Sheep by W H Davies

Poetry has the power to capture emotions and experiences in a way that resonates deeply with readers. One such remarkable poem is Sheep by W H Davies, which beautifully portrays a sailor’s regretful journey with a herd of sheep across the sea. At BD JOBZ PREPARATION, we bring you this thoughtful piece, exploring its meaning and emotions. The poem vividly describes the distress of the sheep as they realize they are far from their familiar green fields, making it a touching reflection of fear, loss, and empathy.

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Sheep by W H Davies

When I was once in Baltimore, 

A man came up to me and cried, 

‘Come, I have eighteen hundred sheep, 

And we will sail on Tuesday’s tide.

‘If you will sail with me, young man,

I’II pay you fifty shillings down;

These eighteen hundred sheep I take

From Baltimore to Glasgow town.’

He paid me fifty shillings down, 

I sailed with eighteen hundred sheep;

We soon had cleared the harbour’s mouth,

We soon were in the salt sea deep. 

The first night we were out at sea

Those sheep were quiet in their mind;

The second night they cried with fear-

They smelt no pastures on the wind.

They sniffed, poor things, for their green fields, 

They cried so loud I could not sleep:

For fifty thousand shillings down

I would not sail again with sheep. 

Sheep by W H Davies Bangla Translation

ভেড়া

আমি একবার বাল্টিমোরে ছিলাম,
এক ব্যক্তি এলো, ডেকে বলল,
‘চলো, আমার আঠারো শত ভেড়া আছে,
মঙ্গলবারের জোয়ারে যাব আমরা।’

‘যদি তুমি আমার সাথে চলো,
পঞ্চাশ শিলিং দেব হাতে,
এই আঠারো শত ভেড়া নিয়ে
বাল্টিমোর থেকে গ্লাসগো শহরে পাড়ি দেব।’

সে দিলো পঞ্চাশ শিলিং সঙ্গে,
ভেড়ার সাথে রওনা হলাম,
বন্দরের মুখ পার হয়েই আমরা
লোনা জলের গভীরে চললাম।

প্রথম রাত সমুদ্রে কাটল,
ভেড়ারা ছিল শান্ত মনে,
দ্বিতীয় রাত কেটে গেল তাদের ভয়েতে—
তারা ঘ্রাণ পেল না চারণভূমির কোন।

সবুজ মাঠের গন্ধ পাবার আশায়
তারা নাক উঁচিয়ে খুঁজে বেড়ায়,
কিন্তু তা না পেয়ে কেঁদে উঠলো,
আমি নির্ঘুম রাত কাটালাম তাই।

পঞ্চাশ হাজার শিলিং দিলেও
আমি আর যাব না সেই পথে,
ভেড়াদের সেই কান্নার শব্দ
রইলো বয়ে আমার রক্তে।

—ডব্লিউ. এইচ. ডেভিস

Important Vocabulary

Here are 15 difficult words from the English poem along with their parts of speech, Bangla and English meanings, and sentence examples:

1. Harbour (noun) [বন্দর, a place for ships to dock]:
   • Sentence: The ship entered the harbour safely after a long journey.
2. Shilling (noun) [এক ধরনের পুরনো ব্রিটিশ মুদ্রা, an old British coin]:
   • Sentence: He was paid fifty shillings for his work on the farm.
3. Tide (noun) [জোয়ার, the rise and fall of sea levels]:
   • Sentence: The fisherman waited for the high tide to set sail.
4. Cleared (verb) [পরিষ্কার করা বা পার হওয়া, to remove or pass through]:
   • Sentence: The plane cleared the runway before taking off.
5. Deep (adjective) [গভীর, extending far down]:
   • Sentence: The river was too deep for the children to cross.
6. Quiet (adjective) [শান্ত, making little or no noise]:
   • Sentence: The library was so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat.
7. Mind (noun) [মন, the faculty of thinking and feeling]:
   • Sentence: Meditation helps to keep the mind calm and focused.
8. Fear (noun) [ভয়, an unpleasant emotion caused by danger]:
   • Sentence: The child screamed in fear when he saw the dark forest.
9. Smelt (verb) [ঘ্রাণ পাওয়া, to perceive a scent]:
   • Sentence: She smelt the fresh flowers as she walked through the garden.
10. Pasture (noun) [চারণভূমি, land covered with grass for grazing animals]:
    • Sentence: The cows were grazing in the green pasture all day.
11. Sniffed (verb) [নাক দিয়ে গন্ধ নেওয়া, to smell by inhaling]:
    • Sentence: The dog sniffed the ground to find the missing object.
12. Cried (verb) [কান্না করা বা চিৎকার করা, to weep or shout loudly]:
    • Sentence: The baby cried when his mother left the room.
13. Loud (adjective) [জোরে, producing a lot of noise]:
    • Sentence: The music was so loud that I could not hear my friend.
14. Sail (verb) [জাহাজ চালানো বা ভাসানো, to travel on water in a boat]:
    • Sentence: They planned to sail across the ocean in two weeks.
15. Route (noun) [পথ, a way or course taken to reach a destination]:
    • Sentence: The driver took a different route to avoid traffic.

Exercises

Questions and Answers

1. What did the man ask the narrator to do?
   Answer: The man asked the narrator to sail with him on a ship carrying eighteen hundred sheep from Baltimore to Glasgow.
2. Why did the narrator agree to go on the ship?
   Answer: The narrator agreed to go on the ship because the man offered him fifty shillings as payment.
3. What did the sheep do on the first night?
   Answer: On the first night the sheep remained quiet and calm.
4. What did the sheep do on the second night and why?
   Answer: On the second night the sheep cried in fear because they could not smell the pastures and realized they were far from their natural habitat.
5. What did the narrator decide never to do again?
   Answer: The narrator decided never to sail with sheep again no matter how much money he was offered because their cries were too distressing.

B. Reference to Context

1. Read these lines from the poem, then answer the questions:

“We soon had cleared the harbour’s mouth,
We soon were in the salt sea deep.”

a. What do you think ‘cleared the harbour’s mouth’ means?
Answer: ‘Cleared the harbour’s mouth’ means that the ship had left the harbour and entered the open sea.

b. What words does the poet repeat in these lines in order to create the sense that the start of the journey went quickly and smoothly?
Answer The poet repeats the words ‘We soon’ to emphasize that the journey began quickly and without difficulty.

c. What does the poet mean by ‘in the salt sea deep’?
Answer: ‘In the salt sea deep’ means that the ship was far from the shore and sailing in the deep waters of the ocean.

2. Read these lines from the poem, then answer the questions:

“They sniffed, poor things, for their green fields.”

a. Which words show that the narrator feels sympathy for the sheep?
Answer: The words ‘poor things’ show that the narrator feels sympathy for the sheep.

b. What emotions is the narrator making us think the sheep are feeling?
Answer: The narrator makes us think that the sheep are feeling fear, sadness, and longing for their home.

c. What does ‘they sniffed’ mean? (Try to think of more than one meaning.)
Answer: ‘They sniffed’ can mean that the sheep were trying to smell the air to find their familiar pastures and also that they were making small, sad noises as a sign of distress.

C. Words and Meaning

1. Find words in the poem that have the same meaning as the following:

• Green fields → Pastures
• Said → Cried
• Open sea → Salt sea deep
• Scared → Fear

2. Find two examples of words or phrases being repeated to create an effect:

• “We soon” is repeated to emphasize how quickly and smoothly the journey began.
• “Cried” is repeated to show the fear and distress of the sheep as they realized they were far from their home.

D. Discuss and Write

1. Why did the narrator change his mind about taking the journey?

Answer: The narrator initially agreed to take the journey because he was offered fifty shillings. However, by the end of the journey, he regretted his decision and realized that no amount of money would make him repeat the experience. Here are some possible reasons for his change of mind:

• The sheep were quiet at first but later became restless and frightened.
• On the second night, the sheep cried in fear because they could not smell their familiar green fields.
• The sound of the sheep crying was so disturbing that the narrator could not sleep.
• He realized that the journey was emotionally exhausting and not worth the money.
• The experience left a lasting impact on him, making him decide never to travel with sheep again.

2. A Short Account of an Unpleasant Journey

Answer: A Nightmare Bus Ride

Last summer, I had one of the most unpleasant journeys of my life. I was traveling by bus from my hometown to the capital city for an important exam. The journey was supposed to take five hours, but it turned into a nightmare.

First, the bus was overcrowded, and I barely found a seat. The air conditioning was not working, and the heat was unbearable. As the journey continued, heavy rain started, and the road became slippery. Suddenly, the bus stopped in the middle of the highway due to an engine failure. We were stuck for almost three hours with no food or water.

To make things worse, my phone battery died, and I could not inform my family about the delay. When the bus finally started again, I was exhausted, sweaty, and anxious about my exam. By the time I reached my destination, I had only a few hours left to rest before my exam.

That journey taught me the importance of being prepared for unexpected situations while traveling. It was an experience I never want to repeat!

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Poem Sheep by W H Davies is a simple yet profound exploration of how even animals experience longing and fear when taken away from their natural environment. The sailor’s realization at the end leaves a lasting impression, reminding us of the emotional depth within all living beings. At BD JOBZ PREPARATION, we strive to bring literature to life, helping readers connect with timeless works like this. Stay with us for more insightful literary content that enriches your understanding of poetry and prose.