Books
-Eleanor Farjeon
What worlds of wonder are our books!
As one opens them and looks,
New ideas and people rise
In our fancies and our eyes.
The room we sit in melts away,
And we find ourselves at play
With someone who, before the end,
May become our chosen friend.
Or we sail along the page
To some other land or age.
Here’s our body in the chair,
But our mind is over there.
Each book is a magic box.
Which with a touch a child unlocks.
In between their outside covers
Books hold all things for their lovers.
Books — Eleanor Farjeon
বাংলা অনুবাদ
What worlds of wonder are our books!
আমাদের বইগুলো যেন বিস্ময়ের একেকটি জগৎ!
As one opens them and looks,
যখন কেউ সেগুলো খুলে দেখে,
New ideas and people rise
নতুন নতুন ভাবনা ও মানুষ ভেসে ওঠে
In our fancies and our eyes.
আমাদের কল্পনা ও দৃষ্টির সামনে।
The room we sit in melts away,
আমরা যে ঘরে বসে থাকি, তা যেন মিলিয়ে যায়,
And we find ourselves at play
আর আমরা নিজেদের মগ্ন অবস্থায় খুঁজে পাই
With some one who, before the end,
এমন কারও সঙ্গে, যে শেষ পর্যন্ত
May become our chosen friend.
আমাদের প্রিয় বন্ধু হয়ে উঠতে পারে।
Or we sail along the page
অথবা আমরা পাতার পর পাতা ভেসে যাই
To some other land or age.
অন্য কোনো দেশ বা যুগের দিকে।
Here’s our body in the chair,
আমাদের দেহ থাকে এই চেয়ারে,
But our mind is over there.
কিন্তু আমাদের মন চলে যায় দূরদেশে।
Each book is a magic box,
প্রতিটি বই এক একটি জাদুর বাক্স,
Which with a touch a child unlocks.
যা একটি শিশু সামান্য স্পর্শেই খুলে ফেলে।
In between their outside covers
তাদের বাইরের মলাটের ভেতরে
Books hold all things for their lovers.
বই তার প্রেমিক-পাঠকদের জন্য সবকিছুই ধারণ করে।
Explain stanza by Stanza briefly
Stanza 1
What worlds of wonder are our books!…
এই স্তবকে কবি বইকে বিস্ময়ে ভরা এক জগতের সঙ্গে তুলনা করেছেন। যখন আমরা বই খুলে পড়ি, তখন নতুন নতুন ধারণা, চিন্তা ও চরিত্রের সঙ্গে পরিচিত হই। বই আমাদের কল্পনাশক্তিকে সমৃদ্ধ করে এবং জ্ঞানের নতুন দিগন্ত উন্মোচন করে।
Stanza 2
The room we sit in melts away…
এখানে কবি দেখিয়েছেন যে বই পড়ার সময় আমরা বাস্তব জগতকে ভুলে যাই। গল্পের চরিত্রদের সঙ্গে যেন আমরা খেলি, মিশি এবং তাদের মধ্যে কেউ কেউ আমাদের প্রিয় বন্ধুর মতো হয়ে ওঠে। বই পাঠককে গল্পের জগতের সঙ্গে গভীরভাবে যুক্ত করে।
Stanza 3
Or we sail along the page…
এই স্তবকে বলা হয়েছে যে বই আমাদের কল্পনার ডানায় ভর করে দূর দেশ বা অতীত-ভবিষ্যতের বিভিন্ন যুগে ভ্রমণ করায়। যদিও আমাদের শরীর চেয়ারে বসে থাকে, আমাদের মন তখন বইয়ের জগতে বিচরণ করে। বই আমাদের কল্পনাশক্তিকে বিস্তৃত করে।
Stanza 4
Each book is a magic box…
কবি এখানে প্রতিটি বইকে একটি জাদুর বাক্স হিসেবে বর্ণনা করেছেন। একটি শিশু বই খুললেই সেই জাদুর বাক্সের ভেতরের জ্ঞান, আনন্দ, কল্পনা ও অভিজ্ঞতার ভাণ্ডার উন্মুক্ত হয়ে যায়। বইপ্রেমীদের জন্য বই অসংখ্য মূল্যবান বিষয় ধারণ করে রাখে।
Summary of the Poem Books by Eleanor Farjeon
The poem Books celebrates the wonderful power of books. The poet says that books are full of wonder and adventure. When we open a book, we discover new ideas, people, and experiences. Books take us into imaginary worlds where we can meet new friends and enjoy exciting adventures.
As we read, we often forget our surroundings and become completely absorbed in the story. Although our bodies remain in one place, our minds travel to different lands, times, and situations. Books allow us to explore places and experiences that we might never encounter in real life.
The poet compares each book to a magic box. A simple touch can unlock its treasures of knowledge, imagination, and enjoyment. Inside every book are countless wonders waiting to be discovered by readers. Thus, books enrich our minds, broaden our horizons, and provide endless pleasure.
বাংলা সারাংশ
‘Books’ কবিতায় এলিনর ফারজিয়ন বইয়ের মহিমা ও গুরুত্ব তুলে ধরেছেন। কবি বইকে বিস্ময়কর এক জগত হিসেবে বর্ণনা করেছেন। বই পড়ার মাধ্যমে আমরা নতুন নতুন ধারণা, মানুষ ও অভিজ্ঞতার সঙ্গে পরিচিত হই। বই আমাদের কল্পনার জগতে নিয়ে যায় এবং নানা রোমাঞ্চকর অভিজ্ঞতা উপহার দেয়।
বই পড়তে পড়তে আমরা বাস্তব পরিবেশ ভুলে যাই। আমাদের দেহ এক জায়গায় থাকলেও মন চলে যায় দূর দেশ, ভিন্ন সময় ও নতুন জগতে। বই আমাদের জ্ঞান বৃদ্ধি করে এবং কল্পনাশক্তিকে প্রসারিত করে।
কবি প্রতিটি বইকে একটি জাদুর বাক্স হিসেবে তুলনা করেছেন, যার ভেতরে জ্ঞান, আনন্দ ও কল্পনার অমূল্য ভাণ্ডার লুকিয়ে আছে। বইপ্রেমীরা বইয়ের মাধ্যমে সেই অমূল্য সম্পদ লাভ করে। কবিতাটির মূল বক্তব্য হলো, বই মানুষের শ্রেষ্ঠ বন্ধু এবং জ্ঞান ও কল্পনার অফুরন্ত উৎস।
Theme of the Poem Books
The central theme of the poem is the magical power of books to enrich the imagination, expand knowledge, and transport readers to new worlds.
Eleanor Farjeon presents books as wonderful treasures that introduce readers to new ideas, people, places, and experiences. Through reading, people can forget their immediate surroundings and travel imaginatively to distant lands and different ages. Books help readers make new friends through characters, broaden their understanding of life, and experience adventures beyond reality.
The poet also compares books to “magic boxes” because they contain endless knowledge, wisdom, pleasure, and imagination. By opening a book, a reader unlocks a world full of discoveries and possibilities.
Theme briefly
The poem highlights the importance and magical influence of books. It shows how books stimulate imagination, increase knowledge, and take readers to new worlds and experiences. Thus, books are valuable sources of learning, enjoyment, and inspiration.
বাংলা থিম
কবিতাটির মূল প্রতিপাদ্য হলো বইয়ের জাদুকরি শক্তি ও মানুষের জীবনে বইয়ের গুরুত্ব। বই আমাদের জ্ঞান বৃদ্ধি করে, কল্পনাশক্তিকে প্রসারিত করে এবং নতুন নতুন মানুষ, স্থান ও অভিজ্ঞতার সঙ্গে পরিচয় করিয়ে দেয়। বই পড়ার মাধ্যমে আমরা বাস্তব জগতের সীমাবদ্ধতা অতিক্রম করে কল্পনার জগতে বিচরণ করতে পারি। তাই বই জ্ঞান, আনন্দ, প্রেরণা ও কল্পনার অফুরন্ত উৎস।
Answers to the Questions from Books by Eleanor Farjeon
1. What does the poet say about the good things that reading a book can do to you in the poem “Books”?
The poet says that reading books fills our minds with new ideas, introduces us to new people, expands our imagination, and takes us to wonderful new worlds and experiences.
2. What does the poet compare books to in the opening lines of the poem “Books”?
In the opening lines, the poet compares books to wonderful worlds full of wonder and discovery.
3. How does the poem “Books” describe the way books “fly” to us?
The poem suggests that books transport our minds beyond our surroundings, allowing us to travel imaginatively to different lands, ages, and experiences.
4. According to the poem “Books”, how do books provide comfort or companionship?
Books provide companionship by introducing us to interesting characters who may become our chosen friends as we read about them.
5. Do you agree with the poet’s portrayal of books as magical and timeless? Why or why not?
Yes, I agree because books contain endless knowledge and imagination. They allow readers of all ages to travel across time and space through their minds.
Questions for More Practice
(a) How do books transport us to another world or age in the poem “Books”?
Books carry our imagination to distant lands and different periods of history while we remain physically in one place.
(b) How do we find our chosen friend while reading a book in the poem “Books”?
We find our chosen friend through the characters in books. As we become familiar with them, they may feel like our close companions.
(c) Why does the poet call each book a magic box in the poem “Books”?
The poet calls each book a magic box because it is filled with knowledge, imagination, adventures, and enjoyment that are revealed when we open it.
(d) Do books hold pleasant things for readers? If so, how?
Yes, books hold pleasant things such as stories, ideas, adventures, lessons, and dreams that entertain and enrich readers.
(e) What do books bring in our fancies and eyes in the poem “Books”?
Books bring new ideas, characters, and experiences into our imagination and before our eyes.
(f) Describe the functions of books as shown in the poem “Books”.
Books educate us, entertain us, stimulate our imagination, introduce us to new people and places, and broaden our understanding of the world.
(g) How does the poem “Books” describe the universality of reading?
The poem suggests that books can be enjoyed by everyone because they offer knowledge, imagination, friendship, and adventure to all readers.
(h) What does the poet say about the body and mind while reading a book?
The poet says that our body remains seated in a chair, but our mind travels far away into the world of the book.
(i) What does the poet mean by “We sail along the page” in the poem “Books”?
The phrase means that readers become absorbed in books and imaginatively travel to different places, times, and experiences.
(j) How does the poem “Books” describe the emotional value of books?
The poem shows that books offer friendship, comfort, pleasure, and emotional connection through their characters and stories.
(k) What magical ability do books have according to the poem “Books”?
Books have the magical ability to transport readers beyond reality and unlock worlds of imagination and knowledge.
(l) What does the poem “Books” suggest about learning through reading?
The poem suggests that reading helps us learn new ideas, understand different people, and gain valuable knowledge.
(m) What does the poem “Books” highlight about a child’s experience?
The poem highlights that a child can easily unlock the treasures of knowledge and imagination stored within books.
(n) How can books be our best friend?
Books can be our best friends because they always provide knowledge, companionship, guidance, and entertainment.
(o) What according to the poet, are books? And why are they so?
According to the poet, books are magical worlds and magic boxes because they contain endless wonders, ideas, and adventures.
(p) What does the poet compare books to in the poem “Books”?
The poet compares books to worlds of wonder and also to magic boxes filled with treasures.
(q) What does the poem “Books” suggest about the lasting impact of reading?
The poem suggests that reading leaves a lasting impact by enriching our minds, shaping our imagination, and expanding our knowledge.
(r) What does the poet mean by “Here’s our body in the chair, But our mind is over there” in the poem “Books”?
The poet means that although our body stays where we are, our imagination travels into the world created by the book.
(s) How do books contribute to the formation of new ideas and the introduction to new people?
Books expose readers to different thoughts, cultures, and characters, which helps create new ideas and introduces them to new people.
(t) What does the poem “Books” say about the connection between past and present?
The poem suggests that books connect readers with different ages and times, allowing them to experience both the past and the present.
(u) What does the poem “Books” say about imagination?
The poem shows that books greatly stimulate imagination by creating vivid worlds, people, and experiences in the reader’s mind.
(v) What happens when we open a book and start reading?
When we open a book and start reading, we enter a world of wonder filled with new ideas, people, places, and adventures.
(w) Do you believe “The room we sit in melts away” while reading books?
Yes. When we become deeply engaged in a book, we often forget our surroundings and feel fully immersed in the story.
(x) What do books hold between their covers?
Between their covers, books hold knowledge, imagination, adventures, wisdom, and countless wonders for readers.
(y) How does the poem “Books” portray books as companions?
The poem portrays books as companions by showing that the characters within them can become our chosen friends and stay with us through our reading journey.
