviating felicity. O, thy birth is complete! O, truth is in the tramp of thy steeds!
3 Not human priests, but divine powers, the hosts or companies of the Dawn, “ganas“, at once priests, seers and patrons of the inner sacrifice, winners and givers of the celestial wealth.
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6. These are thy seers; O Dawn, queen of plenty, set in them the splendour of thy heroic powers; lords of thy plenty, they shall lavish on us thy undeviating riches. O, thy birth is complete! O, truth is in the tramp of thy steeds!
7. O Dawn, our lady of plenty, bring to them thy illumination, a vast glory; they shall give us enjoyment of the felicity of thy steeds and the felicity of thy herds. O, thy birth is complete! O, truth is in the tramp of thy steeds!
8. Bring to us too, O daughter of heaven, powers of impulse full of the troopings of thy light; let them come companioned with the rays of thy Sun, linked with the purity of his bright and burning light-givings. O, thy birth is complete! O, truth is in the tramp of thy steeds!
9. Break forth into light, O daughter of heaven! And spin not out too long the work. For thee thy sun afflicts not with his
Page – 551 burning ray as he afflicts the foe and the thief.4 O, thy birth is complete! O, truth is in the tramp of thy steeds!
10. So much thou shouldst give or more than this; for to thy adorers thou breakest forth into the full wideness of thy glories and thou art not limited in thy dawning. O, thy birth is complete! O, truth is in the tramp of thy steeds!
4 The labour towards the being of the Truth is long and tedious, because the powers of darkness and division, the lower powers of our being, seize on and appropriate, keep idle or misuse the gains of the knowledge. They are not bearers of the sacrifice, but its spoilers; they are hurt by the full ray of the sun. But this Dawn of knowledge can bear the full illumination and bring to a rapid conclusion the great work.
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