Old Avestan: Yasna 53 -- a gatha (wedding song)
Scott L. Harvey and Jonathan Slocum
This page contains a text in Avestan with a modern English translation. This particular text and its translation are extracted from a lesson in the Early Indo-European Online series, where one may find detailed information about this text (see the Table of Contents page for Old Iranian Online in EIEOL), and general information about the Avestan language and its speakers' culture.
Old Avestan: Yasna 53 -- a gatha (wedding song)
1 vahištā īštiš srāvī Zaraθuštrahē
Spitāmahyā yezī hōi dāṯ āyaptā
ašāṯ hacā ahurō mazdå yavōi vīspāi-ā hvaŋhəvīm
yaē-cā hōi dabən saškən-cā daēnayå vaŋhuyå uxδā šyaoθanā-cā
2 aṯ-cā hōi scantū manaŋhā uxδāiš šyaoθanāiš-cā
xšnə̄m mazdå vahmāi-ā fraorəṯ yasnąs-cā
kava-cā Vīštāspō zaraθuštriš Spitāmō Fərašaoštras-cā
dåŋhō ərəzūš paθō yąm daēnąm ahurō saošyantō dadāṯ
3 tə̄m-cā tū Pourucistā Haēcaṯ-aspānā
Spitāmī yezivī dugədrąm Zaraθuštrahē
vaŋhə̄uš paityāstīm manaŋhō ašahyā mazdås-cā taibyō dāṯ sarəm
aθā hə̄m ferašvā θwā xraθwā spə̄ništā Ārmatōiš hudānvarəšvā
4 tə̄m zī və̄ spərədā nivarānī yā feδrōi vīdāṯ
paiθyaē-cā vāstryaēibyō aṯ-cā xvaētaovē
ašāunī ašavabyō manaŋhō vaŋhə̄uš xvə̄nvaṯ haŋhuš mə̄m-bə̄əduš
mazdå dadāṯ ahurō daēnayāi vaŋhuyāi yavōi vīspāi-ā
5 sāxvə̄nī vazyamnābyō kainibyō mraomī
xšmaibyā-cā vadəmnō mə̄n-cā ī mąz dazdūm
vaēdōdūm daēnābīš abyas-cā ahūm yə̄ vaŋhə̄uš manaŋhō
ašā və̄ anyō ainīm vīvə̄nghatū taṯ zī hōi hušə̄nem aŋhaṯ
6 iθā ī haiθyā narō aθā jə̄nayō
drūjō hacā rāthəmō yə̄mə spašuθā frāidīm
drūjō āyesē hōiš piθā tanvō parā vayū-bərədubyō duš-xvarəthə̄m nąsaṯ xvāθrəm
drəgvōdəbyō də̄jīṯ-arətaēibyō anāiš ā manahīm ahūm mərəngəduyē
7 aṯ-cā və̄ mīždəm aŋhaṯ ahyā magahyā
yavaṯ āžuš zrazdištō būnōi haxtayå
para-cā mraocąs aorā-cā yaθrā mainyuš drəgvatō anąsaṯ parā
ivīzayathā magə̄m tə̄m aṯ və̄ vayōi aŋhaitī apə̄mem vacō
8 anāiš ā dužvarəšnaŋhō dafšnyā hə̄ntū
zah́yā-cā vīspåŋhō xraosəntąm upā
huxšaθrāiš jə̄nerąm xrūnerąm-cā rāmąm-cā āiš dadātū šyeitibyō vīžibyō
īratū īš dvafšō hvō dərəzā mərəiθyaoš mazištō mošu-cā astū
9 dužvarənāiš vaēšō rāstī tōi narəpīš rajīš
aēšasā də̄jīṯ-arətā pəšō-tanvō
kū ašavā ahurō yə̄ īš jyātə̄uš hə̄miθyāṯ vasə̄-itōiš-cā
taṯ mazdā tavā xšaθrəm yā ərəžəjyōi dāhī drəgaovē vahyō
Translation
| 1 | The sacrifice of Zarathustra Spitama is feted as the best | |
|---|---|---|
| If the Wise Lord would, in accordance with Truth, | ||
| give [these] rewards to him throughout all [his] life: | ||
| A good existence for him and for those who determine and understand | ||
| The words and deeds of [his] good vision. | ||
| 2 | And so let Kavi Vishtaspa -- a Spitama, a son of Zarathustra | |
| -- and Frahaostra readily pursue, | ||
| With good thought, with words and deeds, | ||
| The succor of the Wise One, and paeans for His adulation, | ||
| And [also] the straight path of the gift whose inspiration | ||
| the Lord gives out of [his] power to give. | ||
| 3 | And now, Pouruchista Spitami, descendent of Haecataspa, | |
| Youngest of the daughters of Zarathustra, | ||
| Gives to all of you the alliance of Truth and Wisdom, | ||
| the firm foundation of Good Mind. | ||
| Therefore, consult your inner strength and blessedly engage yourself | ||
| with the most sacred [deeds] of Armaiti. | ||
| 4 | For on behalf of all of you, I shall eagerly wed to him [the woman] | |
| who tends to [her] father | ||
| [Her] husband, the herdsman [of his clan], and [his] family possessions. | ||
| Truthful to the truthful ones, Ahura Mazda gives [to her] the sun-like | ||
| fruition of Good Mind, illuminating [her] thought | ||
| For the sake of good vision, throughout [her] entire life. | ||
| 5 | I pronounce to [you] young women being married, | |
| and [likewise] to you [men], | ||
| The commandments of one possessed of [good?] speech: | ||
| Bear them in mind. | ||
| Through good vision, find for yourselves -- and for them, [your wives] -- | ||
| a life which [is] of Good Mind. | ||
| [And] through Truth, let each of you desire to win the other over. | ||
| For that would be fruitful for each one. | ||
| 6 | In this way these [things are] true, O men; in that way [they are true], O wives. | |
| [There is an] adherent of deceit whom all of you see | ||
| [clinging] to the prosperity [arising] out of deceit: | ||
| [But] I take away these defenses of [his] person. For Advocates of the Lie, | ||
| sighing, poor nourishment results, | ||
| [and a life of] 'easy breathing' is lost1 | ||
| For Violators of Truth. [Allied] with them, you will destroy for yourselves | ||
| the spiritual life. | ||
| 7 | And so, for all of you, [good] fruit will come from this ritual exchange | |
| As long as the 'impeller,' full of zeal, [keeps] driving, down and deep, | ||
| At the base of [her] two thighs, from whence the spirit | ||
| of the Possessor of the Lie has already disappeared. | ||
| Abandon this ritual exchange and your last word is 'woe'! | ||
| 8 | Let the wrong-doers be [made] impotent by these [things], | |
| And, weakened, let them all cry out. | ||
| And by means of good rule among man-killing and | ||
| man-defiling [Possessors of the Lie?] | ||
| Let one grant peace with them to the settled clans. | ||
| Let that greatest pain arise upon them, [that which comes] | ||
| through the shackle of death. And let it be soon! | ||
| 9 | On account of those who choose badly, | |
| poison adheres to him, [the righteous man], | ||
| [As do] darkness and lack, those violators of Truth | ||
| whose bodies are to be brought to an end. | ||
| Where is the truthful Lord who would rob them of life and liberty? | ||
| The power is yours, O Wise One, by which you would grant a better (life) | ||
| to the poor man living rightly. |
