'Earth Anthem' penned by Indian diplomat Abkay K in 2008 translated into Somali

Originally written by Indian diplomat and poet, Abhay Kumar in English, the 'Earth Anthem' has now been translated into Somali by the Somali Academy of Science and Arts. With this, the poem has so far been translated into more than 140 languages across the world. The celebratory song which is inspired by the Sanskrit phrase Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam means “the world is one family.”

Furthermore, a line from the poem which reads “United we stand as flora and fauna/ United we stand as species of one Earth", expresses solidarity with all the livings species on Earth and further calls for protecting the rich biodiversity on Earth.

Notably, the Earth Anthem calls for unity of all the species on this planet and aims to raise awareness among all the people to fight the crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution. The poem also calls people to rise over their differences and stay united to save the planet for the coming generations. It also emphasises understanding the symbiosis or mutual interdependence between humans and other species. 

Abhay K and the 'Earth Anthem'

Abhay Kumar who has worked several on discreet diplomatic capabilities in countries including Russia, Madagascar, Nepal, penned the poem while he was serving in the Russian city of St. Petersburg in 2008 and was later released at the Indian Council of Cultural Relation, New Delhi in 2013. Since then, the poem has not only been translated into a series of languages but has also been performed across countries on several occasions including World Environment Day and Earth Day. 

Earlier in 2020, it was played at the United Nations for marking the 50 years of Earth Day celebrations. Also, it was performed by the National Symphony Orchestra of Brasilia in 2018.

Image: Shutterstock/Twitter/@AbhayK