بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
؟؟؟؟باب مقدمة الكتاب
???? Chapter: Introduction to the Book
قدمها بهنود بن سحوان ويعرف بعلي بن الشاه الفارسي. ذكر فيها السبب الذي من أجله عمل بيدبا الفيلسوف الهندي رأس البراهمة لدبشليم ملك الهند كتابه الذي سماه كليلة ودمنة؛ وجعله على ألسن البهائم والطير صيانةً لغرضه فيه من العوام، وضنا بما ضمنه عن الطغام؛ وتنزيهاً للحكمة وفنونها، ومحاسنها وعيونها؛ إذ هي للفيلسوف مندوحة، ولخاطره مفتوحة؛ ولمحبيها تثقي، ولطالبيها تشريف. وذكر السبب الذي من أجله أنفذ كسرى أنوشروان بن قباذ بن فيروز ملك الفرص بروزيه رأس الأطباء إلى بلاد الهند كتاب كليلة ودمنة؛ وما كان من تلطف بروزيه عند دخوله إلى الهند؛ حتى حضر إليه الرجل الذي استنسخه له سراً من خزانة الملك ليلاً، مع ما وجد من كتب علماء الهند. وقد ذكر الذي كان من بعثه بروزيه إلى مملكة الهند لأجل نقل هذا الكتاب؛ وذكر فيها ما يلزم مطالعه من إتقان قراءته والقيام بدراسته والنظر إلى باطن كلامه؛ وأنه إن لم يكن كذلك لك يحصل على الغاية منه. وذكر فيها حضور بروزيه قراءة الكتاب جهراً. وقد ذكر السبب الذي من اجله وضع بزرجمهر باباً مفرداً يسمى باب بروزيه التطبب، وذكر فيه شأن بروزيه من أول أمره وآن مولده إلى أن بلغ التأديب، وأحب الحكمة واعتبر في أقسامها. وجعله قبل باب الأسد والثور الذي هو أول الكتاب.
It was presented by Bihnūd ibn Saḥwān, known as ʿAlī ibn al-Shāh al-Fārisī. In it he mentions the reason for which Baydabā, the Indian philosopher, head of the Brahmins, composed for Dabshalīm, king of India, his book which he called Kalīla wa-Dimna; and he set it upon the tongues of beasts and birds as a safeguard for his purpose in it from the common people, and out of sparing what it contained from the rabble; and as a purification of wisdom and its arts, its excellences and its essences; since it is for the philosopher a wide field, and for his mind an opening; and for its lovers a refinement, and for its seekers an honor. And he mentions the reason for which Kisrā Anūsharwān ibn Qabādh ibn Fīrūz, king of the Persians, sent Burzūyah, head of the physicians, to the lands of India for the book Kalīla wa-Dimna; and what came of Burzūyah's tact upon his entry into India; until there came to him the man who copied it for him secretly from the king's treasury by night, along with what was found of the books of the scholars of India. And he has mentioned what was of his sending Burzūyah to the kingdom of India for the sake of transmitting this book; and he mentions in it what is incumbent upon its reader of mastering its reading and undertaking its study and looking into the inner meaning of its words; and that if he is not like that, he will not attain the ultimate goal from it. And he mentions in it the attendance of Burzūyah at the reading of the book aloud. And he has mentioned the reason for which Buzurjmihr composed a separate chapter called the Chapter of Burzūyah the Physician, and he mentions in it the affair of Burzūyah from the first of his matter and the time of his birth until he reached discipline, and loved wisdom and considered its divisions. And he placed it before the Chapter of the Lion and the Bull, which is the first of the book.
قال علي بن الشاه الفارسي: كان السبب الذي من أجله وضع بيدبا الفيلسوف لدبشليم ملك الهند كتاب كليلة ودمنة، أن الإسكندر ذا القرنين الرومي لما فرغ من أمر الملوك الذين كانوا بناحية المغرب، سار يريد ملوك الشرق من الفرس وغيرهم؛ فلم يزل يحارب من نازعه ويواقع من واقعه، ويسالم من وادعه من ملوك الفرس، وهم الطبقة الأولى، حتى ظهر عليهم وقهر من ناوأه وتغلب على من حاربه؛ فتفرقوا طرائق وتمزقوا حزائق ، فتوجه بالجنود نحو بلاد الصين؛ فبدأ في طريقه بملك الهند ليدعوه إلى طاعته والدخول في ملته وولايته. وكان على الهند في ذلك الزمان ملك ذو سطوة وبأس وقوة ومراس، يقال له فورٌ. فلما بلغه إقبال ذي القرنين نحوه تأهب لمحاربته، واستعد لمجاذبته؛ وشم إليه أطرافه، وجد في التألب عليه؛ وجمع له العدة في أسرع مدة من الفيلة المعدة للحروب، والسباع المضراة بالوثوب؛ مع الخيول المسرجة والسيوف القواطع، والحراب اللوامع. فلما قرب ذو القرنين من فور الهندي وبلغه ما أعد له من الخيل التي كأنها قطع الليل مما لم يلقه بمثله أحد من الملوك الذين كانوا في الأقاليم، تخوف ذو القرنين من تقصير يقع به إن عجل المبارزة. وكان ذو القرنين رجلاً ذا حيل ومكايد، مع حسن تدبير وتجربة، فرأى إعمال الحيلة والتمهل، واحتفر خندقاً على عسكره؛ وأقام بمكانه لاستنباط الحيلة والتدبير لأمره؛ وكيف ينبغي له أي يقدم على الإيقاع به، فاستدعى بالمنجمين، وأمرهم بالاختيار ليوم موافق تكون له فيه سعادة لمحاربة ملك الهند والنصرة عليه. فاشتغلوا بذلك. وكان ذو القرنين لا يمر بمدينة إلا أخذ الصناع المشهورين من صناعها بالحذق من كل صنف. فأنتجت له همته ودلته فطنته أن يتقدم إلى الصناع الذين معه في أن يصنعوا خيلاً من نحاس مجوفة، عليها تماثيل من الرجال، على بكرٍ تجري، إذا دفعت مرت سراعاً. وأمر إذا فرغوا منها أن تحشى أجوافها بالنفط والكبريت؛ وتلبس وتقدم أمام الصف في القلب. ووقت ما يلتقي الجمعان تضرم فيها النيران. فإن الفيلة إذا لفت خراطيمها على الفرسان وهي حامية، ولت هاربة، وأوعز إلى الصناع بالتشمير والانكماش والفراغ منها. فجدوا في ذلك وعجلوا. وقرب أيضاً وقت اختيار المنجمين. فأعاد ذو القرنين رسله إلى فور يدعوه إليه من طاعته والإذعان لدولته. فأجاب جواب مصر على مصرٍ على مخالفته، مقيمٍ على محاربته. فلما رأى ذو القرنين عزيمته سار إليه بأهبته؛ وقدم فور الفيلة أمامه، ودفعت الرجال تلك الخيل وتماثيل الفرسان؛ فأقبلت الفيلة نحوها، ولفت خراطيمها عليها. فلما أحست بالحرارة ألقت من كان عليها، وداستهم تحت أرجلها، ومضت مهزومة هاربة، لا تلوي على شيءٍ ولا تمر بأحدٍ إلا وطئته. وتقطع فورٍ وجمعه، وتبعهم أصحاب الإسكندر؛ وأثخنوا فيهم الجراح.
Ali ibn al-Shah al-Farisi said: The reason for which the philosopher Bidpai composed for Dabshalim, king of India, the book Kalila and Dimna was that Alexander the Two-Horned, the Roman, when he had finished with the affairs of the kings who were in the region of the Maghrib, set out intending the kings of the East, of the Persians and others. He continued to fight those who opposed him and to engage those who engaged him, and to make peace with those who made peace with him among the kings of the Persians, who were the first class, until he prevailed over them and subdued those who resisted him and overcame those who fought him. So they dispersed in parties and were torn into fragments. Then he turned with the troops toward the land of China; and he began on his way with the king of India to call him to his obedience and to enter into his religion and his authority. And over India in that time was a king possessing dominance, might, strength, and firmness, called Fur. When the approach of the Two-Horned toward him reached him, he prepared for war with him and made ready to contend with him; he turned his attention to him, and strove to rally against him; and he gathered for him the equipment in the quickest time, of elephants prepared for wars, and beasts trained to pounce; along with saddled horses and cutting swords and gleaming spears. When the Two-Horned drew near to Fur the Indian and there reached him what he had prepared for him of horses that were like pieces of the night, such as no one of the kings who were in the regions had met the like of, the Two-Horned feared a shortcoming that would befall him if he hastened to single combat. And the Two-Horned was a man of stratagems and tricks, along with good management and experience, so he saw fit to employ stratagem and to act deliberately, and he dug a trench around his army; and he stayed in his place to devise stratagem and plan for his affair; and how it behooved him to proceed to strike at him. So he summoned the astrologers and ordered them to choose a favorable day on which he would have good fortune for fighting the king of India and victory over him. So they occupied themselves with that. And the Two-Horned would not pass by a city without taking the craftsmen famous among its craftsmen for skill of every kind. Then his ambition produced for him and his intelligence guided him to instruct the craftsmen who were with him to make horses of hollow brass, upon which were figures of men, on a pivot that ran, so that when pushed they moved swiftly. And he ordered that when they finished them, their interiors be filled with naphtha and sulfur; and that they be clothed and placed before the ranks in the center. And at the time when the two armies meet, fires would be kindled in them. For the elephants, when they wrapped their trunks around the horsemen while they were hot, would turn fleeing. And he instructed the craftsmen to strive and hasten and finish them. So they exerted themselves in that and hurried. And the time of the astrologers' choosing also drew near. Then the Two-Horned sent his messengers back to Fur, calling him to his obedience and submission to his rule. So he answered with the answer of one persisting in his opposition, remaining at war with him. When the Two-Horned saw his determination, he marched to him with his equipment; and Fur sent the elephants forward before him, and the men pushed those horses and the figures of the horsemen; so the elephants advanced toward them and wrapped their trunks around them. When they felt the heat, they threw off those who were on them and trampled them under their feet, and went off defeated and fleeing, not turning to anything and not passing by anyone without trampling him. And Fur and his host were cut to pieces, and the companions of Alexander followed them and inflicted deep wounds among them.