The chief priest drank and then, filling both goblets, gave them to the priests at his right and left hand; who, after drinking, passed each other, and made way for those next them; and so the whole number filed past the Haoma vessel and drank their share till they all had changed places, and those who had stood upon the right, now stood upon the left; and those who were first upon the left hand, were now upon the right.  And when all had drunk, the chief priest intoned the great hymn of praise, and all the chorus united with him in high, clear tones: 

  "The All-Wise Creator, Ahura Mazda, the greatest, the best, the
   most fair in glory and majesty,”

   “The mightiest in his strength, the wisest in his wisdom, the
   holiest in his holiness, whose power is of all power the
   fairest,”

   “Who is very wise, who maketh all things to rejoice afar,”

   “Who hath made us and formed us, who hath saved us, the holiest
   among the heavenly ones,”

   “Him I adore and praise, unto him I declare the sacrifice, him I
   invite,”

“I declare the sacrifice to the Protector, the Peace-maker, who maketh the fire to burn, who preserveth the wealth of the earth; the whole earth and the wisdom thereof, the seas and the waters, the land and all growing things, I invite to the sacrifice.”

   “Cattle and living things, and the fire of Ahura, the sure
   helper, the lord of the archangels,”

   “The nights and the days, I call upon, the purity of all created
   light,”

   “The Lord of light, the sun in his glory, glorious in name and
   worthy of honour,”

   “Who giveth food unto men, and multiplieth the cattle upon the
   earth, who causeth mankind to increase, I call upon and invite to
   the sacrifice,”

   “Water, and the centre of all waters, given and made of God, that
   refresheth all things and maketh all things to grow, I call upon
   and invite.”

   “The souls of the righteous and pure, the whole multitude of
   living men and women upon earth, I call upon and invite.”

   “I call upon the triumph and the mighty strength of God,”

   “I call upon the archangels who keep the world, upon the months,
   upon the pure, new moon, the lordship of purity in heaven,”

   “I call upon the feasts of the years and the seasons, upon the
   years and the months and days,”

   “I call upon the star Ahura,[10] and upon the one great and
   eternal in purity, and upon all the stars, the works of God,”

“Upon the star Tistrya I call, the far-shining, the magnificent—­upon the fair moon that shineth upon the young cattle, upon the glorious sun swift in the race of his flight, the eye of the Lord.”

   “I call upon the spirits and souls of the righteous, on the
   fire-begotten of the Lord, and upon all fires.”