Love
Atharva Veda 1.34: A young man's love-charm
Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith (1895–96) · From The Hymns of the Atharva-Veda (1895–96)
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.
Cite this poem
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/.
Read this poem with the Codex →