Book 19: Hymn 57: A charm against evil dreams

HYMN LVII

A charm against evil dreams

1As men discharge the utmost debt, collect the eighth and
sixteenth part,
So to the foeman we transfer together all the evil dream.
2Princes came together, debts came together, Kushthas came to-
gether,
Sixteenths came together. The whole evil dream that hath visited
us we send away as a bad dream to the man who hates us.
3Child of Gods' Consorts, minister of Yama is the good Dream:
that which is my trouble we drive away to the enemy.
4Thou whose name is Rough art the mouth of the Black Bird.
As such we know thee, Dream, as such we know thee well. Like
a horse art thou, O Dream. As they bind girth and surcingle
on a horse, so bind the alien mischief-maker, the scorner of
the Gods.
5The evil dream that threatens us, threatens our cattle or our
home.
That let the scorner of the Gods, the alien mischief-maker bind
as a gold jewel round his neck.
6Having measured off nine cubits' distance from us we give away
the whole of the evil dream to the man who hates us.