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Bengali Meaning of Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen
Bankura University 7th Semester English Hons
"Strange Meeting" is a poem by Wilfred Owen. It deals with the violence of World War I.
The poem was written sometime in 1918 and was published in 1919
Line 1
"It seemed that out of battle I escaped"
মনে হচ্ছিল যেন আমি যুদ্ধক্ষেত্র থেকে পালিয়ে বেঁচে এসেছি।
The speaker feels as though he has managed to get away from the violence and danger of the war.
Line 2
"Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped"
একটি গভীর, অন্ধকার ও একঘেয়ে সুড়ঙ্গের ভেতর দিয়ে, যা বহু আগে খোঁড়া হয়েছিল।
He travels down a deep, dark, and gloomy underground tunnel that was dug out long ago.
Line 3
"Through granites which titanic wars had groined."
গ্রানাইট পাথরের মধ্য দিয়ে, যা প্রাচীনকালের বিশাল যুদ্ধগুলো তৈরি করেছিল।
The tunnel goes through hard granite rock, formed by massive, ancient conflicts of the past.
Line 4
"Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned,"
তবুও সেখানে ভারী বোঝা বহনকারী ঘুমন্ত মানুষজন কোঁকাচ্ছিল,
Even in this deep tunnel, there are sleeping soldiers who are groaning in pain, burdened by suffering or heavy equipment.
Line 5
"Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred."
তারা চিন্তা কিংবা মৃত্যুর গভীর ঘুমে এতটাই মগ্ন যে তাদের জাগানো সম্ভব ছিল না।
These people are either so lost in deep thought or already dead that nothing can wake them up.
Line 6
"Then, as I probed them, one sprang up, and stared"
তারপর, আমি যখন তাদের পরীক্ষা করছিলাম, একজন হঠাৎ লাফিয়ে উঠে দাঁড়াল এবং তাকাল
As the narrator checks on the sleeping figures, one person suddenly jumps up and stares at him.
Line 7
"With piteous recognition in fixed eyes,"
তার নিশ্চল চোখে এক করুণ চেনার দৃষ্টি নিয়ে,
The standing soldier looks back with unmoving eyes full of sadness and a tragic sense of recognition.
Line 8
"Lifting distressful hands, as if to bless."
যেন আশীর্বাদ করার জন্য নিজের ব্যাকুল হাত দুটি ওপরে তুলল।
He raises his trembling, suffering hands in a gentle gesture, almost like giving a blessing instead of showing hatred.
Line 9
"And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall,—"
এবং তার হাসি দেখে আমি সেই বিষণ্ণ ঘরটিকে চিনতে পেরেছিলাম,—
Looking at the person's smile, the narrator realizes what kind of dark, gloomy place he is in.
Line 10
"By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell."
তার প্রাণহীন হাসি দেখে আমি বুঝতে পারলাম যে আমরা নরকে দাঁড়িয়ে আছি।
That lifeless, sorrowful smile reveals the terrifying truth: both soldiers have died and are now together in Hell.
Line 11
"With a thousand fears that vision's face was grained;"
এক হাজার ভয়ের চিহ্ন সেই কাল্পনিক অবয়ব বা মুখের ওপর গভীরভাবে খোদাই করা ছিল;
The soldier's face was deeply marked and lined with the terror of countless fears he had experienced.
Line 12
"Yet no blood reached there from the upper ground,"
অথচ ওপরের পৃথিবী থেকে কোনো রক্ত এখানে এসে পৌঁছায়নি,
Even though there was intense violence on the battlefield above, no physical blood reached down into this underworld.
Line 13
"And no guns thumped, or down the flues made moan."
এবং কোনো কামানের গর্জন শোনা যাচ্ছিল না, কিংবা সুড়ঙ্গের মুখে কোনো চিৎকার ধ্বনিত হচ্ছিল না।
The area was completely quiet, far removed from the loud explosions of guns and the haunting sounds of battle.
Line 14
"“Strange friend,” I said, “here is no cause to mourn.”"
"অদ্ভুত বন্ধু," আমি বললাম, "এখানে দুঃখ প্রকাশ করার বা কাঁদার মতো কোনো কারণ নেই।"
The narrator addresses the dead soldier gently, suggesting that since they are away from the horror of war, there is no reason to feel sad.
Line 15
"“None,” said that other, “save the undone years,"
"কোনো কারণই নেই," অপরজন বলল, "শুধু সেই না-বাঁচা বছরগুলো ছাড়া,
The other soldier agrees, but points out that the real sorrow comes from all the unlived future years taken away from them.
Line 16
"The hopelessness. Whatever hope is yours,"
সেই চরম হতাশা। তোমার মনে যে আশাই থাকুক না কেন,
He speaks of the deep hopelessness of early death, adding that he once shared the very same dreams and hopes as the narrator.
Line 17
"Was my life also; I went hunting wild"
তা আমার জীবনেও ছিল; আমি উন্মত্তের মতো খুঁজে বেরিয়েছিলাম
He also lived life with energy and passion, actively pursuing a deep sense of purpose.
Line 18
"After the wildest beauty in the world,"
পৃথিবীর সবচেয়ে দূরন্ত ও পরম সৌন্দর্যকে,
He was seeking the highest form of beauty, art, and truth in the world.
Line 19
"Which lies not calm in eyes, or braided hair,"
যা শান্ত চোখ বা বাঁধা চুলের বাহ্যিক রূপের মধ্যে সীমাবদ্ধ নয়,
True beauty is not just simple physical attraction, like pretty eyes or styled hair.
Line 20
"But mocks the steady running of the hour,"
বরং যা সময়ের ধীর-স্থির গতিকে চ্যালেঞ্জ জানায় বা তুচ্ছ করে,
Real beauty and truth are timeless and outlast the relentless passage of time.
Line 21
"And if it grieves, grieves richlier than here."
এবং তা যদি কোনো দুঃখ প্রকাশও করে, তা এখানকার চেয়ে অনেক বেশি গভীর ও সমৃদ্ধ দুঃখ।
Even the sadness found in art and life has meaning and richness, unlike the dull, meaningless suffering of war.
Line 22
"For by my glee might many men have laughed,"
কারণ আমার আনন্দে হয়তো বহু মানুষ হাসতে পারত,
Through his poetry and joy, he could have brought happiness to many people.
Line 23
"And of my weeping something had been left,"
এবং আমার কান্নার মধ্য দিয়ে এমন কিছু থেকে যেত,
Even through his sorrow, he could have created lasting works that shared meaningful human experience.
Line 24
"Which must die now. I mean the truth untold,"
যা এখন অবশ্যই বিলুপ্ত হবে। আমি সেই অনুচ্চারিত সত্যের কথা বলছি,
But that potential is now lost forever with his death, along with the honest truths he wanted to share.
Line 25
"The pity of war, the pity war distilled."
যুদ্ধের করুণ বেদনা, যুদ্ধের যে খাঁটি নির্যাসিত করুণা।
He means the raw, deep sorrow produced by war—the reality that war creates nothing but tragedy.
Line 26
"Now men will go content with what we spoiled."
এখন মানুষ আমাদের নষ্ট করা বিষয়গুলো নিয়েই সন্তুষ্ট থাকবে।
Future generations will accept a damaged, broken world because the poets and thinkers who could have guided them were killed.
Line 27
"Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled."
অথবা, অসন্তুষ্ট হয়ে, রক্তক্ষয়ী ক্ষোভে ফেটে পড়বে এবং ধ্বংস হয়ে যাবে।
Or, if people remain unhappy, they will continue to fight violent wars and shed more blood uselessly.
Line 28
"They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress."
তারা বাঘিনীর মতো দ্রুত ও হিংস্র হয়ে উঠবে।
Future generations will become aggressive, cruel, and quick to attack each other like wild animals.
Line 29
"None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress."
কেউ দলছুট হবে না, যদিও দেশগুলো উন্নতির পথ ছেড়ে পিছিয়ে পড়তে থাকে।
People will blindly follow their leaders into war without questioning, even as their countries move backward instead of making progress.
Line 30
"Courage was mine, and I had mystery;"
আমার সাহস ছিল, এবং আমার ভেতরে ছিল এক গভীর রহস্যময়তা;
The soldier possessed bravery as well as deep creative insight into life.
Line 31
"Wisdom was mine, and I had mastery:"
আমার জ্ঞান ছিল, এবং ছিল দক্ষতা বা বিচক্ষণতা:
He had the understanding and artistic skill needed to share important truths with the world.
Line 32
"To miss the march of this retreating world"
পিছিয়ে পড়া এই পৃথিবীর অন্ধ যাত্রা থেকে নিজেকে সরিয়ে নেওয়ার জন্য
He had the wisdom to step back from a society that was collapsing into destruction.
Line 33
"Into vain citadels that are not walled."
দেয়ালহীন সেইসব অর্থহীন দুর্গের দিকে।
Humanity is marching toward false ideas of safety and victory—fortresses that offer no real protection at all.
Summary
Wilfred Owen's poem Strange Meeting begins with a soldier who escapes the noise and chaos of a violent battlefield. He travels down into a deep, dark underground tunnel made of hard granite rock. This gloomy underground hall turns out to be Hell itself, filled with sleeping soldiers who are either dead or lost in deep suffering. As the speaker walks through the darkness, one of the sleepers suddenly jumps up and stares at him with sad eyes.
The standing soldier raises his trembling hands in a gentle gesture that looks like a blessing rather than an attack. Looking at the stranger's sad and lifeless smile, the speaker realizes that they are both in the realm of the dead. The speaker tries to comfort the stranger by saying that there is no reason to grieve in this quiet place because they are finally safe from the loud guns and bloodshed of war.
However, the second soldier responds that there is indeed a great reason to mourn. He grieves for all the unlived future years and lost dreams that were taken away from them so abruptly. He explains that he once had the same passion, hopes, and love for life as the speaker. He wanted to dedicate his existence to searching for deep truth, art, and genuine beauty in the world.
The dead soldier explains that his early death has destroyed his chance to share his wisdom with humanity. He wished to write poetry and create art that could teach people about the true horror and tragedy of war. Now, because he and many other young thinkers have been killed, the untold truth about war's cruelty will die with them, leaving the world without moral guidance.
He warns that future generations will suffer terribly because of this destruction of human talent. Without wise guides to show them the path of peace, people will become aggressive like wild animals. They will blindly obey their leaders and continue to march into mindless, bloody wars that will pull human civilization backward into complete ruin.
The soldier explains that he possessed the wisdom, courage, and spirit needed to heal a broken world with love and truth rather than violence. He wished to use his soul to cleanse the bloodstains of war and comfort humanity. However, he Laments that war destroys human beings not only through physical wounds, but also through invisible mental trauma and psychological suffering.
Finally, the stranger reveals his true identity to the speaker. He states that he is the enemy soldier whom the speaker stabbed and killed in battle just the day before. He remembers trying to defend himself, but his hands were too cold and reluctant to fight back. Instead of feeling anger or seeking revenge, he calls his killer a friend, forgives him completely, and invites him to sleep together in eternal peace.
Easy
Wilfred Owen's poem Strange Meeting describes a dead soldier who escapes from a noisy battlefield into a dark and quiet underground tunnel. This deep tunnel turns out to be Hell itself. In this gloomy place, the speaker meets another dead soldier who wakes up and looks at him with deep sadness. The speaker tells him that there is no reason to weep here because they are away from the loud guns and violence of war. However, the second soldier disagrees and explains that there is a great reason to grieve. He grieves for all the unlived years of life that were taken away from them so early. He explains that he once had the same dreams, hopes, and love for life as the speaker. He wanted to spend his life searching for deep beauty, truth, and art. Now, because of his early death, all his talents, wisdom, and potential are lost forever. He warns that future generations will suffer because the world has killed its poets, artists, and thinkers who could have guided humanity toward peace. Without these wise guides, people will blindly follow cruel leaders into more destructive wars and make the world even worse. He then reveals that he used to have deep courage and wisdom that could have helped heal the world without violence. Finally, the soldier reveals his true identity to the speaker. He says that he is the enemy soldier whom the speaker stabbed and killed in battle just the day before. He tried to defend himself during the fight, but his hands were too cold and hesitant to strike back. Instead of showing anger, hatred, or revenge toward his killer, the dead enemy calls him a friend. He forgives the speaker completely because he knows they were both victims of the same terrible war. The poem ends on a peaceful and somber note as the enemy soldier invites his killer to rest together eternally in the quiet darkness of the afterlife. Through this meeting, Owen shows that war is totally senseless and that all soldiers share a common bond of humanity regardless of which country they fight for.
1. "By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell." 2. "I mean the truth untold, / The pity of war, the pity war distilled."3. "Now men will go content with what we spoiled. / Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled."4. "Foreheads of men have bled where no wounds were."6. "I parried; but my hands were loath and cold. / Let us sleep now. . . .”
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