Hymn to the United Nations

The Hymn to the United Nations is an anthem composed to mark the 26th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

Hymn to the United Nations

Lyrics	W. H. Auden, 1971
Music	Pau Casals, 1971
Audio sample
Instrumental version file help

History

On the request of then United Nations Secretary-General U Thant, a Hymn to the United Nations was performed on the occasion of its 26th anniversary, on 24 October 1971, by Pau Casals, the lyrics to which were penned by the poet W. H. Auden.^[1][2]

Thant first approached Casals, who was a personal friend, looking to create a hymn to peace and hoping for the song to be based on the preamble of the Charter of the United Nations. Thant later commissioned Auden to write the poem after Casals requested one to set to music. Auden completed his work in three days time. The finished work, scored for chorus and orchestra, takes approximately seven minutes to play. However, there were never any plans to adopt the song as the organization's official anthem.^[3][4]

Lyrics

English

Eagerly, musician, Sweep your string, So we may sing, Elated, optative, Our several voices Interblending, Playfully contending, Not interfering But co-inhering, For all within The cincture of the sound, Is holy ground Where all are brothers, None faceless others.   Let mortals beware Of words, for With words we lie, Can say peace When we mean war, Foul thought, speak fair And promise falsely, But song is true: Let music for peace Be the paradigm, For peace means to change At the right time, As the world clock Goes "tick" and "tock".   So may the story Of our human city Presently move Like music, when Begotten notes New notes beget Making the flowing Of time a growing Till what it could be, At last it is, Where even sadness Is a form of gladness, Where fate is freedom, Grace and surprise.

See also

• Flag of the United Nations
• Anthems of international organizations
• Earth anthem