Chapter-1 Abou Ben Adhem by James Leigh Hunt

📖 Abou Ben Adhem – Complete Guide

🔊 Pronunciation (Devanagari)

अबू बेन एडहम (मे आई हिज ट्राइब इन्क्रीज़!)
अवोक वन नाइट फ्रॉम अ डीप ड्रीम ऑफ पीस,
एंड सॉ, विदिन द मूनलाइट इन हिज रूम,
मेकिंग इट रिच, एंड लाइक अ लिली इन ब्लूम,
एन एंजल राइटिंग इन अ बुक ऑफ गोल्ड:
एक्ससीडिंग पीस हैड मेड बेन एडहम बोल्ड,

एंड टू द प्रेज़ेन्स इन द रूम ही सेड,
“व्हाट राइटेस्ट थाउ?” द विज़न रेज़्ड इट्स हेड,
एंड विद अ लुक मेड ऑफ ऑल स्वीट अकोर्ड,
आन्सर्ड, “द नेम्स ऑफ दोज हू लव द लॉर्ड.”
“एंड इज़ माइन वन?” सेड अबू। “ने, नॉट सो,”
रिप्लाइड द एंजल। अबू स्पोक मोर लो,

बट चीयरिली स्टिल; एंड सेड, “आई प्रे थी, देन,
राइट मी ऐज़ वन दैट लव्स हिज फेलो-मेन.”
द एंजल रोट, एंड वेनिश्ड। द नेक्स्ट नाइट
इट केम अगेन विद अ ग्रेट वेकनिंग लाइट,
एंड शोएड द नेम्स हूम लव ऑफ गॉड हैड ब्लेस्ट,
एंड लो! बेन एडहम्स नेम लेड ऑल द रेस्ट।

🔊 Pronunciation (English Phonetic)

A-boo ben AD-hem (may I his tribe in-KREES!)
a-WOKE one night from a deep dream of PEES,
and SAW, within the MOON-light in his ROOM,
MAKING it rich, and LIKE a LI-lee in BLOOM,
an ANGEL WRITING in a BOOK of GOLD:
ik-SEE-ding PEES had MADE Ben AD-hem BOLD,

and TO the PREZ-ence in the ROOM he SED,
“what WRITE-est THOU?” the VI-zhun RAYZD its HEAD,
and WITH a LOOK made OF all SWEET uh-KORD,
AN-serd, “the NAYMS of THOZE who LUV the LORD.”
“and IZ mine ONE?” said A-boo. “NAY, not SO,”
ri-PLIED the AN-gel. A-boo SPOKE more LOW,

but CHEER-ily STILL; and SAID, “I PRAY thee THEN,
WRITE me as ONE that LOVES his FEL-lo MEN.”
the AN-gel WROTE, and VAN-isht. the NEXT NIGHT
it CAME again with a GREAT WAK-ening LIGHT,
and SHOWED the NAYMS whom LOVE of GOD had BLESSED,
and LO! Ben AD-hem’s NAME LED ALL the REST.

🌼 Difficult Words – Abou Ben Adhem

These words are selected based on their actual meaning in the poem to help students understand the text clearly.

Word English Meaning (in context) Hindi Meaning
tribegroup of followers or peopleसमूह / लोग
awokewoke up from sleepजाग गया
visiona divine or supernatural sightअलौकिक दृश्य
presencesomeone being there (angel)उपस्थिति
accordharmony or agreementसामंजस्य
writestwrite (old English form)लिखते हो
repliedanswered backउत्तर दिया
vanisheddisappeared suddenlyगायब हो गया
blessedfavoured by Godआशीर्वाद प्राप्त
fellow-menother human beingsसह-मनुष्य
💡 Note: These words help us understand the central idea of the poem—love for humanity is the highest form of devotion to God.

📘 Comprehension Answers

1. What did Abou Ben Adhem see in the night?
He saw an angel writing in a book of gold.

2. What was the angel writing?
The angel was writing the names of those who love God.

3. What did Abou want the angel to do?
He requested the angel to write his name as one who loves his fellow men.

4. What did the angel show the next night?
The angel showed a list of those whom God had blessed, with Abou’s name at the top.

5. What is the moral of the poem?
The poem teaches that loving humanity is the true way to love God.

🌟 Appreciation

1. Rhyme Scheme (first 6 lines):
aa bb cc

2. Simile:
“Like a lily in bloom”

3. Alliteration:
“deep dream” (repetition of ‘d’ sound)

💡 Key Message: True devotion to God is shown through love, kindness, and service to fellow human beings.

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