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أَطْفَالُ الشَّمْعِ Children of wax Les enfants de cire

Written by Southern African Folktale

Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager

Translated by Abrar Wafa, Maaouia Haj Mabrouk

Read by Mashael Muhanna

Language Arabic

Level Level 2

Narrate full story

Autoplay story


فِي يَوْمٍ مِنَ الأَيَّامِ، كَانَتْ هُنَاكَ عَائِلَةٌ سَعِيدَةٌ.

Once upon a time, there lived a happy family.

Il était une fois une famille bien heureuse.


لَمْ يَحْدُثْ بَيْنَهُمْ أَيُّ خِلَافٍ قَطُّ. كَانُوا دَائِمًا يُعَاوِنُونَ وَالِدَيْهِمْ فِي الحَقْلِ وَفِي المَنْزِلِ.

They never fought with each other. They helped their parents at home and in the fields.

Ils ne se disputaient jamais. Ils aidaient leurs parents à la maison et dans les champs.


لَكِنْ لَمْ يُسْمَحْ لَهُمْ بِالاِقْتِرَابِ مِنَ النَّارِ أَبَداً.

But they were not allowed to go near a fire.

Mais ils n’avaient pas le droit de s’approcher d’un feu.


كَانَ عَلَيْهِمْ القِيَامُ بِكُلِّ مَا لَدَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالٍ خِلَالَ اللَّيلِ، لِأَنَّهُمْ مَصْنُوعُونَ مِنَ الشَّمْعِ.

They had to do all their work during the night. Because they were made of wax!

Ils devaient faire tout leur travail pendant la nuit. Puisqu’ils étaient faits de cire !


وَلَكِنَّ أَحَدَ الأَوْلَادِ كَانَ يَتُوقُ إِلَى الخُرُوجِ فِي ضَوْءِ الشَّمْسِ.

But one of the boys longed to go out in the sunlight.

Mais un des garçons désirait se promener au soleil.


وَذَاتَ يَوْمٍ اشْتَدَّتْ رَغْبَتُهُ فِي الخُرُوجِ فِي النَّهَارِ، فَحَذَّرَهُ إِخْوَتُهُ…

One day the longing was too strong. His brothers warned him…

Un jour son désir était trop puissant. Ses frères l’avertirent…


وَلَكِنْ بَعْدَ فَوَاتِ الأَوَانِ! فَقَدْ ذَابَ فِي الشَّمْسِ الحَارِقَةِ.

But it was too late! He melted in the hot sun.

Mais c’était trop tard ! Il fondit au soleil brûlant.


كَانَ أَطْفَالُ الشَّمْسِ حَزِينِينَ لِلْغَايَةِ لِرُؤْيَةِ أَخِيهِمْ يَذُوبُ.

The wax children were so sad to see their brother melting away.

Les enfants de cire étaient si tristes de voir leur frère fondre.


إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ قَامُوا بِتَشْكِيلِ قِطْعَةِ الشَّمْعِ المُنْصَهِرِ إِلَى طَيْرٍ.

But they made a plan. They shaped the lump of melted wax into a bird.

Mais ils firent un plan. Ils façonnèrent le morceau de cire fondue en oiseau.


بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ، أَخَذُوا أَخَاهُمْ المُتَشَكِّلَ عَلَى هَيْئَةِ طَيْرٍ إِلَى جَبَلٍ عَالٍ.

They took their bird brother up to a high mountain.

Ils apportèrent leur frère l’oiseau jusqu’au sommet d’une montagne haute.


وَمَعَ بُزُوغِ الشَّمْسِ، طَارَ بَعِيداً وَهْوَ يُغَنِّي فِي ضَوْءِ النَّهَارِ.

And as the sun rose, he flew away singing into the morning light.

Et lorsque le soleil se leva, il s’envola vers la lumière du matin en chantant.


Written by: Southern African Folktale
Illustrated by: Wiehan de Jager
Translated by: Abrar Wafa, Maaouia Haj Mabrouk
Read by: Mashael Muhanna
Language: Arabic
Level 2
Source: Children of wax from African Storybook
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.
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