Arkady Ostrovsky and Lev Oshanin, inspired by Kostya Barannikov (age 4); portion of a Sanskrit Shanti mantra; arr. Kaitie Ty Warren

This song is a great example of a mashup. It weaves together multiple songs on a similar theme. May There Always Be Sunshine (English), Пусть всегда будет солнце (Russian) and लोकः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु (the Metta Prayer)

The Mashup:
(I’ve tried to feature each part here; you can bring them in in whichever order you want)

(Scroll down for more information, pronunciation and featured tracks for the Russian and the Sanskrit.)

How it came to be:

I (Kaitie) was in Kauai in January 2020, on Poipu Beach after sunset. On the sand, multiple honus slept. I grew up by the sea and have always been enamored with honus but had never been close to them before in the wild. I sat in the sand and watched them sleep, mesmerized by the ancient wisdom they embodied, just by being themselves. I have always found tremendous peace and hope within the creatures and currents that move at the pace of nature, like these sea turtles. I was smitten with them, and found myself singing this song:

May you always be happy
May you always be healthy
May you always have safety
May you know you are loved

May you always be happy
May you always be healthy
May you always have freedom
May you know you are loved

The tune, I quickly realized, was “May There Always Be Sunshine” which my choir member Jonathan King had taught to me years earlier. “Oh wow, it’s the Loving Kindness Prayer,” I thought to myself. I vowed to teach it to choir that session, but first I needed to research the song more.

As things happen in the community music world, the very next night I was at a song circle near Kapa’a, and a friend introduced me to a friend who was unexpectedly still in town, but heading back to her home in Russia soon. I asked if she knew the song May There Always Be Sunshine, which she did “Of course – we all sang that as kids” and I asked if she would help me with the pronunciation, which she did.

Little did I know at the time that 6 weeks later, our world would shut down and our choir would move to Zoom. I also didn’t know that, during that Kauai trip with the ancient Honus I carried new life inside me. Now, years later, with a toddler and a distant memory of travel, the song is coming forth again and has rearranged itself into this mashup for teaching.

May There Always Be Sunshine (Russian: Пусть всегда будет солнце) is a popular Soviet children’s song.

It was created in 1962, during the escalation of the Cold War. The music was composed by Arkady Ostrovsky and the lyrics written by Lev Oshanin. Korney Chukovsky, a writer and immensely popular children’s poet, later wrote that the inspiration for the song had been the four lines of the refrain, which were composed in 1928 by the four-year-old boy Kostya Barannikov.

The song quickly gained international popularity and has been translated into many languages. It has been popular among many children’s groups. The song was widely regarded in the Soviet Union as expressing the people’s desire for peace.

Hear a version of the original here: https://soviethistory.msu.edu/1954-2/hydrogen-bomb/hydrogen-bomb-music/may-there-always-be-sunshine-1963/

And here is an English version of the original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d51vYKHT5zk

Lyrics (phonetic English):
Poust vzegda boudyit solnse
Poust vzegda boudyit nieba
Poust vzegda boudyit mama
Poust vzegda boudou ya

Russian writing:
Пусть всегда будет солнце,
Пусть всегда будет небо,
Пусть всегда будет мама,
Пусть всегда буду я

Just the Russian, slowly:

The Metta Prayer, or Loving Kindness Prayer as it’s often called,
is part of a longer Sanskrit prayer.

Words: Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu(लोकः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु),

Lokah = Universe, realm or location. Its meaning isn’t just limited to our planet earth. (Loka is the origin of the English word location)
Samastah = To all living beings
Sukhino = Ease, happiness.  The root word, sukha, means freedom from suffering
Bhav = The state of union with the Energy of the Universe/Divine
Antu, = May it be so, a vow/pledge 

It is often translated as may everyone in the whole world be happy, this mantra serves as a prayer or shloka for global well-being. Another interpretation, may all beings, everywhere, be free and happy. Another common translation, attributed to integral yoga, is: May the entire universe ever be filled with peace, joy, love and light.

Although the origins of this mantra aren’t specifically traced to the Vedas, which document many popular mantras, it is believed to be part of a Shanti mantra—a chant for peace. Despite its age, the mantra carries timeless significance, resonating with the spirit of universal happiness and tranquility.

Thanks to the Shvasa website for the writing above; you can learn more about the prayer here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokaksema_(Hindu_prayer)

Just the Sanskrit, slowly: