Ancient one! O Agni, thou art old
Beyond the measure of all human counting.
Thou burnest now as thou didst burn of old
When Manu made the first of all sacrifices.

What ages have passed since that first morning
When mortals first did kindle thy great fire,
And all the gods did gather round about
To see what strange and wondrous gift was wrought?

And thou art unchanged from that far age,
Immortal, ever-young, forever burning.
While empires rise and crumble into dust,
Thou burnest on, eternal and supreme.

How many generations have depended
Upon thy heat to warm them in the winter,
To cook their food and make it fit for eating,
To light their way when darkness covered all?

How many prayers hath thy flames borne upward
To the assembly of the Immortals?
How many blessings hath thou brought returning
To hearths and homes across this ancient land?

Thou art the witness to all human history,
The keeper of all secrets and all griefs.
No sorrow hath been shed beside thy fire
That thou hast not remembered and preserved.

Yet thou dost never tire, never falter,
Never complainest of thy long labor.
With perfect patience thou dost bear the burden
Of being bridge between the gods and men.

O ancient one, we bow before thy greatness!
We know not if this world shall last forever,
Nor if the stars shall burn until they crumble,
But thou—thou shalt endure when all else fails.

Accept our praise for thy unending service,
For being there when we have need of thee.
And grant that we may be, like thee, steadfast,
Unchanging in our faith and in our purpose.