Kalila wa Dimna, and Salama

The book was translated into Persian approximately 1,500 years ago, during the reign of Shah Anushirvan, who sent his personal physician to India to obtain a copy and translate it into Pahlavi, the ancient name for the Persian language. In 1925, Reza Khan, the father of the last Shah, adopted the name Pahlavi for his dynasty when he declared himself emperor. He passed the throne and title on to his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, until Khomeini came to power and brought an end to the monarchy and its associated legacy. During the Abbasid era, the Arab writer Abdullah ibn al-Muqaffa translated “Kalila wa Dimna” from Pahlavi into Arabic. He also added several chapters and gave the translation a refined Arabic literary style. It is believed that translations into other languages around the world were largely based on the Arabic version. “Kalila wa Dimna” relies on symbolic storytelling, using dialogues between animals to reflect human nature, the strategies and conduct of kings, and the complexities of social relationships.

The lion represents the king or ruler, while Kalila and Dimna are the names of two jackals who symbolize courtiers, ministers, and royal advisors. Kalila represents reason, wisdom, and contentment, whereas Dimna embodies ambition, greed, and cunning. The other animals represent the subjects and different classes of society. The author’s purpose was to present a collection of lessons on politics, governance, friendship, deception, and the art of navigating power without provoking the wrath of kings. One of the book’s most prominent stories is the tale of the friendship between the lion and the bull. Their friendship aroused Dimna’s jealousy and resentment.

Through manipulation and deceit, Dimna convinced the lion that the bull was plotting against him, while persuading the bull that the lion intended to kill him. The story culminates in a confrontation in which the lion kills the bull. Only afterward does the lion discover Dimna’s deception and order his trial and execution. The moral of the story is that listening to gossip and schemers can destroy even the strongest friendships and ultimately lead to regret. There is also the famous story of the monkey and the carpenter, which many of us encountered during childhood through cartoons. The story tells of a curious monkey who watched a carpenter at work and decided to imitate him. The monkey sat on a wooden plank, dangled his tail into the groove, and pulled out the wedge holding the two pieces of wood apart. As a result, the plank snapped shut, trapping his tail. When the carpenter returned, he freed the monkey after beating him, teaching him a lesson about interfering in others’ affairs.

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My friend and colleague at Al-Qabas daily, Marwan Ahmed Salama, wrote a book published in English titled “From Rags to Rags”. In the book’s introduction, Salama writes, “The ‘jungle,’ in its metaphorical sense, can be seen as dense tropical forests, grassy plains, or even the concrete jungles of large cities. All share the characteristic of being an arena of fierce competition between various parties for survival, a competition that often breeds cruelty and ruthlessness.” Through a series of jungle tales, Salama offers a contemporary interpretation of “Kalila wa Dimna”, exploring this phenomenon through symbolic stories, parables, and satire. His stories examine the timeless existential struggle between predatory carnivores and herbivores, highlighting their mutual dependence on one another despite their deep-rooted hostility.