This bilingual English–Spanish retelling of Sinbad the Sailor is an effective and powerful way for beginners to learn Spanish through clear, direct reading.
Each English sentence appears with its Spanish translation, allowing readers to understand new vocabulary immediately and absorb patterns naturally. The simple language, short sentences, and side-by-side structure make this ideal for building real Spanish comprehension through context instead of memorization.
Stories like Sinbad the Sailor turn Spanish learning into an easy, effortless process for kids, adults, and anyone who prefers practical, story-based immersion over traditional drills.
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Sinbad the Sailor
Simbad el Marino
Sinbad lived in the city of Baghdad.
Simbad vivía en la ciudad de Bagdad.
He loved the sea with all his heart.
Amaba el mar con todo su corazón.
He sold his belongings to buy a place on a ship.
Vendió sus pertenencias para comprar un lugar en un barco.
He joined a crew of brave sailors.
Se unió a una tripulación de marineros valientes.
They sailed across blue oceans.
Navegaron por océanos azules.
They visited strange islands and faraway lands.
Visitaron islas extrañas y tierras lejanas.
One morning, they reached an island covered in soft green grass.
Una mañana llegaron a una isla cubierta de hierba verde suave.
Sinbad sat down to rest.
Simbad se sentó a descansar.
Suddenly, the island moved.
De repente la isla se movió.
It rose out of the water like a giant beast.
Se elevó del agua como una bestia gigante.
The island was actually a huge whale.
La isla era en realidad una enorme ballena.
The whale dived into the sea.
La ballena se sumergió en el mar.
The sailors rushed back to the ship.
Los marineros corrieron de vuelta al barco.
But Sinbad fell behind.
Pero Simbad se quedó atrás.
He struggled in the waves.
Luchó en las olas.
A floating piece of wood saved him.
Un pedazo de madera flotante lo salvó.
The current carried him to another island.
La corriente lo llevó a otra isla.
He lay on the sand, tired and hungry.
Se recostó en la arena, cansado y hambriento.
A group of kind men found him.
Un grupo de hombres amables lo encontró.
They helped him stand.
Lo ayudaron a ponerse de pie.
They led him to their king.
Lo llevaron ante su rey.
The king welcomed him warmly.
El rey lo recibió con calidez.
Sinbad stayed on the island for many months.
Simbad se quedó en la isla muchos meses.
He worked hard and earned the king’s trust.
Trabajó duro y ganó la confianza del rey.
One day he heard news of a strange lost ship.
Un día oyó noticias de un barco perdido extraño.
The ship was carrying goods from Baghdad.
El barco llevaba mercancías de Bagdad.
Sinbad hurried to see it.
Simbad se apresuró a verlo.
He recognized it at once.
Lo reconoció de inmediato.
It was his own ship.
Era su propio barco.
The sailors believed he had died on the whale island.
Los marineros creían que había muerto en la isla ballena.
They were shocked to see him alive.
Estaban sorprendidos de verlo vivo.
They hugged him with joy.
Lo abrazaron con alegría.
Sinbad thanked the king for rescuing him.
Simbad agradeció al rey por rescatarlo.
He boarded the ship once more.
Subió al barco una vez más.
He returned to Baghdad with treasures from his travels.
Regresó a Bagdad con tesoros de sus viajes.
He told his friends the story of the whale island.
Les contó a sus amigos la historia de la isla ballena.
But that was only his first voyage.
Pero ese fue solo su primer viaje.
Soon he set sail again.
Pronto zarpó otra vez.
This time he reached a valley filled with giant diamonds.
Esta vez llegó a un valle lleno de diamantes gigantes.
The diamonds lay on the ground like shining stars.
Los diamantes descansaban en el suelo como estrellas brillantes.
But the valley was guarded by enormous snakes.
Pero el valle estaba custodiado por enormes serpientes.
Sinbad hid among the rocks.
Simbad se escondió entre las rocas.
He heard a roar from the sky.
Oyó un rugido en el cielo.
Huge birds swooped down.
Enormes aves bajaron en picada.
The birds grabbed pieces of meat and flew upward.
Las aves agarraron pedazos de carne y volaron hacia arriba.
Diamonds stuck to the meat.
Diamantes se pegaron a la carne.
Sinbad had an idea.
Simbad tuvo una idea.
He tied himself to a large piece of meat.
Se ató a un gran pedazo de carne.
A powerful bird carried him out of the valley.
Una poderosa ave lo sacó del valle.
Sinbad cut the rope and rolled onto the ground.
Simbad cortó la cuerda y rodó al suelo.
Traders nearby gasped at the sight of the diamonds.
Los comerciantes cercanos se quedaron boquiabiertos al ver los diamantes.
They offered Sinbad food and water.
Ofrecieron a Simbad comida y agua.
Together they traveled back to the coast.
Juntos viajaron de regreso a la costa.
Sinbad boarded another ship.
Simbad subió a otro barco.
He returned to Baghdad wealthier and wiser.
Regresó a Bagdad más rico y más sabio.
He shared his riches with the poor.
Compartió sus riquezas con los pobres.
He told the story of the valley of diamonds.
Contó la historia del valle de los diamantes.
But again he felt the pull of the sea.
Pero otra vez sintió el llamado del mar.
He set sail for a third voyage.
Zarpó para un tercer viaje.
His ship reached an island with tall coconut trees.
Su barco llegó a una isla con altos cocoteros.
The coconuts were huge and sweet.
Los cocos eran enormes y dulces.
But giant birds guarded the forest.
Pero aves gigantes custodiaban el bosque.
One of the birds attacked the ship.
Una de las aves atacó el barco.
It lifted Sinbad into the sky.
Levantó a Simbad hacia el cielo.
It carried him to a high mountain nest.
Lo llevó a un nido en una montaña alta.
Sinbad waited until the bird flew away.
Simbad esperó hasta que el ave se fue.
He climbed down the rocks carefully.
Bajó las rocas con cuidado.
At the bottom he found strange hairy creatures.
En la base encontró criaturas extrañas y peludas.
They gave him fruit and water.
Le dieron fruta y agua.
But at night they pushed him toward a canyon of raging water.
Pero por la noche lo empujaron hacia un cañón de agua furiosa.
Sinbad escaped by building a simple raft.
Simbad escapó construyendo una balsa simple.
The river carried him to the open sea.
El río lo llevó al mar abierto.
A passing ship rescued him.
Un barco que pasaba lo rescató.
He thanked the crew and rested on deck.
Agradeció a la tripulación y descansó en la cubierta.
He returned home once again.
Regresó a casa una vez más.
He shared this story with his friends over a great feast.
Compartió esta historia con sus amigos durante un gran banquete.
He promised he would stay home for a while.
Prometió quedarse en casa por un tiempo.
But the sea always called him back.
Pero el mar siempre lo llamaba de nuevo.
Sinbad became known as the greatest sailor in all the world.
Simbad se convirtió en el marinero más famoso de todo el mundo.
He had courage.
Tenía valor.
He had clever ideas.
Tenía ideas ingeniosas.
And he never gave up.
Y nunca se rindió.
Many more voyages waited for him.
Muchos más viajes lo esperaban.
And he faced every adventure with a brave heart.
Y enfrentó cada aventura con un corazón valiente.
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