كتاب كليلة ودمنة

Kalila and Dimna was originally written in Sanskrit, probably in Kashmir, sometime in the fourth century A.D. In Sanskrit it was called the Panchatantra, or "Five Discourses." Three hundred years later, after the Muslim conquest of Persia and the Near East, Ibn al-Mukaffa' chanced upon Burzoeʹs Pehlavi version and translated it into Arabic in a style so lucid it is still considered a model of Arabic prose. Called Kalila and Dimna, after the two jackals who are the main characters, the book was written mainly for the instruction of civil servants. The book puts wisdom fables put into the mouths of animals for the edification of humans.It was so entertaining, however, that it proved popular with all classes, entered the folklore of the Muslim world, and was carried by the Arabs to Spain. There it was translated into Old Spanish in the 13th century. In Italy it was one of the first books to appear after the invention of printing.