Like birds who keep their watch, plashing in water, like the loud voices of the thundering rain-cloud, like merry streamlets bursting from the mountain, thus to God, Lord of Prayer, our hymns have sounded.

2 The servant of God, meeting the cattle, as good fortune brought marriage among us. As Friend of men He decks the wife and husband; as for the race, O God, nerve our coursers.

3 God, having won them from the mountains, strewed down, like barley out of winnowing-baskets, the vigorous, wandering cows who aid the pious, desired of all, of blameless form, well-coloured.

4 As the sun dews with sweetness the seat of Order, and casts a flaming meteor down from heaven, so from the rock God forced the cattle, and cleft the earth's skin as it were with water.

5 Forth from mid-air with light He drave the darkness, as the gale blows a lily from the river. Like the wind grasping at the cloud of the tyrant Vala, God gathered to Himself the cattle.

6 God, when with fiery lightnings He cleft through the weapon of reviling Vala, consumed him as tongues eat what teeth have compassed: He threw the prisons of the red cows open.

7 That secret name borne by the lowing cattle within the cave God discovered, and drave Himself the bright kine from the mountain, like a bird's young after the eggs' disclosure.

8 He looked around on rock-imprisoned sweetness as one who eyes a fish in scanty water. God, cleaving through with varied clamour, brought it forth like a bowl from out the timber.

9 He found the light of heaven, and fire, and Morning: with lucid rays He forced apart the darkness. As from a joint, God took the marrow of Vala as he gloried in his cattle.

10 As trees for foliage robbed by winter, Vala mourned for the cows God had taken. He did a deed ne'er done, ne'er to be equalled, whereby the sun and moon ascend alternate.

11 Like a dark steed adorned with pearl, God hath decorated heaven with constellations. He set the light in day, in night the darkness. God cleft the rock and found the cattle.

12 This homage have we offered to God, who thunders out from the cloud to many in succession. May God vouchsafe us fulness of life with kine and horses, men, and heroes.