O Agni, thou the first priest at the altar of the gods, the eldest and most wise!
Before all other priests did gods appoint thee as their messenger and herald.
Thou art the bridge between the world of men and that high realm where gods immortal dwell.

The flames that thou dost kindle are like horses swift and spirited, that leap and wheel about.
They race forth toward the heavens, bearing on their backs the precious gifts we lift to thee.
The very smoke that riseth from thy fire doth climb toward the seat of the gods on high.

We light thee in the morning with the dawn; we feed thee through the day with offerings fit.
At night we still do tend thy flame, and thou dost keep us safe while we do sleep.
Thou art the faithful guardian of each house, never departing, ever at thy post.

The wood we gather for thee is like the fodder given to a horse before a journey long.
With ghee we anoint thy head as a king is anointed when he taketh up his crown.
The grain and milk and honey that we pour are tributes to thy honour and thy glory.

O Agni, hear the hymn of every household! Every family doth call upon thy name.
The merchant praiseth thee when he doth kindle thee before his voyage's start.
The warrior honoureth thee when he seeketh thy blessing ere he taketh up the bow.

The mother praiseth thee when she doth bear a child and layeth it beside thy warmth.
The priesthood praiseth thee, for thou art he who maketh prayers heard by gods immortal.
All classes call upon thy name: the noble and the low, the learned and the simple folk.

In thy teeth the offering is crushed to powder, transformed and purified by sacred fire.
What mortals eat is filled with age and death; what thou dost touch is rendered deathless and bright.
Thus art thou the great transformer, Agni, turning the corrupt into the pure and clean.

Where two men meet, if Agni's flame doth flicker between them, there is trust and peace.
The contract sworn before thy altar standeth fast and cannot be unmade or broken.
Thou art the witness to all vows and oaths; thy fire seals the bond that bindeth man to man.

The gods did walk the earth in ancient times before they ascended to their throne on high.
And Agni was their foothold when they climbed; he was their strength and he their surest guide.
So too art thou for us in this dark age, a pillar of stability and hope within the night.

I sing to thee, O Agni, first of priests, and ask thy blessing on this hymn I bring.
Accept the words as thou dost accept the smoke that riseth from the sacred altar-fire.
Keep us forever in thy warmth and light, till we depart from this world to the realm beyond.