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Class 8 English Harvest Hymn Summary
Summary of Harvest Hymn Class 8
Harvest Hymn About the Poem
This poem is a devotional hymn where villagers offer thanks to nature and divine forceslike the Sun (Surya) Rain (Varuna), and Earth (Prithvi)-for a successful harvest. Men, women and the entire community come together in unity, joy and gratitude, celebrating the gifts of nature with music, songs and offerings.
Harvest Hymn Important Characters
- Surya (Sun God) A powerful and generous deity, called the lord of the lotus and the harvest. People honour him for bringing warmth, life and prosperity.
- Varuna (Rain God) The lord of rain, dew and the oceans, who nourishes the fields with water. People thank him for his care and support.
- Prithvi (Mother Earth) The queen of the harvest and mother of all life, who provides food, shelter and richness through her soil. She is worshipped by the women as loving, strong and full of blessings.
- Om (The Supreme God / Divine Spirit) Referred to as the Lord of the Universe and the Life of all life. All voices unite to offer their lives and prayers to him.
- The People (Men and Women) Devoted worshippers who celebrate the gods through song, garlands, music and prayer. They are grateful, united and respectful towards nature and divine forces that sustain life.
Harvest Hymn Summary Class 8
Harvest Hymn Stanza-wise Explanation
Stanza 1
Men’s Voices
Lord of the lotus, lord of the harvest,
Bright and munificent lord of the morn!
Thine is the bounty that prospered our sowing,
Thine is the bounty that nurtured our corn.
Explanation: In the opening stanza of this devotional hymn, the men begin by praising Surya, the Sun God. They call him the lord of the lotus and the harvest, because his sunlight helps both flowers and crops to grow. They describe him as generous and bright, bringing light each morning. They believe that because of his sunlight, their seeds grew strong and their crops turned into healthy corn. Surya is seen as the one who made their harvest successful.
Stanza 2
We bring thee our songs and our garlands for tribute,
The gold of our fields and the gold of our fruit;
O giver of mellowing radiance, we hail thee,
We praise thee, O Surya, with cymbal and flute.
Explanation In this stanza, the men express their gratitude to Surya by offering songs, garlands and golden fruits and grains from their fields. They call these crops ‘gold’ to show how precious they are. They thank Surya for his gentle sunlight that ripened their harvest. They celebrate him by playing music with cymbals and flutes, showing joy and respect.
Stanza 3
Lord of the rainbow, lord of the harvest,
Great and beneficent lord of the main!
Thine is the mercy that cherished our furrows,
Thine is the mercy that fostered our grain.
Explanation: In this stanza, the men address Varuna as the lord of the rainbow and the ocean (referred to as ‘main’), symbols of his control over water. They describe rain as his divine mercy, which moistens the soil and fills the furrows-trenches made for sowing seeds. This gentle rainfall ensures that their crops thrive. Varuna is honoured for his life-giving kindness that makes their fields fertile and productive.
Stanza 4
We bring thee our thanks and our garlands for tribute,
The wealth of our valleys, new-garnered and ripe;
O sender of rain and the dewfall, we hail thee,
We praise thee, Varuna, with cymbal and pipe.
Explanation: In this stanza, the men offer their thanks and garlands to Varuna for the fresh and ripe crops they have just gathered. They refer to their harvest as the ‘wealth of our valleys’, which shows how valuable the crops are. Varuna is praised as the one who sends both rain and dew, which are vital for farming. Like before, the people honour him with music and joyful celebrations.
Stanza 5
Women’s Voices
Queen of the gourd-flower, queen of the harvest,
Sweet and omnipotent mother, O Earth!
Thine is the plentiful bosom that feeds us,
Thine is the womb where our riches have birth.
Explanation: In this stanza, the women speak and offer praise to Prithvi, or Mother Earth. They call her the queen of the harvest and the gourd-flower (a plant that grows from the earth). She is described as a kind and all-powerful mother who feeds them through her rich soil. Everything they grow and own comes from her womb-the place where life begins. This shows deep respect and love for nature.
Stanza 6
We bring thee our love and our garlands for tribute,
With gifts of thy opulent giving we come;
O source of our manifold gladness, we hail thee,
We praise thee, O Prithvi, with cymbal and drum.
Explanation: In this stanza, the women bring garlands and gifts from nature to thank Mother Earth. They are grateful for all the blessings she gives-food, flowers, water and life itself. She is called the source of ‘manifold gladness’, meaning many kinds of happiness. The women praise her with love and music played on cymbals and drums.
Stanza 7
All Voices
Lord of the Universe, Lord of our being,
Father eternal, ineffable Om!
Thou art the Seed and the Scythe of our harvests,
Thou art our Hands and our Heart and our Home.
Explanation In this stanza, all voices join together to praise Om, the Supreme God, who is the source of all life. He is called eternal and beyond description (‘ineffable’). They say he is both the beginning (seed) and the end (scythe used to cut crops) of life. God is in everything-in their hands (work), heart (feelings) and home (family). He is the spirit behind all they do.
Stanza 8
We bring thee our lives and our labours for tribute,
Grant us thy succour, thy counsel, thy care.
O Life of all life and all blessing, we hail thee,
We praise thee, O Lord, with cymbal and prayer.
Explanation: The people now offer their entire lives and hard work to God. They ask for his support, guidance and protection. They call him the source of all life and all blessings. Finally, they end the prayer by praising him with music and deep devotion.
Harvest Hymn Values Extracted from the Poem
- Gratitude Thanking nature and divine forces for their gifts and support.
- Respect for Nature Honouring the sun, rain and earth as sources of life and prosperity.
- Unity Coming together as a community (men and women) to celebrate and pray.
- Spiritual Devotion Expressing deep faith and reverence through music, offerings and prayers.
- Simplicity Valuing natural blessings over material wealth or Iuxury.
- Cultural Pride Embracing traditional beliefs and rituals with joy and dignity.
- Harmony with Nature Living in balance with the environment and recognising its importance.
- Joy in Giving Offering songs, fruits, garlands and labour with happiness and love.
- Responsibility Acknowledging that survival and prosperity depend on caring for natural elements.
- Humility Realising human dependence on greater cosmic and natural powers.
Harvest Hymn Class 8 Word Meanings
- Lotus — A flower that grows in water; often a symbol of purity and beauty
- Munificent — Very generous or giving
- Bounty — Abundance; a lot of something good (like crops or blessings)
- Garlands — A ring of flowers worn or offered during celebrations or prayers
- Tribute — A gift or offering made to show respect or thanks
- Radiance — Brightness or light
- Cymbal — A musical instrument like a metal plate, clashed together to make sound
- Flute — A musical wind instrument
- Rainbow — A natural arc of colours seen in the sky after rain
- Mercy — Kindness and care, especially when someone has power
- Furrows — Long narrow cuts in the ground made for planting seeds
- Fostered — Cared for and helped to grow
- Dewfall — Moisture (tiny drops of water) that appears on cool surfaces in the morning
- Gourd-flower — Flower of a plant that produces vegetables like pumpkins
- Omnipotent — All-powerful; able to do anything
- Opulent — Rich or full of wealth
- Manifold — Many and various
- Ineffable — Too great to be described in words
- Scythe — A curved tool used to cut crops
- Succour — Help or support in times of trouble
- Counsel — Advice or guidance