An anthem for the world

Rabindranath Tagore was once asked that the way he wrote the National Anthem of India, why doesn’t he write one for the world? He replied that it has already been written. It was sung in the16th century by Guru Nanak Dev as aarti at Jagannath Puri. Tagore was so influenced by this aarti that he himself translated it into Bangla language. Here is a an English translation:
Gagan mein thaal…
The sky is Your platter,
The sun and moon are the lamps,
The stars in the sky are the pearls,
The ‘dhoop’ is the fragrance that the wind propels
The whole forest is your flowers.
O! What a wonderful Aarti, this is!
You are a destroyer of fear,
The sound of Your Name, which is so subtle,
that It goes unheard, resounds endlessly.
You have a thousand eyes, forms, feet, noses…
And you have none…
I am charmed!
Your Light enlightens all!
It is by the grace of the Guru that the real Light (knowledge) manifests.
What pleases the Almighty is this Aarti (creation)
I yearn for Your Lotus feet, night and day,
Nanak is like the thirsty bird that asks,
For a drop of water, From You O Lord!
That drop (grace) will make Nanak find comfort,
In the uttering of Your Name.
Image courtesy of (pic file nanak)

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