Part 1: Text & Translation (Stanzas 1 & 2)

English:

Give to me the life I love,

Let the lave go by me,

Give the jolly heaven above

And the byway nigh me.

Bed in the bush with stars to see,

Bread I dip in the river –

There’s the life for a man like me,

There’s the life for ever.

Let the blow fall soon or late,

Let what will be o’er me;

Give the face of earth around

And the road before me.

Wealth I seek not, hope nor love,

Nor a friend to know me;

All I seek, the heaven above

And the road below me.

Bengali:

দাও আমায় সেই জীবন যা আমি ভালোবাসি,

বাকি সব কিছু আমার পাশ দিয়ে বয়ে যাক,

দাও মাথার ওপরে আনন্দময় আকাশ

আর আমার কাছের নির্জন পথ।

ঝোপের মাঝে হোক বিছানা, তারা দেখার জন্য,

নদীর জলে আমি রুটি ডুবিয়ে খাই –

আমার মতো মানুষের জন্য এটাই তো জীবন,

এটাই চিরকালের জীবন।

আঘাত আসুক আজ বা কাল,

আমার ওপর যা হওয়ার তা হোক;

চারপাশে দাও উন্মুক্ত পৃথিবী

আর আমার সামনের খোলা পথ।

আমি সম্পদ খুঁজি না, আশা বা ভালোবাসাও না,

এমন কোনো বন্ধুও চাই না যে আমাকে জানবে;

আমি কেবল চাই, মাথার ওপরের আকাশ

আর আমার পায়ের তলার পথ।

Part 2: Text & Translation (Stanzas 3 & 4)

English:

Or let autumn fall on me

Where afield I linger,

Silencing the bird on tree,

Biting the blue finger.

White as meal the frosty field –

Warm the fireside haven –

Not to autumn will I yield,

Not to winter even!

Let the blow fall soon or late,

Let what will be o’er me;

Give the face of earth around,

And the road before me.

Wealth I ask not, hope nor love,

Nor a friend to know me;

All I ask, the heaven above

And the road below me.

Bengali:

অথবা শরৎ নেমে আসুক আমার ওপর

যেখানে আমি মাঠে সময় কাটাই,

গাছের পাখিদের নিস্তব্ধ করে দিয়ে,

আর নীল হয়ে যাওয়া আঙুলে কামড় বসিয়ে।

তুষারঢাকা মাঠ শস্যকণার মতো সাদা –

আগুনের পাশের আশ্রয় কতই না উষ্ণ –

শরতের কাছে আমি হার মানব না,

এমনকি শীতের কাছেও না!

আঘাত আসুক আজ বা কাল,

আমার ওপর যা হওয়ার তা হোক;

চারপাশে দাও উন্মুক্ত পৃথিবী

আর আমার সামনের খোলা পথ।

আমি সম্পদ চাই না, আশা বা ভালোবাসাও না,

এমন কোনো বন্ধুও চাই না যে আমাকে জানবে;

আমি কেবল চাই, মাথার ওপরের আকাশ

আর আমার পায়ের তলার পথ।

(দ্রষ্টব্য: কবিতার শেষ স্তবকটি ভবঘুরে জীবনের প্রতি অটল সংকল্প বোঝাতে দ্বিতীয় স্তবকের পুনরাবৃত্তি করা হয়েছে।)

Word Nest (শব্দার্থ)

• lave: stream (নদীর স্রোত)
• jolly: happy (আনন্দময় বা খুশি)
• nigh: near (কাছে বা নিকটে)
• afield: in the field (মাঠে বা দূরে)
• linger: spend a while (দেরি করা বা সময় কাটানো)
• meal: grains of cereal after a coarse grinding (পেষাই করা শস্যকণা বা আটা)
• haven: a safe place (নিরাপদ আশ্রয়)
• yield: surrender (বশ্যতা স্বীকার করা বা হার মানা)
• blow: troubles and challenges (জীবনের আঘাত বা প্রতিকূলতা)

Let’s do: Textbook Activities

Choose the correct answer from the given alternatives:

• (a) The vagabond wishes to have his bed – (ii) in the bush
• (b) The vagabond prays for a life – (i) in close contact with nature
• (c) The vagabond does not seek – (ii) wealth

Identify True and False statements and give Supporting Statements:

• (a) The vagabond wants the way to be far away from him. (False)
  S.S: “And the byway nigh me.”
• (b) The vagabond dips the bread in the river water. (True)
  S.S: “Bread I dip in the river -“
• (c) When autumn comes the birds are going to be happy with their chirpings. (False)
  S.S: “Silencing the bird on tree,”
• (d) The vagabond will not fear to face Autumn or Winter. (True)
  S.S: “Not to autumn will I yield, / Not to winter even!”

Complete the sentences meaningfully:

• (a) The vagabond is a person who wanders from place to place without a home, loving the outdoor life.
• (b) The vagabond wants a life of complete freedom in close contact with nature.
• (c) The vagabond asks for the heaven above and the road below him.
• (d) The vagabond does not seek wealth, hope, love, or a friend to know him.

Answer the following questions:

• (a) What kind of a life does the vagabond want?
  Ans: The vagabond wants a free life in close contact with nature, with the open sky above and the road before him.
• (b) What are the things that do not interest the vagabond?
  Ans: Wealth, hope, love, and friends do not interest the vagabond.
• (c) What would the vagabond do when winter falls?
  Ans: The vagabond will not surrender to the extreme cold of winter. He will continue his journey outdoors fearlessly.
• (d) How does the poet describe a field in autumn?
  Ans: The poet describes that the field in autumn is covered with frost and looks as white as meal.
• (e) Why does the poet repeat the second stanza once again?
  Ans: The poet repeats the second stanza to emphasize the vagabond’s strong determination and firm choice of a free, wandering life, despite any hardships.
• (f) What message does the poet want to give through the poem?
  Ans: Through this poem, the poet wants to convey the joy of absolute freedom and living in harmony with nature, rejecting worldly comforts and materialistic desires.

Let’s do: Vocabulary

Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B:

Fill in the blanks with the antonyms (বিপরীত শব্দ) of the words given in brackets:

• (a) There is a cold (warm) breeze blowing from the sea.
• (b) His coat is black (white) in colour.
• (c) After spring comes summer (winter).
• (d) From the mountain top, I could see the river flowing below (above).
• (e) I do not want to be late (early) for the meeting.

Make new words from the poem by adding suffixes:

• (a) _y : wealthy, frosty, starry
• (b) _less : friendless, hopeless, loveless
• (c) _ful(l) : hopeful
• (d) _ly : friendly, heavenly
• (e) _th : wealth
• (f) side : fireside, roadside
• (g) _er : seeker, lingerer
• (h) _r : later (from late)

Let’s learn: Grammar

Find participle adjectives from the sentences and make new sentences with them:

• (a) He got down from a running bus.
  New Sentence: Do not try to catch a running train.
• (b) The loaded truck hit the tree.
  New Sentence: The loaded cart was pulled by the bullocks.
• (c) I met a charming woman today.
  New Sentence: She has a very charming personality.
• (d) Don’t eat rotten mangoes.
  New Sentence: The smell of the rotten fish was unbearable.
• (e) Cricket is an exciting game.
  New Sentence: We watched an exciting football match yesterday.

Punctuate the following passage:

“Do you know, Watson,” said Holmes, as we sat together at the end of the garden in the darkness, “I have really some hesitation in taking you tonight. There is a risk of danger.”

“You know I welcome it, but you have evidently seen more in these rooms than was visible to me.”

“You saw the ventilator?”

“Yes, but I do not think that it is such a very dangerous or unusual thing to have a small opening between two rooms. It was so small that a rat could hardly pass through.”

Complete the sentences with adjectives in their proper degree:

• (a) Ram is older (old) than Shyam.
• (b) Mt. Everest is the highest (high) peak in the world.
• (c) A mango is as sweet (sweet) to taste as an apple.
• (d) Darjeeling is cooler (cool) than Siliguri.
• (e) Kolkata is the largest (large) city in West Bengal.
• (f) Sita is taller (tall) than Reshma.

Fill in the blanks with the plural nouns given in the help box:

• (a) You have won the match. Congratulations!
• (b) The police headquarters were not far away.
• (c) He did not have the means but he had the capacity to build an empire.
• (d) The test series was so exciting that all were glued to the television.
• (e) He held the burning coal with the help of tongs.

Let’s do: Writing Skill

Describe your experience of enjoying a picnic (in about 70 words):

A Memorable Picnic
Last winter, our school organized a wonderful picnic at the Joypur Forest. The weather was pleasantly cold. I went there with all my classmates and teachers. We reached the spot by bus at 9 AM. We played outdoor games like badminton and passing the parcel. The scenic beauty of the tall Sal trees was mesmerizing. After playing, we enjoyed a delicious lunch together. We sang, danced, and had a lot of fun. I felt extremely happy and refreshed after this beautiful picnic.