kaana ṣayyaadun faqiirun yaʿiishu maʿa zawjatihi fii kuukhin ṣaghiirinA poor fisherman lived with his wife in a small hut.
iṣṭaada dhaata yawmin samakatan siḥriyyatan faqaalat lahu aṭliqnii wasa’uḥaqqiqu laka umniyatanOne day he caught a magic fish, and she said to him, "Let me go and I will grant you a wish."
aṭlaqahaa aṣ-ṣayyaadu warajaʿa ilaa zawjatihi waḥakaa lahaaThe fisherman let her go, went back to his wife and told her.
qaalat limaadhaa lam taṭlub baytan jamiilanShe said, "Why didn't you ask for a beautiful house?"
dhahaba ilaa al-baḥri wanaadaa as-samakata fa’aʿṭathu baytan jamiilanHe went to the sea and called the fish, and she gave him a beautiful house.
lam taktafi az-zawjatu waṭalabat qaṣran thumma an takuuna malikatanThe wife was not satisfied and asked for a palace, and then to be a queen.
fii an-nihaayati qaalat uriidu an akuuna mithla al-baḥri wa’usayṭira ʿalayhiIn the end she said, "I want to be like the sea and to rule over it!"
ghaḍibati as-samakatu waqaalat irjiʿaa ilaa kuukhikumaaThe fish got angry and said, "Go back to your hut."
ʿaada az-zawjaani ilaa kuukhihimaa aṣ-ṣaghiiriThe couple went back to their small hut.
aṭ-ṭamaʿu yufqidu kulla shay’inGreed makes you lose everything.