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أَطْفَالُ الشَّمْعِ Watoto wa nta Children of wax

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

Reading speed

Autoplay story


فِي يَوْمٍ مِنَ الأَيَّامِ، كَانَتْ هُنَاكَ عَائِلَةٌ سَعِيدَةٌ.

Hapo zamani za kale, paliishi familia yenye furaha.

Once upon a time, there lived a happy family.


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

Hawakugombana hata kidogo. Watoto waliwasaidia wazazi nyumbani na shambani.

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


لَكِنْ لَمْ يُسْمَحْ لَهُمْ بِالاِقْتِرَابِ مِنَ النَّارِ أَبَداً.

Lakini, walikatazwa kwenda karibu na moto.

But they were not allowed to go near a fire.


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

Walifanya kazi zao zote usiku. Hii ni kwa sababu walikuwa wameumbwa kwa nta.

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


وَلَكِنَّ أَحَدَ الأَوْلَادِ كَانَ يَتُوقُ إِلَى الخُرُوجِ فِي ضَوْءِ الشَّمْسِ.

Lakini, kijana mmoja alitamani kwenda nje wakati wa mchana.

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


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

Siku moja tamaa ya kwenda nje ikazidi. Wenzake wakamwonya asiende juani. Lakini, hakusikia.

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


وَلَكِنْ بَعْدَ فَوَاتِ الأَوَانِ! فَقَدْ ذَابَ فِي الشَّمْسِ الحَارِقَةِ.

Aliyeyuka kwa sababu joto lilikuwa kali.

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


كَانَ أَطْفَالُ الشَّمْسِ حَزِينِينَ لِلْغَايَةِ لِرُؤْيَةِ أَخِيهِمْ يَذُوبُ.

Watoto wa nta walihuzunika walipoona kaka yao akiyeyuka.

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


إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ قَامُوا بِتَشْكِيلِ قِطْعَةِ الشَّمْعِ المُنْصَهِرِ إِلَى طَيْرٍ.

Wakapanga jambo fulani. Walichukua nta iliyoyeyuka wakatengeza ndege.

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


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

Wakamweka ndege huyo juu ya mlima mrefu.

They took their bird brother up to a high mountain.


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

Jua lilipochomoza asubuhi, akapeperuka akiimba kwa furaha.

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


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
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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