O Agni, thou divine messenger! Thou art the herald of the gods; thou art the voice that speaketh on their behalf. When we whisper our prayers into thy flames, thou hearest them. When we cast our offerings into thy fire, thou receivest them.

Thou dwellest in two worlds, O most unique one. With thy lower flames, thou remainest here among mortals, warming our homes and cooking our food. But with thy upper flames, thou reachest toward heaven, touching the very feet of the gods themselves.

No one else can do what thou doest, O Agni. The swift-running messenger cannot reach so far; the eagle with wings of gold cannot fly so high. But thou—thou art everywhere at once. Thy presence is felt in every fire, in every flame, in every spark.

The smoke from thy fire riseth upward, carrying our messages to Indra, to Mitra, to Varuna, to all the divine powers. Thou translatest the language of mortals into the language of gods. What we cannot express in words, thou expressest through thy flames.

When thou comest from the heavens to our altars, thou bringeth with thee the blessings of the gods. The prayers that we have sent shall return answered; the offerings that we have made shall return multiplied. Through thee, the gifts of the gods flow down to mortals.

We are grateful, O Agni, for this service that thou renderest. Without thee, we would be isolated from the divine realm. We would be alone in our suffering; we would face our struggles without aid or comfort. But because of thee, we are never alone. The gods are always near; their help is always available.

Go swiftly, O messenger of heaven! Carry our words to Indra, the king of the gods! Tell him that his worshippers below still sing his praises. Tell him that we remember his deeds of valor; we celebrate his victories over the demons.

Carry our soma to Soma himself, the lord of the healing plant! Let him know that we understand the value of his gift. Let him know that we will use it wisely, reverently, and always with gratitude.

Bring back to us the blessings of Mitra, the just judge! Bring back to us the prosperity of the Aśvins, the divine healers! Bring back to us the wisdom of Brihaspati, the lord of prayer! Bring back to us the strength of all the gods united!

We wait for thee, O Agni, as the dry earth waiteth for the rain. We long for thy return, as the weary traveler longeth for rest. Bring the blessings of heaven down to our altars; bring them into our homes; bring them into our hearts!

Thou art the bridge, O Agni, that connecteth the two worlds. Without thee, heaven and earth would be separate; the gods and mortals would never meet. But through thy flames, a connection is established. Communication floweth; blessings flow; love floweth.

This is why we honor thee, O messenger god! This is why we kindle thy fire each day; this is why we make our offerings to thee. Thou art the most important of all the divine powers, for through thee alone can the covenant between gods and mortals be maintained.

O Agni, swift and mighty! Carry our prayers to the heavens! Return with blessings for all! Make us worthy of the gods' favor! Keep us in their memory! Let them know that we are faithful, that we are devoted, that we are always ready to receive their grace!

Accept this hymn, O divine messenger! Hear our voices as thou climbest toward the sky! Return to us with the answer that we seek! Be thou our friend, our protector, and our guide!