Unit 15 — Abou Ben Adhem

Paraphrase & Stanza-wise Comprehension

Poet: Leigh Hunt (1784–1859)
Textbook: English 9, KP Textbook Board — Unit 15, pp.144–149
(pp.150–153 are a third Revision block on punctuation — solved in its own file.)
Form: 18 lines, printed in the book as four stanzas (5 + 5 + 4 + 4)
Rhyme scheme: rhyming couplets (AA BB CC DD…) — increase/peace, room/bloom, gold/bold, said/head, accord/Lord, so/low, then/men, night/light, blest/rest
Metre: Iambic pentameter (heroic couplets)
Theme: A poem on love of God and love of humanity

THE POEM

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:—

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said,
"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord."

"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said, "I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow men."

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blest,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

Who was Abou Ben Adhem? He was Ibrahim bin Adham, a famous Muslim saint and Sufi of the eighth century. He was a prince of Balkh who gave up his throne and wealth to live a life of poverty, worship and service to humanity. Leigh Hunt read of him in a French translation of an Eastern book and made him the hero of this poem.

STANZA 1 (lines 1–5)

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:—

Word meanings

Paraphrase

The poet begins with a prayer that the number of good people like Abou Ben Adhem may increase. He tells us that one night Abou woke up from a deep and peaceful sleep. In the moonlight of his room he saw an angel writing in a golden book. The presence of the angel made the room look rich and beautiful, as pure and lovely as a white lily in full bloom.

Explanation (reference to context)

These lines are taken from the poem Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt. In this opening stanza the poet introduces his hero and the vision that came to him.

The very first line is a blessing: "may his tribe increase!" Before telling us anything about the man, the poet prays that there may be more people like him in the world. This tells us at once that Abou is a person worth imitating.

Abou awoke "from a deep dream of peace" — the phrase shows that his mind was calm and untroubled, which is itself a sign of a clear conscience. What he saw was an angel writing in a book of gold, and the room around it was transformed: the moonlight, together with the angel's presence, made the room "rich" and "like a lily in bloom." The lily is a white flower and a traditional symbol of purity and holiness, so the comparison suggests that the room had become a sacred, shining place.

Notice the dash at the end of line 5. The poet deliberately delays telling us what the angel is writing, so that our curiosity is aroused — exactly as Abou's was.

Figures of speech in this stanza

• Simile — "like a lily in bloom" (the room is compared to a blooming lily using like)
• Imagery — "moonlight in his room", "a lily in bloom", "a book of gold" (appeals strongly to sight)
• Symbolism — the lily stands for purity; the book of gold for a sacred, precious record
• Parenthesis — "(may his tribe increase!)" — an aside enclosed in brackets
• Alliteration — "deep dream"

Stanza comprehension

Q1. What does the poet mean by "may his tribe increase"?
It is a prayer that the number of good and noble people like Abou Ben Adhem may increase in the world. It does not mean his family or his nation, but people of his kind — those who love humanity.

Q2. What did Abou see when he awoke?
He saw an angel writing in a book of gold in the moonlight of his room.

Q3. Why did the room look rich and beautiful?
Because of the presence of the angel, together with the moonlight. The angel's holy presence transformed the ordinary room and made it look as pure and lovely as a white lily in full bloom.

Q4. What is the significance of the comparison with "a lily in bloom"?
The lily is a white flower and a symbol of purity, innocence and holiness. By comparing the room to a lily in bloom, the poet suggests that the angel's presence had made it a sacred and radiant place.

Q5. What does "a deep dream of peace" tell us about Abou?
It tells us that his mind was calm and untroubled. A man who sleeps in perfect peace has a clear conscience — a hint, right at the beginning, that Abou is a good man.

STANZA 2 (lines 6–10)

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said,
"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord."

Word meanings

Paraphrase

Abou's very great peace of mind made him brave, so he was not frightened by the angel. He asked the being in his room what it was writing. The angel lifted its head and, with a look full of sweetness and kindness, replied that it was writing the names of those people who love God.

Explanation (reference to context)

These lines are taken from Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt. Here the conversation between Abou and the angel begins.

The poet explains why Abou was not afraid: "Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold." This is an important line. His courage does not come from physical strength but from inner peace — from a clear conscience. A guilty man would have trembled before an angel; Abou, being at peace with himself, could speak calmly.

He addresses the angel simply as "the presence in the room" and asks in the old poetic form, "What writest thou?" The angel — here called "the vision" — raises its head and answers "with a look made of all sweet accord," that is, with an expression of complete sweetness and harmony. There is no anger or severity in the angel; heaven, the poet suggests, is gentle.

The answer is crucial to the whole poem: the golden book contains "the names of those who love the Lord." This sets up the test that follows.

Figures of speech in this stanza

• Personification / metonymy — the angel is called "the presence" and "the vision"
• Imagery — "the vision raised its head", "a look made of all sweet accord"
• Archaism — "writest thou" (old-fashioned English, used to give a solemn, timeless tone)
• Alliteration — "been… bold"; "sweet accord… answered"

Stanza comprehension

Q1. Why was Abou not afraid of the angel?
Because "exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold." His very great peace of mind — the peace of a clear conscience — gave him the courage to speak calmly to the angel instead of trembling before it.

Q2. What question did Abou ask the angel?
He asked, "What writest thou?" — that is, "What are you writing?"

Q3. What was the angel writing?
It was writing "the names of those who love the Lord" — the names of the people who love God.

Q4. What is meant by "a look made of all sweet accord"?
It means that the angel looked at Abou with an expression of complete sweetness, kindness and harmony. There was no anger or sternness in its face — it was entirely gentle and agreeable.

Q5. What other words does the poet use for the angel?
He calls it "the presence" (line 7), "the vision" (line 8), and later simply "It" (line 16).

STANZA 3 (lines 11–14)

"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said, "I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow men."

Word meanings

Paraphrase

Abou asked whether his own name was among them. The angel replied, "No, it is not." Abou then spoke in a lower and humbler voice, but he was still cheerful, and he requested the angel to write his name as one who loves his fellow human beings.

Explanation (reference to context)

These lines are taken from Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt. This short stanza is the heart of the whole poem.

Abou asks the natural question: "And is mine one?" The angel's reply is blunt and disappointing — "Nay, not so." His name is not among those who love God.

Now comes the test of his character, and everything depends on his reaction. He does not argue. He does not protest that he prays and fasts. He does not grow angry or bitter. Instead "Abou spoke more low, / But cheerly still." He becomes humbler — his voice drops — yet he remains cheerful. This combination of humility and cheerfulness is the mark of a truly great soul.

Then he makes his famous request: "Write me as one that loves his fellow men." He does not claim the higher honour of loving God; he asks only for the lower one of loving human beings. This is the poem's central idea: the truest way to love God is to love His creatures, and true greatness lies in humility.

Figures of speech in this stanza

• Dialogue — the whole stanza is direct speech, which makes it dramatic and immediate
• Archaism — "Nay", "I pray thee"
• Contrast / antithesis — "spoke more low, / But cheerly still" (humility set against cheerfulness)
• Irony (dramatic) — by asking for the lesser honour, he wins the greater one

Stanza comprehension

Q1. What did Abou ask the angel, and what was the reply?
He asked whether his own name was among those who love the Lord. The angel replied, "Nay, not so" — his name was not there.

Q2. How did Abou react to this disappointing answer?
He did not argue, protest or grow angry. He "spoke more low, but cheerly still" — that is, he became humbler in voice but remained cheerful — and then made a modest request.

Q3. What request did Abou make?
He requested the angel: "Write me as one that loves his fellow men." He asked to be recorded not as a lover of God but as a lover of humanity.

Q4. What does "Abou spoke more low, but cheerly still" reveal about his character?
It reveals his humility and his contentment. The lowered voice shows that he accepted the angel's answer without protest, and the cheerfulness shows that he was not bitter or resentful. Only a truly noble person can accept such a disappointment with grace.

Q5. Why is this stanza the turning point of the poem?
Because Abou's response here decides everything that follows. Instead of demanding a place among the lovers of God, he humbly asks for a place among the lovers of humanity — and it is precisely this humility and love of mankind that wins him the first place in the final stanza.

STANZA 4 (lines 15–18)

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blest,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

Word meanings

Paraphrase

The angel wrote what Abou had asked and then disappeared. The following night it came again with a great, awakening brightness, and it showed the names of those whom the love of God had blessed. And — behold! — the name of Ben Adhem stood at the very top of that list.

Explanation (reference to context)

These lines are taken from Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt. This is the conclusion of the poem, and it carries the whole message.

The angel writes Abou's request without comment and vanishes. The next night it returns "with a great wakening light." The word wakening works in two senses: the light wakes Abou from sleep, and it also awakens the reader to a great truth.

This time the angel shows a different list — "the names whom love of God had blest." And the astonishing result is announced with the exclamation "And lo!" — Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

The man who had confessed that he did not belong among the lovers of God now stands first among those blessed by the love of God. The reason is the poem's message: love of humanity is itself love of God. By serving his fellow men, Abou had been loving God all along without knowing it, and his humility in not claiming that love earned him the highest place of all.

Figures of speech in this stanza

• Imagery — "a great wakening light" (visual)
• Exclamation — "And lo!" (creates surprise and emphasis)
• Irony (situational) — the man not on the first list heads the second
• Symbolism — the light stands for divine truth and revelation
• Alliteration — "lo… led"; "wrote… wakening"

Stanza comprehension

Q1. What happened the next night?
The angel came again with a great wakening light and showed the names of those whom the love of God had blessed.

Q2. Whose name led all the rest, and why?
Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. It did so because he loved his fellow men. His love of humanity was itself accepted as love of God, and his humility in not claiming a place among God's lovers earned him the first place.

Q3. What is meant by "a great wakening light"?
It means a bright, powerful radiance that woke Abou from his sleep. It also suggests an awakening to truth — the moment when the great lesson of the poem is revealed.

Q4. Why does the poet use the exclamation "And lo!"?
To express surprise and wonder, and to draw the reader's attention to the astonishing result. It marks the climax of the poem.

Q5. What is the irony of the ending?
The irony is that the man whose name was absent from the list of those who love God ends up at the head of the list of those blessed by God's love. He asked for the lower honour and was given the highest.

CONTINUOUS PARAPHRASE OF THE WHOLE POEM

May the number of good people like Abou Ben Adhem increase! One night Abou awoke from a deep and peaceful sleep, and in the moonlight of his room he saw an angel writing in a golden book. The angel's presence made the room look rich and beautiful, like a white lily in full bloom.

His great peace of mind made Abou brave, so he asked the being in his room what it was writing. The angel raised its head and, with a look full of sweetness and harmony, answered that it was writing the names of those who love God.

Abou then asked whether his own name was among them. The angel replied that it was not. Abou spoke in a humbler voice, but he remained cheerful, and requested the angel to write him down as one who loves his fellow human beings.

The angel wrote this and disappeared. The next night it returned with a great awakening light and showed the names of those whom the love of God had blessed — and, to everyone's surprise, the name of Ben Adhem stood at the head of them all.

SUMMARY OF THE POEM (about 100 words)

Leigh Hunt's poem tells of Abou Ben Adhem, a good man for whose kind the poet prays. One night Abou awoke from a peaceful sleep and saw an angel writing in a book of gold, whose presence made his room shine like a lily in bloom. His peace of mind made him bold, so he asked what the angel was writing, and was told that it was recording the names of those who love the Lord. Abou asked whether his name was among them, and the angel said it was not. Without anger, Abou humbly and cheerfully asked to be written as one who loves his fellow men. The angel wrote this and vanished. The next night it returned with a great light and showed the names blessed by God's love — and Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. The poem teaches that love of humanity is love of God.

CENTRAL IDEA / MAIN IDEA

The central idea is that love of humanity is the truest form of love of God. Abou Ben Adhem did not claim to be a lover of God; he asked only to be recorded as one who loves his fellow men — and for that very reason his name was placed above all those whom God's love had blessed. The poem teaches two great lessons: first, that service to mankind is service to God; and secondly, that true greatness lies in humility. The man who asked for the lowest place received the highest.

ANSWERS TO THE TEXTBOOK EXERCISE

COMPREHENSION — A. Answer the following questions (p.147)

1. Why was Abou Ben Adhem's name on top of the list?
His name was on top because he loved his fellow human beings. When the angel told him that his name was not among those who love the Lord, he did not argue or complain; humbly and cheerfully he asked to be written as one who loves his fellow men. The next night the angel returned and showed the names whom the love of God had blessed, and Ben Adhem's name led all the rest — because in the sight of God, love of humanity is itself love of God, and his humility made him worthy of the highest place.

2. What is the main idea of the poem?
The main idea is that the love of mankind is the love of God, and true greatness lies in humility. A person who serves and loves his fellow human beings is dear to God, even if he does not claim to be a lover of God. Abou asked only for the lower honour and was granted the highest.

3. Describe the character of Abou Ben Adhem in your own words.

Abou Ben Adhem is presented as an ideal human being.
He is peaceful, for he awoke "from a deep dream of peace," and it was this "exceeding peace" that made him bold enough to speak to an angel without fear.
He is honest, because he does not pretend to be what he is not; when told his name is absent, he accepts the fact.
He is humble — he "spoke more low" instead of protesting, and asked for the lesser honour of loving men rather than the greater one of loving God.
He is cheerful and contented, for even in disappointment he remained "cheerly still," without bitterness or complaint.
Above all he is a lover of humanity, and it is this quality that raises his name above all the rest.
The poet's opening prayer, "may his tribe increase," shows how highly he values such a man.

4. Write down the implied and explicit meanings of the poem.

5. Mention the other words used by the poet to refer to the angel.
The poet refers to the angel as:

• "the presence in the room" (line 7)
• "The vision" (line 8)
• "It" (line 16 — "It came again with a great wakening light")

6. Give a brief description of the angel in "Abou Ben Adhem".

The angel appears at night in the moonlight of Abou's room, and its presence makes the room "rich, and like a lily in bloom" — pure, bright and beautiful. It is engaged in writing in a book of gold, recording the names of those who love the Lord. When spoken to, it "raised its head" and answered "with a look made of all sweet accord" — that is, with an expression full of sweetness, gentleness and harmony. It is not stern or frightening but kind. It speaks briefly and truthfully, saying plainly "Nay, not so." It then writes what Abou asks and vanishes, and returns the next night "with a great wakening light" to show the names whom love of God had blessed. In short, the angel is a gentle, radiant and truthful messenger of God.

COMPREHENSION — B. Choose the correct option (pp.147–148)

Note on Q2: the phrase contains the comparing word "like", which makes it a simile, not a metaphor. Compare with Unit 8, where "Hope is the thing with feathers" is a metaphor because no comparing word is used.

VOCABULARY (p.148)

A. Which lines of the poem indicate imagery?

B. Pick out the rhyming words from the poem

Rhyme scheme: the whole poem is written in rhyming couplets — AA, BB, CC, DD and so on. Because they are in iambic pentameter, they are called heroic couplets.

C. Identify different figures of speech from the poem

WRITING (p.148)

A. Write a short poem on a theme similar to "Abou Ben Adhem".

The Beggar at the Door

A rich man knelt on his prayer-mat long,
And thought his soul was pure and strong.
A beggar knocked; he turned his head
And sent him off without his bread.

His neighbour, poor and worn and grey,
Had little food to give away,
Yet shared his loaf and shared his fire,
And asked no thanks and no hire.

That night an angel came to write
The names of those whom God held bright;
The rich man searched and searched in vain —
The poor man's name led all the plain.

B. Write the summary of the poem — see the summary above.

C. Write an essay of about 100 words on "Haqooq-ul-Ebad"

Haqooq-ul-Ebad (The Rights of God's Creatures)

Islam divides our duties into two great parts: Haqooq-Allah, the rights of Allah, and Haqooq-ul-Ebad, the rights of His creatures. The first includes faith, prayer, fasting and pilgrimage; the second includes everything we owe to our fellow human beings.

Islam gives extraordinary importance to Haqooq-ul-Ebad. Allah may forgive a failure in His own rights if He wills, but the rights of human beings are not forgiven until the wronged person himself forgives. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said that "the best among you is the one who benefits people the most," and warned that a man who prays and fasts but whose neighbour is not safe from his tongue and hand will not enter Paradise.

These rights are many: to be truthful and just; to pay a labourer his wage before his sweat dries; to care for parents, orphans, widows and the poor; to visit the sick; to keep promises; to avoid backbiting; and to respect the life, property and honour of every human being, Muslim or non-Muslim — as the Madina Charter guaranteed.

This is exactly the lesson of Abou Ben Adhem. He did not claim to love God, yet because he loved his fellow men, his name led all the rest. Service to humanity is service to God. A society that honours Haqooq-ul-Ebad becomes peaceful, just and prosperous; one that neglects them cannot be saved by prayer alone.

D. Paraphrase the first and third stanzas — see the stanza paraphrases above.

LISTENING & SPEAKING (p.148)

Task: Make groups to share the idea on 'Humanism'.

Humanism means concern for human beings — the belief that the welfare, dignity and happiness of people matter above everything else, and that the greatest work a person can do is to relieve the suffering of others.

Islam is deeply humanistic. The Holy Quran says that whoever saves one life, it is as though he has saved the whole of mankind. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) forgave the people of Makkah, protected the rights of Jews and idol-worshippers in the Madina Charter, and told us that all human beings are equal, whatever their colour or caste. Hazrat Usman (R.A) gave a whole caravan of flour to the starving, saying that Allah was his buyer.

Our poem shows the same truth. Abou Ben Adhem's name led all the rest simply because he loved his fellow men.

In practice, humanism means feeding the hungry, teaching the illiterate, caring for the sick and the elderly, protecting the weak, and refusing to hate anyone because he is different from us. It costs little and changes everything. If each of us served just one person this week, our society would be transformed.

GRAMMAR — DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH (p.149)

The rules of change of narration

Exception: if the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, or if the reported speech is a universal truth, the tense does not change.

A. Change the following into indirect speech

Note on 4: because says is in the present tense, the tense inside is not changed.
Note on 6: "Let's…" expresses a proposal, so the reporting verb becomes suggested / proposed, and the conjunction is that … should.
Note on 7: an exclamation needs exclaimed with joy / pride / sorrow that, and the exclamatory order becomes a statement.

B. Change the following into direct speech

⚠ Note on 3: the textbook sentence "The teacher told he had been…" is ungrammatical. Told must have an object (told me, told us) or be replaced by said that. The correct indirect form is "The teacher said that he had been very regular in his work."
Note on 5: this is a universal truth, so the present tense is kept even after a past reporting verb.

Practising on the poem itself

WORD MEANINGS — quick reference

LIKELY EXAM QUESTIONS

1. Paraphrase the first and third stanzas of the poem Abou Ben Adhem.
2. Write the summary of the poem.
3. Why was Abou Ben Adhem's name on top of the list?
4. What is the main idea / central idea of the poem?
5. Describe the character of Abou Ben Adhem in your own words.
6. Give a brief description of the angel in the poem. What other words does the poet use for it?
7. What is meant by "may his tribe increase"?
8. Write the implied and explicit meanings of the poem.
9. Write an essay on "Haqooq-ul-Ebad".
10. State the rules of change of narration. Change the given sentences into indirect and direct speech.