Kalila Wa Dimna — Page 10

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

وَقَدْ بَذَلَ الدُّكْتُورُ عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ عَزَّام فِي هَذِهِ الطَّرِيقِ جُهْدًا قَيِّمًا حَقًّا.

Dr. Abd al-Wahhab Azzam has truly put forth a valuable effort in this endeavor.

فَهُوَ لَمْ يَقِفْ وَمَا كَانَ لَهُ أَنْ يَقِفَ عِنْدَ الْجُهُودِ الشَّرْقِيَّةِ الْخَالِصَةِ الَّتِي بُذِلَتْ لِنَشْرِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ.

He did not stop—nor could he have stopped—at the purely Eastern efforts dedicated to publishing this book.

وَلَكِنَّهُ أَلَمَّ بِالْجُهُودِ الَّتِي بَذَلَهَا الْأُورُوبِيُّونَ وَالْأَمْرِيكِيُّونَ مُنْذُ عَرَفُوا «كَلِيلَة وَدِمْنَة».

Instead, he examined the work done by Europeans and Americans since they first encountered Kalila and Dimna.

فَأَصْلَحَ مِنْهَا مَا أَصْلَحَ، وَقَوَّمَ مِنْهَا مَا قَوَّمَ، وَأَضَافَ إِلَيْهَا مَا أَضَافَ.

He refined, corrected, and expanded upon it where necessary.

وَعَرَضَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْنَا فِي مُقَدِّمَتِهِ الْمُمْتِعَةِ مَعَ هَذِهِ الْأَمَانَةِ السَّاذِجَةِ الْمُتَوَاضِعَةِ الَّتِي تَلِيقُ بِالْعُلَمَاءِ، وَالَّتِي لَا يَلِيقُ غَيْرُهَا بِالْعُلَمَاءِ.

He presented this to us in an engaging introduction, with that humble, straightforward honesty that befits a scholar, and which is the only way a scholar should present his work.

وَيَكْفِي أَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ هَذِهِ الْمُقَدِّمَةَ سَيُحِيطُونَ إِحَاطَةً دَقِيقَةً شَامِلَةً بِكُلِّ الْجُهُودِ الَّتِي أُنْفِقَتْ حَوْلَ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ مُنْذُ أَخَذَهُ الْفُرْسُ عَنِ الْهِنْدِ إِلَى أَنْ وَصَلَتْ إِلَيْنَا طَبْعَتُهُ الْأَخِيرَةُ فِي هَذَا الْعَامِ.

It is enough to say that anyone who reads this introduction will gain a precise and comprehensive understanding of all the work invested in this book, from the time the Persians adapted it from the Indian original until the latest edition reached us this year.

وَفِي هَذِهِ الطَّبْعَةِ رَمْزٌ آخَرُ صَادِقٌ دَقِيقٌ عَلَى سَذَاجَتِهِ وَيُسْرِهِ لِمَعْنًى سَامٍ جَلِيلٍ نُحِبُّهُ وَنُؤْثِرُهُ.

This edition serves as another sincere and precise symbol of a simple, noble ideal that we cherish and hold dear.

وَتَطْمَئِنُّ إِلَيْهِ نُفُوسُنَا اطْمِئْنَانًا فِيهِ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الدَّعَةِ وَالْحَنَانِ.

It brings a sense of profound reassurance, tranquility, and warmth to our souls.

فَمَطْبَعَةُ الْمَعَارِفِ وَمَكْتَبَتُهَا إِنَّمَا عُنِيَتْ بِنَشْرِ هَذِهِ الطَّبْعَةِ، وَأَنْفَقَتْ فِي ذَلِكَ مَا أَنْفَقَتْ مِنْ جُهْدٍ وَمَالٍ، وَاحْتَمَلَتْ فِيهِ مَا احْتَمَلَتْ مِنْ مَشَقَّةٍ وَعَنَاءٍ.

Al-Ma'arif Press and its bookstore took great care in publishing this edition, investing significant effort and capital, and enduring no small amount of hardship and trouble to see it through.

لَمْ تَصْرِفْهَا عَنْهُ الْحَرْبُ، وَلَمْ تَصُدَّهَا عَنْهُ الظُّرُوفُ الَّتِي تَصُدُّ أَمْثَالَهَا عَنْ أَمْثَالِهِ.

War did not deter them, nor did the circumstances that usually hinder others from such tasks stand in their way.

وَوُفِّقَتْ فِيهِ إِلَى مَا وُفِّقَتْ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْإِجَادَةِ وَالْإِتْقَانِ.

They succeeded in achieving a level of excellence and precision.

فَعَلَتْ هَذَا كُلَّهُ لِسَبَبٍ يَسِيرٍ وَلَكِنَّهُ خَطِيرٌ.

They did all of this for a simple yet significant reason.

فَهِيَ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَحْتَفِلَ بِمُرُورِ نِصْفِ قَرْنٍ عَلَى إِنْشَائِهَا، وَهِيَ لَمْ تَجِدْ إِلَّا هَذَا الْعَمَلَ الْعِلْمِيَّ الْأَدَبِيَّ الْفَنِّيَّ وَسِيلَةً إِلَى هَذَا الِاحْتِفَالِ.

They wished to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, and they found no better way to mark the occasion than through this scholarly, literary, and artistic achievement.

وَهِيَ بِهَذَا تُحْيِي ذِكْرَى مُنْشِئِ الْمَطْبَعَةِ وَمَكْتَبَتِهَا، فَتُسَجِّلُ وَفَاءَ الْأَبْنَاءِ الْبَرَرَةِ لِلْأَبِ الْعَطُوفِ.

In doing so, they honor the memory of the founder of the press and bookstore, demonstrating the loyalty of dutiful children to an affectionate father.

وَهِيَ بِهَذَا تُحْيِي هَذَا الْجُهْدَ الْمُتَّصِلَ الَّذِي أُنْفِقَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَعْفٍ وَلَا مَلَلٍ أَثْنَاءَ نِصْفِ قَرْنٍ فِي نَشْرِ الْعِلْمِ وَإِذَاعَةِ الثَّقَافَةِ فِي الشَّرْقِ الْعَرَبِيِّ كُلِّهِ.

They also honor the tireless, decades-long effort spent spreading knowledge and culture throughout the Arab world.

وَهِيَ بِهَذَا - آخِرَ الْأَمْرِ - تُحْيِي هَؤُلَاءِ الْقُرَّاءَ، أَوْ قُلْ هَذِهِ الْأَجْيَالَ مِنَ الْقُرَّاءِ الَّذِينَ اتَّصَلُوا بِهَا مُنْذُ نَشَأَتْ، وَالَّذِينَ عَرَفُوا الْعِلْمَ وَالثَّقَافَةَ مِنْ طَرِيقِهَا.

Ultimately, they honor their readers—those generations who have been connected to them since their inception and who have discovered knowledge and culture through their work.

تُحْيِيهِمْ لِأَنَّهُمْ وَفَوْا لَهَا كَمَا وَفَتْ لَهُمْ، وَتُحْيِيهِمْ لِأَنَّهُمْ يَثِقُونَ بِهَا كَمَا تَثِقُ بِهِمْ.

They honor them because they have been as loyal to the press as the press has been to them, and because there is a mutual trust between them.

وَهِيَ حِينَ تُهْدِي إِلَيْهِمْ هَذِهِ التَّحِيَّةَ الرَّائِعَةَ تُنْبِئُهُمْ فِي ظُرْفٍ وَخِفَّةٍ بِأَنَّهَا سَتَمْضِي فِي مُسْتَقْبَلِ الْأَيَّامِ كَمَا مَضَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ فِي طَرِيقِهَا إِلَى نَشْرِ الْعِلْمِ وَالْأَدَبِ وَالثَّقَافَةِ.

By offering this wonderful tribute, the press signals with grace and wit that it will continue in the future as it has in the past: on a path dedicated to spreading knowledge, literature, and culture.

مُتَوَخِّيَةً مَا يَجِبُ أَنْ يَتَوَخَّاهُ النَّاشِرُ الْأَمِينُ مِنَ الْعِنَايَةِ بِالدِّقَّةِ الْعِلْمِيَّةِ وَالْجَمَالِ الْفَنِّيِّ، وَالْحِرْصِ عَلَى إِرْضَاءِ الْعَقْلِ وَالذَّوْقِ وَالشُّعُورِ جَمِيعًا.

It remains committed to the standards of an honest publisher, prioritizing scientific accuracy and artistic beauty, while striving to satisfy the mind, the taste, and the spirit alike.

وَأَظُنُّ أَنِّي لَا أَتَجَاوَزُ إِرَادَةَ الْقُرَّاءِ إِذَا أَهْدَيْتُ إِلَى مَطْبَعَةِ الْمَعَارِفِ وَمَكْتَبَتِهَا وَإِلَى الدُّكْتُورِ عَبْدِ الْوَهَّابِ عَزَّام تَحِيَّةً مِلْؤُهَا التَّقْدِيرُ وَالْإِعْجَابُ وَالْأَمَلُ.

I believe I speak for all readers when I offer Al-Ma'arif Press, its bookstore, and Dr. Abd al-Wahhab Azzam a tribute filled with appreciation, admiration, and hope.

Vocabulary · المفردات (41 verbs · 90 nouns)

• بَذَلَ — to exert
• وَقَفَ — to stop
• كَانَ — to be
• أَلَمَّ — to touch upon
• عَرَفَ — to know
• أَصْلَحَ — to reform
• قَوَّمَ — to evaluate
• أَضَافَ — to add
• عَرَضَ — to present
• لَاقَ — to befit
• كَفَى — to suffice
• قَرَأَ — to read
• أَحَاطَ — to encompass
• أَنْفَقَ — to spend
• أَخَذَ — to take
• وَصَلَ — to arrive
• أَحَبَّ — to love
• آثَرَ — to prefer
• اطْمَأَنَّ — to feel reassured, to feel assured
• عَنِيَ — to concern
• احْتَمَلَ — to bear
• صَرَفَ — to divert
• صَدَّ — to repel
• وَفَّقَ — to grant success
• فَعَلَ — to do
• أَرَادَ — to want
• احْتَفَلَ — to celebrate
• وَجَدَ — to find
• أَحْيَا — to revive
• سَجَّلَ — to record
• اتَّصَلَ — to connect
• نَشَأَ — to grow up
• وَفَى — to fulfill
• وَثِقَ — to trust
• أَهْدَى — to gift
• أَنْبَأَ — to inform
• مَضَى — to proceed
• تَوَخَّى — to aim for
• وَجَبَ — to become necessary
• ظَنَّ — to think
• تَجَاوَزَ — to exceed
• طَرِيق — path
• جُهْد — effort
• قَيِّم — valuable
• حَقّ — truth
• شَرْقِيّ — eastern
• خَالِص — pure
• كِتَاب — book
• أُورُوبِيّ — European
• أَمْرِيكِيّ — American
• مُقَدِّمَة — introduction
• مُمْتِع — enjoyable
• أَمَانَة — honesty
• سَاذِج — naive
• مُتَوَاضِع — humble
• عَالِم — scholar
• إِحَاطَة — comprehension
• دَقِيق — precise
• شَامِل — comprehensive
• طَبْعَة — edition
• أَخِير — last
• عَام — year
• رَمْز — symbol
• آخَر — other
• صَادِق — sincere
• سَذَاجَة — naivety
• يُسْر — ease
• مَعْنًى — meaning
• سَامٍ — lofty
• جَلِيل — majestic
• نَفْس — soul
• اطْمِئْنَان — reassurance
• كَثِير — much
• دَعَة — tranquility
• حَنَان — tenderness
• مَطْبَعَة — press
• مَعَارِف — knowledge
• مَكْتَبَة — library
• مَال — money
• مَشَقَّة — hardship
• عَنَاء — trouble
• حَرْب — war
• ظَرْف — circumstance
• مِثْل — like
• إِجَادَة — proficiency
• إِتْقَان — perfection
• سَبَب — reason
• يَسِير — easy
• خَطِير — serious
• مُرُور — passage
• نِصْف — half
• قَرْن — century
• عَمَل — work
• عِلْمِيّ — scientific
• أَدَبِيّ — literary
• فَنِّيّ — artistic
• وَسِيلَة — means
• احْتِفَال — celebration
• ذِكْرَى — memory
• مُنْشِئ — founder
• وَفَاء — loyalty
• أَب — father
• بَرّ — dutiful
• عَطُوف — affectionate
• مُتَّصِل — continuous
• ضَعْف — weakness
• مَلَل — boredom
• ثَقَافَة — culture
• شَرْق — east
• عَرَبِيّ — Arab
• أَمْر — matter
• قَارِئ — reader
• جِيل — generation
• تَحِيَّة — greeting
• رَائِع — wonderful
• خِفَّة — lightness
• مُسْتَقْبَل — future
• يَوْم — day
• أَدَب — literature
• نَاشِر — publisher
• أَمِين — honest
• عِنَايَة — care
• دِقَّة — precision
• جَمَال — beauty
• حِرْص — keenness
• عَقْل — mind
• ذَوْق — taste
• شُعُور — feeling
• إِرْضَاء — satisfaction
• نَشْر — spreading
• إِعْجَاب — admiration