Harvest Hymn

1. About the poet

Sarojini Naidu (1879–1949) was a famous Indian poet and freedom fighter who was lovingly called the "Nightingale of India" (Bharat Kokila) because of the sweet, musical quality of her verse. She wrote in English and her poems are rich in Indian images — bazaars, festivals, palanquins, fields and folk songs. She was also a great leader of the freedom movement and became the first Indian woman President of the Indian National Congress and later the first woman Governor of an Indian state.

In "Harvest Hymn" Naidu turns a simple village scene — farmers giving thanks after a good harvest — into a beautiful song of praise. The poem reads like a real community hymn, with different groups of villagers taking turns to sing, which makes it warm, musical and full of devotion.

2. What is a "hymn"?

A hymn is a song of praise, usually sung to a god or to someone or something we deeply respect. It is offered to show gratitude, devotion and admiration. Hymns are commonly sung in temples, churches and during festivals.

Here the hymn is a harvest hymn — sung at the end of the farming season to thank the divine and natural powers (Sun, Rain, Earth) that helped the crops grow. In India this gratitude is celebrated through harvest festivals such as Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Magh Bihu and Onam.

3. Stanza-wise explanation — the Men's part (Stanza 1: Surya / Lakshmi)

The hymn opens with the Men singing. They first praise the giver of the harvest — addressing the deity as "Lord of the lotus, lord of the harvest" — and thank the "bounty that prospered our sowing / and nurtured our corn." In simple words: they are grateful for the generous gift that made their sowing successful and helped their corn (grain) grow well.

They then turn to Surya, the Sun-god, the "lord of the morning." They bring him "songs and garlands for tribute, / the gold of our fields and the gold of our fruit" and praise him "with cymbal and flute." The ripe golden crops and golden fruit are offered to the Sun whose light and warmth made them ripen. Music — cymbals and flutes — fills the air with celebration.

4. Stanza-wise explanation — the Men's part (Stanza 2: Varuna)

Next the Men praise Varuna, the god of water and rain. They thank him for the "mercy that cherished our furrows / and fostered our grain." The furrows are the long narrow channels in the field where seeds are planted; the rain-god's kindness watered them and helped the grain grow. Again they bring their offerings of praise "with cymbal and pipe."

So the Men's section honours the two great gifts of Nature that a farmer needs most — sunshine (Surya) and water/rain (Varuna). Without these two, no crop can grow, so the villagers thank them first.

5. Stanza-wise explanation — the Women's part (Mother Earth / Prithvi)

Now the Women take up the song. They praise Mother Earth (Prithvi), calling her "Queen of the gourd-flower, queen of the harvest." They thank the "plentiful bosom that feeds us" — the Earth is imagined as a loving mother whose generous body gives food to all her children. She is the source of all "riches" and growth.

It is fitting that the women sing this stanza, because the Earth is described as a nurturing, feeding mother — connecting the women's role of caring and feeding with the Earth's role of nourishing life. This part celebrates the Earth as a kind, sweet and omnipotent (all-powerful) mother.

6. Stanza-wise explanation — the "All" part (Brahma, Lord of the Universe)

Finally everyone sings together. They praise Brahma, the "Lord of the Universe" — the supreme creator. They declare that he is the "Seed and the Scythe of our harvests" — that is, he is both the beginning (the seed that starts new life) and the end (the scythe that cuts the ripe crop). He is also their "Hands and Heart and Home" — the power behind all their work, love and life.

By joining all the voices together at the end, the hymn rises to its climax: the whole community, men and women alike, bow to the one supreme power that controls the entire cycle of life and harvest. This shows unity, harmony and shared devotion.

7. Structure & significance of the three voices

The poem is cleverly built as a community song in three voices:

• Men: praise Surya (Sun) and Varuna (Rain) — the active, life-giving forces of the sky.
• Women: praise Mother Earth (Prithvi) — the nurturing, feeding force of the soil.
• All together: praise Brahma, the creator and Lord of the Universe — the power behind everything.

This arrangement makes the poem feel like a real folk hymn sung at a village celebration. It also shows that prosperity comes from collective effort and shared gratitude — sun, rain and earth all working together, and the whole community thanking them together.

8. Themes & message

• Gratitude towards Nature and God: the whole poem is a thank-you to the Sun, Rain, Earth and the Creator for the gift of food and a good harvest.
• Harmony between human effort and Nature: the farmer sows and works, but the crop grows only with the help of sunshine, rain and fertile soil — human labour and Nature's bounty go hand in hand.
• Reverence for Mother Earth: the Earth is honoured as a loving, all-powerful mother who feeds all living things.
• Community and unity: men, women and all the villagers sing together, showing togetherness, harmony and shared devotion.
• Respect for the environment: the hymn reminds us to value and protect the natural forces that sustain life.

Overall message: we must be grateful and humble before Nature and the divine, for it is the Sun, the Rain and the Earth — guided by the Creator — that feed and sustain all life on earth.

9. Poetic devices

• Personification: Nature and the divine are given human form — the Earth is a "mother" with a "bosom" that feeds; Surya, Varuna and Brahma are addressed as living lords.
• Metaphor: Brahma is called the "Seed and the Scythe" of the harvest — beginning and end of life; the crops are the "gold of our fields."
• Alliteration: repetition of an initial consonant sound, as in "Seed and Scythe," "Hands and Heart and Home," and "lord of the lotus."
• Imagery: vivid pictures of golden fields, garlands, fruit, cymbals and flutes appeal to the senses and create a rich, festive scene.
• Repetition: phrases like "lord of the…" and "queen of the…" and the offerings "with cymbal and flute / pipe" are repeated for a song-like, lyrical rhythm.
• Apostrophe: the poet directly addresses the gods who are not physically present (e.g. "Lord of the lotus," "Queen of the harvest").
• Symbolism: gold symbolises the ripe, precious harvest; the lotus symbolises divinity and prosperity.

10. Word meanings

• Hymn — a song of praise sung to a god or someone respected.
• Harvest — the gathering of ripe crops; the season of reaping.
• Bounty — a generous gift or reward.
• Sowing — the act of planting seeds in the soil.
• Nurtured — cared for and helped to grow.
• Corn / grain — the food crop grown in the field.
• Tribute — an offering given to show respect and gratitude.
• Garlands — necklaces or strings made of flowers.
• Cymbal — a round metal percussion (musical) instrument played by striking.
• Flute / pipe — a musical wind instrument.
• Mercy — kindness and compassion shown to others.
• Cherished — loved and cared for tenderly.
• Furrows — the long narrow channels cut in a field for planting seeds.
• Fostered — encouraged and helped to grow or develop.
• Gourd-flower — the flower of a gourd (a vegetable plant); a sign of fertility and growth.
• Bosom — the chest/breast; here the nourishing body of Mother Earth.
• Omnipotent — all-powerful; having unlimited power.
• Scythe — a curved blade on a long handle used to cut and harvest crops.