Advanced Arabic reading

The Farmer and His Sons in Arabic

المزارع وأبناؤه

The Farmer and His Sons is a Advanced-level Arabic reading text about a father who teaches his quarrelling sons the strength of unity. Its fully vocalized Arabic helps learners read each word accurately, while the sentence-by-sentence English translation supports understanding. The story also includes optional Arabic audio, useful vocabulary, comprehension practice and a focused language point. It works well for independent reading, a short classroom lesson or shared practice with a parent.

Read the Arabic story with English translation

Read each Arabic sentence from right to left. Use the speaker button to hear the sentence, then check its English meaning underneath.

كَانَ مُزَارِعٌ حَكِيمٌ يَعِيشُ مَعَ أَبْنَائِهِ الثَّلَاثَةِ فِي قَرْيَةٍ صَغِيرَةٍ.

A wise farmer lived with his three sons in a small village.

كَانَ الْأَبْنَاءُ يَخْتَلِفُونَ كَثِيرًا، وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ وَحْدَهُ.

The sons often quarrelled, and each one wanted to work alone.

حَاوَلَ الْأَبُ أَنْ يُصْلِحَ بَيْنَهُمْ، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَسْتَمِعُوا إِلَى نَصِيحَتِهِ.

Their father tried to reconcile them, but they did not listen to his advice.

فِي يَوْمٍ مِنَ الْأَيَّامِ، جَمَعَهُمْ وَأَعْطَاهُمْ حُزْمَةً مِنَ الْعِيدَانِ.

One day, he gathered them and gave them a bundle of sticks.

قَالَ: «حَاوِلُوا أَنْ تَكْسِرُوا هَذِهِ الْحُزْمَةَ.» فَحَاوَلَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَلَمْ يَنْجَحْ.

He said, “Try to break this bundle.” Each of them tried, but none succeeded.

فَكَّ الْأَبُ الْحُزْمَةَ، وَأَعْطَى كُلَّ ابْنٍ عُودًا وَاحِدًا.

The father untied the bundle and gave each son one stick.

كَسَرَ كُلُّ ابْنٍ عُودَهُ بِسُهُولَةٍ، فَفَهِمُوا مَا يُرِيدُ أَبُوهُمْ أَنْ يُعَلِّمَهُمْ.

Each son broke his stick easily, and they understood what their father wanted to teach them.

قَالَ الْأَبُ: «إِذَا اتَّحَدْتُمْ، يَصْعُبُ عَلَى أَحَدٍ أَنْ يُضْعِفَكُمْ، وَإِذَا تَفَرَّقْتُمْ، سَهُلَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ.»

The father said, “If you unite, it becomes difficult for anyone to weaken you; if you divide, that becomes easy for him.”

تَصَالَحَ الْأَبْنَاءُ، وَتَعَاهَدُوا عَلَى التَّعَاوُنِ وَالْمَحَبَّةِ.

The sons made peace and promised to cooperate and care for one another.

مُنْذُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ، عَمِلُوا مَعًا، فَازْدَهَرَتْ مَزْرَعَتُهُمْ وَأَصْبَحَتْ حَدِيثَ الْكُلِّ.

From that day on, they worked together, their farm prospered, and everyone began talking about it.

New Arabic words from the story

These words all appear in the story. Listen, repeat and find each one in the text above.

مُزَارِعٌ Farmer
يَخْتَلِفُونَ They quarrel
يُصْلِحُ Reconciles
حُزْمَةٌ Bundle
عِيدَانٌ Sticks
اِتَّحَدُوا They united
تَعَاهَدُوا They promised
اِزْدَهَرَتْ Prospered

Reading comprehension questions

Choose one answer for each question. Your score updates after every first attempt.

Score: 0 / 6

1. Why could the sons not break the bundle?

2. What happened after the sons began working together?

3. Why could the sons not break the bundle?

4. What did the single sticks demonstrate?

5. What changed after the sons began working together?

6. What lesson did the bundle demonstrate?

Learn Arabic from this story

إِذَا introduces a real or likely condition

The father said, “If you unite, it becomes difficult for anyone to weaken you; if you divide, that becomes easy for him.”

إِذَا means “if” or “when” and introduces a condition whose result is presented as real or expected.

Another example: إِذَا اتَّحَدْتُمْ، قَوِيتُمْ. — If you unite, you become strong.

For parents and teachers

Read the story in sections and discuss the ideas connected with cooperation, family and conditional sentences. Ask the learner to summarize each section, explain character motives or causes, support inferences with evidence from the Arabic, answer the comprehension questions, and finish with a short written or creative response.

Questions about The Farmer and His Sons

What level is The Farmer and His Sons?

The Farmer and His Sons is marked Advanced. The full tashkīl, English translation and sentence audio provide extra support for developing readers.

What can learners practise in The Farmer and His Sons?

Learners practise connected reading, listening, comprehension and vocabulary related to cooperation, family and conditional sentences.

How should this Arabic story be used?

Read one sentence at a time, listen to the audio, repeat the Arabic aloud, check the English only when needed, and then answer the questions from memory.

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