The following Arabic short story is an abridged one. It is taken from a series of long stories written by Mohammed Al-Abrashi. The original text is written in a more advanced Arabic. This version is written in simple Arabic.
قَدِيْمَاً، كَانَ هُنَالِكَ مَلِكٌ ظَالِمٌ بَنَى لِنَفْسِهِ تِمْثَالاً فِي مَيْدَانٍ عَامٍ. وَضَعَ المَلِكُ قُبَّعَتَهُ فَوْقَ الْتِّمْثَالِ وَأَمَرَ أَنْ يَنْحَنِي لَهُ كُلُّ الْنَّاسِ. |
In the past, there was an oppressive king. He built for himself a statue in a public square. The king put his hat on the statue and ordered that all people to bow to it. |
انْحَنَى الْجَمِيعُ لِلتِّمْثَالِ إِلَّا رَجُلًا وَاحِدًا. رَفَضَ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الِإنْحِناءَ وَسَخِرَ مِنَ التِّمْثَالِ. سَمِعَ الْمَلِكُ بِعِصْيَانِ الْرَّجُلِ فَغَضِبَ وَقَرَّرَ مُعَاقَبَتَهُ، لِذَلِكَ أَرْسَلَ مَنْ يُحْضِرَهُ. |
All bowed to the statue except one man. This man refused bowing and made fun of the statue. The king heard about the disobedience of the man, so he became angry and decided to punish him. Therefore, the king sent someone to bring him. |
كَانَ الْرَّجُلُ يَعْمَلُ صَيَّادًا فِي قَرْيَةٍ بَعِيدَةٍ. أَحْضَرَ المَلِكُ ابْنَ الْصَّيَّادِ وَجَعَلَهُ يَقِفُ فِي الْمَيْدَانِ وَعَلَى رَأْسِهِ تُفَّاحَةٌ. أَمَرَ المَلِكُ الْصَّيَّادَ أَنْ يُصِيبَ الْتُّفَاحَةَ بِسَهْمٍ. |
The man was working as a hunter in a remote village. The king brought the hunter’s son and made him stand in the public square with an apple on his head. The king ordered the hunter to hit the apple with an arrow. |
رَفَضَ الْصَّيَّادُ ذَلِكَ وَتَوَسَّلَ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ أَنْ يَتْرُكَ اِبْنَهُ؛ كَانَ الصَّيَّادُ خَائِفًا أَنْ يَقْتُلَ اِبْنَهُ. رَفَضَ الْمَلِكُ وسَخِرَ مِنَ الصَّيَّادِ. أَمْسَكَ الْصَّيَّادُ الْقَوْسَ وَأَطْلَقَ الْسَّهْمَ. أَصَابَ الصَّيَّادُ الْتُّفَّاحَةَ فَفَرِحَ الْشَّعْبُ. |
The hunter refused (that) and besought the king to let his son go. The hunter was afraid that he would kill his son. The king refused and mocked him (the hunter). The hunter held the bow and shot the arrow. The hunter hit the apple, so people (the public) became happy. |
غَادَرَ الْصَّيَّادُ الْمَيْدَانَ وَعَفَا الْمَلِكُ عَنْهُ لَكِنَّ سَهْمًا سَقَطَ مِنْ ثِيَابِهِ. رَأى الْمَلِكُ الْسَّهْمَ فَسَأَلَ الْصَّيَّادَ: مَاذَا أَرَدْتَ بِالْسَّهْمِ الآخَرَ؟ أَخَذَ الْصَّيَّادُ الْسَّهْمَ وَقَالَ: أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَقْتُلَكَ! أَطْلَقَ الْصَّيَّادُ الْسَّهْمَ عَلَى الْمَلِكِ الْظَّالِمِ فَمَاتَ، وَأَنْقَذَ الْصَّيًّادُ بِلَادَهُ مِنَ الْظُّلْمِ. |
The hunter left the square, and the king forgave him. But an arrow dropped off his dress. The king saw the arrow, so he asked the hunter, “what did you want to do with the other arrow?” The hunter picked up the arrow and said, “I wanted to kill you.” He shot the arrow at the oppressive king, so he died. And he rid his country of (the) oppression. |
(1) أَمَرَ بـِ (2) اِنْحَنَى لِـ (3) سَخِرَ مِنْ (4) سَمِعَ بِـ (5) تَوَسَّلَ إِلَى (6) عَفَا عَنْ |
(1) أَمَرَ المَلِكُ بِقَتْلِ الرَّجُل. (2) اِنْحَنَى الرَّجُلُ لِلْمَلِك. (3) سَخِرَ المَلِكُ مِنَ الرَّجُل. (4) سَمِعَ النَّاسِ بَالصَّيَّادِ الشُّجَاع. (5) تَوَسَّلَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى المَلِك أَنْ يَتْرُكَ اِبْنَهُ. (6) عَفَا المَلِكُ عَنِ الرَّجُل. |