Page:A history of Sanskrit literature (1900), Macdonell, Arthur Anthony.djvu/95

 In a similar strain another Rishi sings:—


 * Again and again newly born though ancient,
 * Decking her beauty with the self-same colours,
 * The goddess wastes away the life of mortals,
 * Like wealth diminished by the skilful player (i. 92, 10).

The following stanzas from one of the finest hymns to Dawn (i. 113) furnish a more general picture of this fairest creation of Vedic poetry:—


 * This light has come, of all the lights the fairest,
 * The brilliant brightness has been born, far-shining.
 * Urged onward for god Savitṛi's uprising,
 * Night now has yielded up her place to Morning.


 * The sisters' pathway is the same, unending:
 * Taught by the gods, alternately they tread it.
 * Fair-shaped, of different forms and yet one-minded,
 * Night and Morning clash not, nor do they linger.


 * Bright leader of glad sounds, she shines effulgent:
 * Widely she has unclosed for us her portals.
 * Arousing all the world, she shows us riches:
 * Dawn has awakened every living creature.


 * There Heaven's Daughter has appeared before us,
 * The maiden flushing in her brilliant garments.
 * Thou sovran lady of all earthly treasure,
 * Auspicious Dawn, flush here to-day upon us.


 * In the sky's framework she has shone with splendour;
 * The goddess has cast off the robe of darkness.
 * Wakening up the world with ruddy horses,
 * Upon her well-yoked chariot Dawn is coming.


 * Bringing upon it many bounteous blessings,
 * Brightly shining, she spreads her brilliant lustre.
 * Last of the countless mornings that have gone by,
 * First of bright morns to come has Dawn arisen.


 * Arise! the breath, the life, again has reached us:
 * Darkness has gone away and light is coming.
 * She leaves a pathway for the sun to travel:
 * We have arrived where men prolong existence.