Love

Atharva Veda 1.34: A young man's love-charm

by The Rishis of the Atharva Veda c. 1200–900 BCE (traditional; uncertain)

Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1895–96) · From The Hymns of the Atharva-Veda (1895–96)

Love

From honey sprang this Plant to life; with honey now we dig thee up.
Make us as sweet as honey, for from honey hast thou been pro-duced.

My tongue hath honey at the tip, and sweetest honey at the root: Thou yieldest to my wish and will, and shalt be mine and only mine.

My coming in is honey-sweet and honey-sweet, my going forth: My voice and words are sweet: I fain would be like honey in my look.

Sweeter am I than honey, yet more full of sweets than licorice: So mayst thou love me as a branch full of all sweets, and only me.

Around thee have I girt a zone of sugar-cane to banish hate.
That thou mayst be in love with me, my darling never to depart.

MLA

Veda, The Rishis of the Atharva. “Atharva Veda 1.34: A young man's love-charm.” Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/atharvaveda-rishis/33/.

Chicago

Veda, The Rishis of the Atharva. “Atharva Veda 1.34: A young man's love-charm.” Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/atharvaveda-rishis/33/.

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