Kalila Wa Dimna — Page 16

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

يُعْرَفُ مِنْ أُسْلُوبِ ابْنِ الْمُقَفَّعِ، وَرَأَى أَنَّهَا أَقْرَبُ النُّسَخِ إِلَى الْأَصْلِ الْهِنْدِيِّ «بَنْج تَنْتَرَا» وَإِلَى التَّرْجَمَتَيْنِ السُّرْيَانِيَّتَيْنِ.

He recognized Ibn al-Muqaffa's style and concluded that this copy is the closest to the original Indian 'Panchatantra' and to the two Syriac translations.

التَّرْجَمَةِ الْقَدِيمَةِ الْمَأْخُوذَةِ عَنِ الْفَهْلَوِيَّةِ، وَالْحَدِيثَةِ الْمَأْخُوذَةِ عَنِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ، وَإِنَّهُ طَبَعَ الْكِتَابَ كَمَا هُوَ، لَمْ يُصَحِّحْ أَغْلَاطَهُ وَلَمْ يُوَضِّحْ غَامِضَهُ؛ لِيَكُونَ أَمَامَ الْمُسْتَشْرِقِينَ صَالِحًا لِلْمُقَارَنَةِ وَالنَّقْدِ.

He referred to the old translation taken from Pahlavi and the modern one taken from Arabic, noting that he printed the book exactly as it was, without correcting its errors or clarifying its ambiguities, so that it might remain available to orientalists for comparison and critical study.

ثُمَّ يَقُولُ إِنَّهُ أَلْحَقَ بِالْكِتَابِ الْأَبْوَابَ الَّتِي لَيْسَتْ فِي نُسْخَتِهِ، مَطْبُوعَةً بِحُرُوفٍ صَغِيرَةٍ تُمَيِّزُهَا عَنِ الْأَبْوَابِ الَّتِي فِي نُسْخَتِهِ.

He then states that he appended to the book the chapters missing from his copy, printing them in a smaller typeface to distinguish them from the original text.

وَلَا رَيْبَ أَنَّ طَبْعَةَ شَيْخُو - عَلَى مَا فِيهَا مِنْ سَقَطٍ وَغَلَطٍ وَتَحْرِيفٍ كَثِيرٍ، بَعْضُهُ يُدْرَكُ صَوَابُهُ لِأَوَّلِ نَظْرَةٍ، وَبَعْضُهُ لَا يُدْرَكُ إِلَّا بَعْدَ طُولِ بَحْثٍ وَمُقَارَنَةٍ - لَا رَيْبَ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الطَّبْعَةَ أَوَّلُ طَبْعَةٍ فِي اللُّغَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ تُقَدِّمُ لِلْقُرَّاءِ نَصًّا كَامِلًا غَيْرَ مُلَفَّقٍ مِنْ كِتَابِ «كَلِيلَةَ وَدِمْنَةَ»، وَتَصْلُحُ أَنْ تَكُونَ حَلْقَةً فِي سِلْسِلَةِ الْبَحْثِ عَنْ أَصْلِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ، كَمَا تُرْجِمَ عَنِ الْفَهْلَوِيَّةِ.

There is no doubt that Cheikho's edition—despite the many omissions, errors, and distortions it contains, some of which are obvious at first glance and others only apparent after extensive research and comparison—is the first in Arabic to provide readers with a complete, authentic text of 'Kalila and Dimna'. It serves as a useful link in tracing the origins of the book as it was translated from Pahlavi.

ثُمَّ قَالَ الْأَبُ شَيْخُو فِي آخِرِ مُقَدِّمَتِهِ إِنَّهُ سَيُصَحِّحُ نُسْخَتَهُ مِنْ مَخْطُوطَاتٍ أُخْرَى؛ لِيَجْعَلَ مِنْهَا نُسْخَةً مَدْرَسِيَّةً، وَقَدْ أَخْرَجَ مِنْ بَعْدُ نُسْخَةً مَدْرَسِيَّةً مُصَحَّحَةً.

Father Cheikho stated at the end of his introduction that he intended to correct his copy using other manuscripts to produce an academic edition, and he subsequently released a corrected version.

وَهَذَا مِثَالٌ مِنْ نُسْخَةِ شَيْخُو يُبَيِّنُ تَحْرِيفَهَا، وَيُرَى اسْتِدْرَاكُ الْأَبِ شَيْخُو بَيْنَ هَاتَيْنِ الْعَلَامَتَيْنِ () وَاسْتِدْرَاكُنَا بَيْنَ الْعَلَامَتَيْنِ الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ [ ].

This example from Cheikho's copy illustrates its corruption; Father Cheikho's additions are marked by parentheses (), while our own are enclosed in brackets [ ].

«وَلَسْتُ أَجِدُنِي مَخْصُوصًا [مَخْصُومًا] فِي هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةِ؛ لِأَنِّي لَمْ أُخَالِفْهُ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَطُّ عَلَى رُءُوسِ جُنْدِهِ إِلَّا وَقَدْ تَدَبَّرَ [تَدَبَّرْتُ] فِيهِ الْمَنْفَعَةَ وَالزَّيْنَ.

'I do not find myself singled out [opposed] in this matter, for I never once opposed him before his soldiers without having first considered the benefit and propriety of doing so.

وَلَمْ أُجَاهِرْهُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَطُّ عَلَى رُءُوسِ جُنْدِهِ وَلَا عِنْدَ خَاصَّتِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَلَكِنْ كُنْتُ أَخْلُو بِهِ فَأَلْتَمِسُ مَا أُكَلِّمُهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ كَلَامَ الْقَانِتِ لِرَبِّهِ الْمُوقِنِ لَهُ.

I never openly challenged him before his soldiers, his entourage, or his companions; rather, I would speak to him in private, offering counsel with the devotion of a servant to his Lord, and with absolute conviction.

وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ مَنْ طَلَبَ الرُّخَصَ مِنَ النُّصَحَاءِ عِنْدَ الْمُشَاوَرَةِ، وَمِنَ الْأَطِبَّاءِ عِنْدَ الْمَرْضَى، وَعِنْدَ الْفُقَهَاءِ فِي الشُّبْهَةِ (كَذَا) [وَالْفُقَهَاءِ عِنْدَ الشُّبْهَةِ] أَخْطَأَ مَنَافِعَ الرَّأْيِ، وَازْدَادَ فِي الرَّأْيِ الْمَرَضُ (كَذَا) وَجَعَلَ الْوِزْرَ فِي الدِّينِ فَقَدْ أَخْطَأَ الرَّأْيَ وَزَادَ فِي الْمَرَضِ وَاحْتَمَلَ الْوِزْرَ].

I realized that anyone who seeks concessions from advisors during consultation, from doctors during illness, or from jurists when in doubt [and jurists during doubt], misses the benefits of sound judgment, worsens the illness of his own opinion, and incurs a spiritual burden; thus, he fails in his judgment, exacerbates the illness, and bears the sin.'

فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا فَعَسَى ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ بَعْضِ سَكَرَاتِ السُّلْطَانِ، فَإِنَّ مِنْ سَكَرَاتِهِ أَنْ يَرْضَى عَمَّنِ [عَمَّنْ] اسْتَوْجَبَ السُّخْطَ، وَيَسْخَطَ عَلَى مَنْ اسْتَوْجَبَ الرِّضَا (الرِّضَى) مِنْ غَيْرِ سَبَبٍ مَعْلُومٍ.

If this is not the case, then perhaps it stems from the intoxications of power, for it is characteristic of a ruler to be pleased with those who deserve his wrath and angry with those who deserve his favor, all for no apparent reason.

وَكَذَلِكَ قَالَتِ الْعُلَمَاءُ: خَاطَرَ مَنْ لَجَّ فِي الْبَحْرِ، وَأَشَدُّ مِنْهُ مُخَاطَرَةً صَاحِبُ السُّلْطَانِ، فَإِنْ هُوَ صَحِبَهُمْ (كَذَا) [يَسْتَعْمِلُ السُّلْطَانَ جَمْعًا وَهُوَ اسْتِعْمَالٌ صَحِيحٌ قَدِيمٌ] بِالْوَفَاءِ وَالِاسْتِقَامَةِ وَالْمَوَدَّةِ وَالنَّصِيحَةِ خَلِيقٌ (كَذَا) لِأَنْ يَعْثُرَ فَلَا يَنْتَعِشَ أَوْ يَعُدَّ (يَعُودَ)، وَقَدْ أَشْفَى عَلَى الْهَلَكَةِ أَنْ يَنْتَعِشَ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا؛ فَلَعَلَّ بَعْضَ مَا أَعْطَيْتُهُ مِنَ الْفَضْلِ جَعَلَ فِيهِ هَلَاكِي؛ فَإِنَّ الشَّجَرَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ رُبَّمَا كَانَ فَسَادُهَا فِي طِيبٍ.

Scholars have said: He who ventures onto the sea takes a risk, but the companion of a ruler risks even more. If he serves them [the ruler is used here in the plural, which is an old and correct usage] with loyalty, integrity, affection, and sincerity, he is likely to stumble and never recover. He stands on the brink of ruin; and if that is not the case, then perhaps some of the virtue I offered him has become the cause of my destruction, for even a good tree may sometimes be corrupted by its own sweetness.'

Vocabulary · المفردات (43 verbs · 81 nouns)

• عَرَفَ — to know
• رَأَى — to see
• أَخَذَ — to take
• طَبَعَ — to print
• صَحَّحَ — to correct
• وَضَّحَ — to clarify
• كَانَ — to be
• قَالَ — to say
• أَلْحَقَ — to attach
• مَيَّزَ — to distinguish
• أَدْرَكَ — to perceive
• قَدَّمَ — to present
• تَرْجَمَ — to translate
• أَخْرَجَ — to bring out
• بَيَّنَ — to show
• اسْتَدْرَكَ — to append
• وَجَدَ — to find
• خَالَفَ — to oppose
• تَدَبَّرَ — to contemplate
• جَاهَرَ — to declare openly
• خَلَا — to seclude oneself
• الْتَمَسَ — to seek
• كَلَّمَ — to speak to
• طَلَبَ — to request
• أَخْطَأَ — to err
• ازْدَادَ — to increase
• جَعَلَ — to make
• زَادَ — to increase
• احْتَمَلَ — to bear
• عَسَى — to hope
• رَضِيَ — to acquiesce
• اسْتَوْجَبَ — to deserve
• سَخِطَ — to become angry
• خَاطَرَ — to risk
• لَجَّ — to persist
• صَحِبَ — to accompany
• اسْتَعْمَلَ — to use
• عَثَرَ — to stumble
• انْتَعَشَ — to recover
• عَادَ — to return
• أَشْفَى — to come close to, to be on the brink
• أَعْطَى — to give
• فَسَدَ — to spoil
• أُسْلُوب — style
• أَصْل — origin
• تَرْجَمَة — translation
• كِتَاب — book
• غَلَط — error
• مُسْتَشْرِق — orientalist
• صَالِح — fit
• مُقَارَنَة — comparison
• نَقْد — criticism
• بَاب — chapter
• نُسْخَة — copy
• حَرْف — letter
• رَيْب — doubt
• طَبْعَة — edition
• سَقَط — omission
• تَحْرِيف — distortion
• كَثِير — much
• صَوَاب — correctness
• نَظْرَة — glance
• طُول — length
• بَحْث — research
• لُغَة — language
• قَارِئ — reader
• نَصّ — text
• كَامِل — complete
• مُلَفَّق — fabricated
• حَلْقَة — link
• سِلْسِلَة — series
• مُقَدِّمَة — introduction
• مَخْطُوطَة — manuscript
• مَدْرَسِيّ — academic
• مُصَحَّح — corrected
• مِثَال — example
• عَلَامَة — sign
• مَقَالَة — article
• شَيْء — thing
• رَأْس — head
• جُنْد — soldier
• مَنْفَعَة — benefit
• زَيْن — adornment
• خَاصَّة — entourage
• صَاحِب — companion
• كَلَام — speech
• قَانِت — devout
• رَبّ — lord
• مُوقِن — certain
• رُخْصَة — concession
• نَصِيح — advisor
• مُشَاوَرَة — consultation
• طَبِيب — doctor
• مَرِيض — patient
• فَقِيه — jurist
• شُبْهَة — doubt
• رَأْي — opinion
• مَرَض — illness
• وِزْر — burden
• دِين — religion
• سَكْرَة — intoxication
• سُلْطَان — ruler
• سَبَب — reason
• مَعْلُوم — known
• عَالِم — scholar
• بَحْر — sea
• مُخَاطَرَة — risk
• وَفَاء — loyalty
• اسْتِقَامَة — integrity
• مَوَدَّة — affection
• نَصِيحَة — advice
• خَلِيق — worthy
• هَلَكَة — destruction
• فَضْل — virtue
• هَلَاك — ruin
• شَجَرَة — tree
• حَسَن — good
• فَسَاد — corruption
• طِيب — goodness
• مَطْبُوعَة — printed
• غَامِض — mysterious
• أَقْرَب — closer, nearest
• قَدِيمَة — ancient (adj.)
• حَدِيثَة — modern