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.


-------------------------

United Nations
"Hymn to the United Nations"

Words by:W.H. Auden
Music by:Pablo Casals
In use since:1971

Though many songs have been written about the United Nations or on related
themes, there is no official anthem or hymn for the Organization. One such
song, or hymn, was written and performed at the United Nations on 24 October
1971, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the United Nations, by maestro
Pablo Casals of Spain. The words were written by poet W.H. Auden of the United
Kingdom.

The two, though they had never met, were brought together in this unusual
collaboration by then United Nations Secretary-General U Thant. For centuries,
poets and musicians have sung in praise of war and celebrated victories in
battles. Mr. U Thant was intrigued by the fact that there existed no hymn to
peace. Pablo Casals was a personal friend of his, and when approached by U
Thant, he readily agreed to write the music. As the Secretary-General
explained, the song was to be based on the preamble to the Charter of the
United Nations. Although it would not be formally adopted as the official
anthem of the United Nations, U Thant hoped it would be performed on
appropriate occasions.

While Casals greatly liked the ideas contained in the preamble, there was no
way he could put music to such a document. The task to write an appropriate
poem, based on the theme of peace and ideals enshrined in the preamble, fell on
W.H. Auden, then regarded as the greatest living English poet. When a
representative of the Secretary-General approached the poet, he immediately
agreed to write the poem. In three days time, Auden finished writing A hymn to
the UN, which was then set to music by Casals.

On 24 October 1971, the Orchestra of the Festival Casals, with the Maestro
himself as conductor, presented the hymn in a première performance at UN
headquarters.

(Keep in mind, also, that despite the fact that the United Nations represents
most of the world's nations and is meant to oversee affairs pertinent to the
Earth as a whole, this unofficial anthem cannot be construed as an anthem for
the planet either.)

MUSIC
