The Children’s Song- -by Rudyard Kipling
The Children’s Song
-by Rudyard Kipling
1
Land of our Birth, we pledge to thee
Our love and toil in the years to be;
When we are grown and take our place
As men and women with our race.
2
Father in Heaven who lovest all,
Oh, help Thy children when they call;
That they may build from age to age
An undefiled heritage.
3
Teach us to bear the yoke in youth,
With steadfastness and careful truth;
That, in our time, Thy Grace may give
The Truth whereby the Nations live.
4
Teach us to rule ourselves alway,
Controlled and cleanly night and day;
That we may bring, if need arise,
No maimed or worthless sacrifice.
5
Teach us to look in all our ends
On Thee for judge, and not our friends;
That we, with Thee, may walk uncowed
By fear or favour of the crowd.
6
Teach us the Strength that cannot seek,
By deed or thought, to hurt the weak;
That, under Thee, we may possess
Man’s strength to comfort man’s distress.
7
Teach us Delight in simple things,
And Mirth that has no bitter springs;
Forgiveness free of evil done,
And Love to all men ‘neath the sun!
8
Land of our Birth, our faith, our pride,
For whose dear sake our fathers died;
Oh, Motherland, we pledge to thee
Head, heart and hand through the years to be!
শিশুদের গান
হে মোর প্রিয় জন্মভূমি, শপথ করি তোমার নামে;
আমার সকল ভালবাসা ভবিষ্যতের শ্রম ও ঘামে,
বড় হয়ে যখন আমি আসন পাব যোগ্য কোন,
আমার জাতির প্রতিনিধি যদি মোরা হই কখনো।
স্বর্গে আছেন বিশ্বপিতা, ভালবাসেন সবায় যিনি;
মোদের ডাকে যোগ্য সারা নিশ্চিতই দেবেন তিনি।
যেন মোরা গড়তে পারি ইতিহাসের প্রান্ত সীমায়
নতুন কোন চিহ্ন কিছু আত্মবিকাশেরই ধারায়।
শিক্ষা দাওহে যাতে মোরা বইতে পারি দায়িত্বভার;
ব্রতী যেন থাকি মোরা, সদাই সত্যনিষ্ঠতার।
যাতে মোরা সময়কালে তোমার দয়ায় পাই সে বর;
সত্য, যাহা সকল জাতির বাঁচার মন্ত্র চিরন্তর।
শিখাও মোদের, সকল সময় কঠোর আত্ম নিয়ন্ত্রনে;
সংযমে ও শৃংখলিত পরিচ্ছন্ন রাত ও দিনে;
যেন মোরা আনতে পারি, চাই সে যদি, প্রয়োজনে;
নি:শেষিত হয়না যেন, ত্রূটিপূর্ণ আত্মদানে।
শিখাও মোদের করতে বিচার, হলে সকল কাজের শেষ;
না না এতে বব্ধুরা নয়, খু্ঁজব তোমায় নির্নিমেষ।
যাতে মোরা তোমার সাথে চলতে পারি শংকাহীন;
লোক স্তুতি কিংবা ভয়ে হইনা যেন আত্মলীন।
শিক্ষা দাও সে শক্তি মোদের,ধ্যানে কর্মে সকলক্ষণ
দুর্বলে না হানতে আঘাত দৃঢ়চিত্ত, মরণপণ;
যাতে মোরা তোমার ছায়ায় অর্জন করি সে গৌরব
মানুষের দু:খ মুছার মানবিক সে সৌরভ।
শিক্ষা দাওহে, আনন্দ মোর, সকল কাজে সহজ সরল;
এমন কোন আনন্দ নয়, অন্তে যাহার আছে গরল।
ক্ষমা যেন করতে পারি সকল অপরাধীর তরে,
ভালবাসি যেন সবায়, আছে যারা পৃথ্বি পরে।
হে মোর প্রিয় জন্মভূমি, বিশ্বাস এবং গর্ব আমার;
তোমার লাগি জীবন দিল কতই পূর্ব পুরুষ সবার!
ও আমার মাতৃভূমি, শপথ আমার তোমার নামে;
আমার সকল ভালোবাসা, ভবিষ্যতের শ্রম ও ঘামে।
MEANINGS:
1. Undefined/ unpolluted; Pure
- Yoke: Responsibility / a piece of wood that holds two oxen together, while ploughing or pulling a cart
- Steadfastness: Firmness or resolution
- Maimed half-hearted; Trivial
- Uncoward: Unafraid
- Pledge : Make a promise
- Toll : Hard Work
- Lovest : Love
- Thy : Your
- Heritage: The history, traditions, buildings and qualities that a country has had for many years that are an important part of the country’s character.
Summary:
“The Children’s Song” by Rudyard Kipling is a poem that reflects the voice of children as they sing about the qualities they wish for and the values they believe in. The children express their desires for kindness, fairness, and a sense of right and wrong, focusing on the importance of love, honesty, and respect in a world where these qualities may not always be present. The song highlights the idealistic nature of childhood and its belief in a better, more just world. The children seem to see things in a clear, uncomplicated way, suggesting that their untainted perspective offers valuable wisdom for the adult world.
Theme:
The theme of “The Children’s Song” by Rudyard Kipling revolves around the contrasting perspectives of childhood innocence and the responsibilities and expectations of adulthood. The poem reflects on how children are often naive and carefree, yet they are also seen as the future bearers of knowledge, responsibility, and social norms. It highlights the way adults impose their views, advice, and rules onto children, often without considering the true nature or desires of the child. Kipling subtly critiques the pressures and expectations placed on children while also capturing the complexity of growing up. The poem suggests that children, in their simplicity, may possess a different but equally important wisdom than adults realize.
Questions:
a) What yoke is the speaker referring to in the first line?
Answer: The poet is referring to the responsibility that one has to bear in his youth like defending the country, helping the needy and exercising self-control.
b) What does the poet mean by ‘careful truth’?
Answer: By ‘careful truth’, the poet means that bearing the responsibility of Nation building with truth and sincerity.
c) What does the phrase ‘in our time’ in line 3 refer to?
Answer: The phrase ‘in our time’ refers to the time when will children grow up to the change and take charge of their Nation.
d) Explain ‘The Truth whereby the Nations live’? Answer: The poet requested God to give the children knowledge of the reality and moral values on which the Nation could live forever.
Extra:
(a) Why does the speaker call their motherland ‘Land of…., …faith, …pride’?
Answer: The speaker calls his motherland the land of faith and pride because it comprises of the customs, beliefs and traditions which he believes in and it has given him his identity and recognition. He is proud of his cultural heritage.
(b) How does the speaker wish to serve their motherland?
Answer: The poet wished to serve his motherland by being sincere, honest, hardworking, responsible and loving. He wishes to do good deeds and contribute to the betterment of human race. He is willing to make supreme sacrifices for his motherland.
(c) What do the words ‘head’, ‘heart’ and ‘hand’ in line 4 refer to?
Answer: The word Head refers to intelligence and knowledge. ‘Heart’ refers to love and patriotism and ‘hand’ refers to hard work. This reference has been made to signify that children should have intelligence, love and sincerity towards their motherland.
(d) What purpose is served by the repetition of the word ‘our’ in line 1?
Answer: In line 1, the repetition of the word ‘our’ creates a sense of belongingness to the motherland. It gives a feeling that all the countrymen are equal for the motherland.
(e) What is the main theme of the poem?
Answer: The main theme is the joy and freedom of childhood and the bond between children and their parents or caregivers.
(f) Who is the poem’s speaker?
Answer: The speaker of the poem is a child, expressing their thoughts and feelings about the world around them.
(g) What do the children in the poem sing about?
Answer: The children sing about their playful experiences and their carefree attitude towards life.
(h)What does the poem suggest about the nature of childhood?
Answer: The poem suggests that childhood is a time of innocence, joy, and simplicity, free from the complexities of adulthood.
(i) How does the poem portray adults?
Answer: The poem portrays adults as being serious and practical, in contrast to the carefree and imaginative nature of children.
Explain the following.
…we pledge to thee
Our love and toil in the years to be.
Answer: The children pledge to serve their motherland worth sincerity and devotion when they grow up. They want to do their best possible for their country and make necessary sacrifices.
That we may bring, if need arise,
No maimed or worthless sacrifice.
Answer: In the hour of need we shall not hesitate in sacrificing anything to bring freedom and dignity to our country.
That we, with Thee, may walk uncowed
By fear or favour of the crowd.
Answer: The children pray to God to make them fearless and face any situation courageously and with faith in Him. They wish to be courageous so that they may be able to walk in any sphere of life without any fear, criticism or favour of the people around them.
Mirth that has no bitter springs.
Answer: The children pray to God to teach them to find happiness in small things of life and they should not have any ill feelings against anyone. They should take life as it comes.
The repetition of a sound to create a musical effect in a poem is called ‘alliteration’. Find at least four examples of alliteration in the poem.
Answer: four examples of alliteration in the poem are:
That they may build from age to age (Sound of a)
Head, heart and hand through the years to be (Sound of h)
Forgiveness free of evil done (Sound of f)
Controlled and cleanly night and day (Sound of c)
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Answer: The rhyme scheme of the poem is aabb.
In Rudyard Kipling’s “The Children’s Song,” metaphor and simile are employed to convey deep meanings about life, growth, and the passage of time. Let’s look at examples of these literary devices in the poem:
Metaphor: A metaphor directly compares two things without using “like” or “as.”
Example: “And the winds go rolling and the rains go by.”
The winds and rains are not just literal weather events here; they metaphorically represent the inevitable changes and forces of life that shape individuals as they grow and mature. This suggests the passage of time and the inevitability of change.
Simile: A simile compares two things using “like” or “as.”
Example: “The wind is blowing, and the rain is falling, like a great love.”
The comparison to a “great love” uses a simile to depict the intensity and force of the elements, suggesting that natural forces (wind and rain) have a deep, almost personal impact, similar to a powerful love.
These devices help enhance the imagery in the poem, drawing connections between natural phenomena and human experiences. Through metaphor and simile, Kipling connects the physical world with abstract emotions and themes of change and growth.