Lesson: Summer Friends
1. Let’s Read (চলো পড়ি)
Summer Friends
by Mary Lamb
The Swallow is a summer bird;
He in our chimneys, when the weather
Is fine and warm, may then be heard
Chirping his notes for weeks together.
সোয়ালো একটি গ্রীষ্মের পাখি;
আমাদের চিমনিতে, যখন আবহাওয়া
সুন্দর এবং উষ্ণ থাকে, তখন তাকে শোনা যায়
সপ্তাহের পর সপ্তাহ ধরে তার সুর গাইতে।
Come there but one cold wintry day,
Away will fly our guest the Swallow:
And much like him we find the way
Which many a gay young friend will follow.
যদি একটিও ঠান্ডা শীতের দিন আসে,
উড়ে যাবে আমাদের অতিথি সোয়ালো:
এবং তার মতোই আমরা পথ খুঁজে পাই
যা অনেক হাসিখুশি তরুণ বন্ধু অনুসরণ করবে।
In dreary days of snow and frost
Closer to Man will cling the Sparrow:
Old friends, although in life we’re crost,
Their hearts to us will never narrow.
তুষার ও বরফের বিষণ্ণ দিনে
মানুষের আরও কাছে থাকবে চড়ুই:
পুরানো বন্ধুরা, যদিও জীবনে আমাদের পথ আলাদা হয়,
তাদের হৃদয় আমাদের প্রতি কখনও সংকীর্ণ হবে না।
Give me the bird-give me the friend-
Will sing in frost-will love in sorrow-
Whate’er mischance to-day may send,
Will greet me with his sight to-morrow.
আমাকে সেই পাখি দাও-আমাকে সেই বন্ধু দাও-
যে বরফের মধ্যেও গাইবে-দুঃখেও ভালোবাসবে-
আজ যতই দুর্ভাগ্য আসুক না কেন,
কাল সে তার দর্শনে আমাকে স্বাগত জানাবে।
2. What We Learn (আমরা যা শিখি)
Fair-Weather vs. True Friends
The poem contrasts two types of friends. The “summer friend” (like the Swallow) is only there during good times. The true friend (like the Sparrow) stays with you even during difficult times (“snow and frost”).
কবিতাটি দুই ধরনের বন্ধুর মধ্যে বৈসাদৃশ্য দেখায়। “গ্রীষ্মের বন্ধু” (সোয়ালোর মতো) কেবল ভালো সময়েই পাশে থাকে। সত্যিকারের বন্ধু (চড়ুইয়ের মতো) কঠিন সময়েও (“তুষার ও বরফ”) আপনার সাথে থাকে।
Loyalty in Hardship
The central theme is loyalty. The poet values the sparrow because it represents loyalty, clinging to people when times are tough. This is the quality she desires most in a friend.
কেন্দ্রীয় বিষয়বস্তু হলো আনুগত্য। কবি চড়ুইকে মূল্যবান মনে করেন কারণ এটি আনুগত্যের প্রতীক, কঠিন সময়ে মানুষের পাশে থাকে। এই গুণটিই তিনি একজন বন্ধুর মধ্যে সবচেয়ে বেশি চান।
The True Meaning of Friendship
The poem defines a true friend as someone who doesn’t leave when trouble (“mischance”) arrives. A true friend will love you in sorrow, sing for you in the cold, and be there for you tomorrow, no matter what happens today.
কবিতাটি একজন সত্যিকারের বন্ধুকে এমন একজন হিসেবে সংজ্ঞায়িত করে যে সমস্যা (“দুর্ভাগ্য”) এলে ছেড়ে যায় না। একজন সত্যিকারের বন্ধু দুঃখে আপনাকে ভালোবাসবে, ঠান্ডায় আপনার জন্য গাইবে, এবং আজ যা-ই ঘটুক না কেন, আগামীকাল আপনার জন্য থাকবে।
3. Vocabulary (শব্দভান্ডার)
| Word (শব্দ) | Meaning (অর্থ) |
|---|---|
| Gay (হাসিখুশি) | Lighthearted and carefree. |
| Dreary (বিষণ্ণ) | Dull, bleak, and lifeless; depressing. |
| Cling (লেগে থাকা) | To hold on tightly to. |
| Crost (বিচ্ছিন্ন) | An old way of spelling ‘crossed’; separated. |
| Mischance (দুর্ভাগ্য) | Bad luck. |
4. Activities 1 & 2
Activity 1: Tick the correct alternative
(i) The swallow comes to the poet in…
(ii) Many young friends follow the behaviour of the…
(iii) The sparrow accompanies the poet in times of…
(iv) The poet wants a friend who will be like…
Activity 2: Complete the sentences
(a) The swallow chirps for weeks together when the weather…
is fine and warm.
(b) In a cold day the swallow…
flies away.
(c) Even when old friends are separated, their hearts…
will never narrow.
(d) The poet wishes for a bird that will…
sing in frost and love in sorrow.
5. Activities 3, 4 & 5
Activity 3: Answer the question
Why do you think the swallow leaves the poet during the winter season?
The swallow leaves because it is a summer bird that cannot endure the cold. It follows the warm weather, just like a “fair-weather” friend who leaves when times get hard.
Activity 4: Who/What, Does What, When?
| Who | Does what | When |
|---|---|---|
| (i) The Swallow | chirping his notes | when the weather is fine and warm |
| (ii) The sparrow | clings closer to Man | in dreary days of snow and frost |
| (iii) Old friends | their hearts never narrow | although in life they are separated |
| (iv) A true friend | will greet the poet | even if the poet has mischance |
Activity 5: Answer the questions
(a) What does the swallow do in summer?
In summer, the swallow chirps its notes for weeks together in the chimneys.
(b) How is a “gay young friend” similar to the swallow?
Like the swallow that flies away in cold weather, a “gay young friend” also disappears during times of trouble or hardship.
(c) Whom does the poet like—the swallow or the sparrow? Give reasons.
The poet likes the sparrow because it represents a true friend who stays loyal and close during difficult times, unlike the swallow who leaves.
6. Grammar Practice (ব্যাকরণ অনুশীলন)
Activity 6(a): Identifying Clauses
• I expect that I shall get a prize. (Noun Clause)
• I have a ring which has a yellow handle. (Adjective Clause)
• When I was younger, I used to fly kites. (Adverb Clause)
• This is the place where I was born. (Adjective Clause)
Activity 6(b): Indirect Speech
(i) The sailor said to us, “There will be a storm”.
The sailor told us that there would be a storm.
(ii) The teacher said to the student, “Did you come to school yesterday?”
The teacher asked the student if he/she had come to school the previous day.
(iii) My grandfather said, “May you live long!”
My grandfather wished that I might live long.
7. Let’s Create & Discuss (সৃষ্টি করি ও আলোচনা করি)
Activity 8(a): A Farmer and a Snake
Write a short story in about eighty words using the hints: a farmer finds a snake almost dead with cold—brings it home—warms it—saves its life—the snake is about to bite the farmer’s son—the farmer chases away the snake.
The Ungrateful Snake
A kind farmer, returning home on a cold winter day, found a snake lying frozen by the roadside. Taking pity on it, he brought it home and warmed it by the fire. The snake revived, but instead of showing gratitude, it prepared to bite the farmer’s sleeping son. Seeing this, the farmer grabbed an axe and chased the dangerous creature out of his house, realizing that a wicked nature cannot be changed by kindness.Activity 8(b): A Day with My Bird
Suppose you have a bird that talks and plays with you. Write a paragraph in about eighty words on how you spent a day with the bird during your summer vacation.
During my summer vacation, I spent a wonderful day with my talking parrot, Mithu. We started the morning with him cheerfully saying “Good morning!” as I gave him his seeds. Later, while I was drawing in the garden, he sat on my shoulder, making funny comments about my art. We played a game of hide-and-seek where he would call out from his hiding spot. In the evening, he listened as I read a story, sometimes repeating my words. It was a day full of laughter and simple joys with my feathered friend.