Behold him! Agni cometh forth most shining!
His light doth break the bonds of endless darkness,
His flames ascend like unto a great mountain,
A peak of fire that reacheth toward the heavens.

What darkness can withstand him? What shadow
Can dare to linger when he shineth forth?
The gloom doth flee away before his coming,
As demons scatter at the sound of prayer.

O Agni, thou art brilliant beyond measure!
Thy brightness maketh pale the very sun,
For thou art older far than that great orb,
And burnest with a holier kind of fire.

When thou art kindled in the morning hours,
All creatures wake and stir into their labors.
The birds do sing more sweetly in thy presence,
The fields themselves seem glad to see thy light.

And when the night doth come and thou dost wane,
The world doth seem to hold its very breath,
Awaiting thy return in morning's breaking,
That thou might'st light the world anew again.

Thy shining is not like the light of torches,
Nor like the pale reflection of the moon.
But rather like the light of pure existence,
The brightness of all truth made manifest.

All that is hidden by the night of ignorance,
All secrets that the darkness doth conceal,
Shall be illumined by thy golden splendor,
And brought to light for all the world to see.

O shining one, illuminate our spirits!
Let thy bright flame shine deeply in our hearts,
That we may see ourselves as thou dost see us,
Most clearly and most honestly and true.

For he whose heart is lit by thy bright fire,
Who beareth thy great light within his being,
Shall never stumble, never go astray,
But walk forever in the way of truth.