Abstract

A great number of Arabic folklore, including A Thousand and One Night and Kalila and Dimna have been translated into Malay. Nevertheless, none of the Malay folk tales has been rendered into Arabic. In 2004, however, thirteen Bruneian folk tales, including AnakIkan Raja Ikan, Buaya Buteh, Titisan Ayer Mata Buyong, Sulong Dan Bungsu, Wang Pandir Malu Makan Sekoi, SiKuning and KetikaTasek Merinbun Keringhave been finally rendered into the Arabic language. This paper analyzes these thirteen Bruneian folk tales, illustrates the impact of Arabic fairy tales as well as Creek, Indian and European fairy tales on them and shows their unique and original literary features. The main objective of this paper, however, is to highlight the major linguistic and cultural problems that the present writer encountered in translating these Bruneian folk tales into Arabic. In the meantime, he offered some of the solutions he reached in overcoming both types of problems in translating the Malay folk tales into Arabic.

Key words: Nautical, transliteration, linguistic, cultural, problem.