A lover's sleep-charm

Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895], at sacred-texts.com

p. a109

HYMN V

A lover's sleep-charm

1The Bull who hath a thousand horns, who rises up from out the
   sea,
  By him the strong and mighty one we lull the folk to rest and.
   sleep.
2Over the surface of the earth there breathes no wind, there looks.
   no eye.
  Lull all the women, lull the dogs to sleep, with Indra as thy
   friend!
3The woman sleeping in the court, lying without, or stretched on
   beds,
  The matrons with their odorous sweets—these, one and all, we
   lull to sleep.
4Each moving thing have I secured, have held and held the eye
   and breath.
  Each limb and member have I seized in the deep darkness of
   the night.
5The man who sits, the man who walks, whoever stands and clearly
   sees
  Of these we closely shut the eyes, even as we closely shut this
   house.
6Sleep mother, let the father sleep, sleep dog, and master of the
   home.
  Let all her kinsmen sleep, sleep all the people who are round
   about.
7With soporific charm, O Sleep, lull thou to slumber all the folk.
  Let the rest sleep till break of day, I will remain awake till
   dawn, like Indra free from scath and harm.