The Poetics of Kalileh and Demneh:An Analysis of the Mechanisms Governing Its Introductions and Text

Intending to teach wisdom and relying on the concepts of wisdom, speech and immortality, Kalileh and Demneh seems to have evolved from previous texts. Kalileh and Demneh has so far been translated into different languages, with each translator writing his own introduction to the book. While reproducing the main themes of Kalileh and Demneh, each introduction has encompassed references common in the discourse and language registers of each period to the main text. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, “mythological symbolism”, and  “intertextuality”, the present paper aims to analyze the traces of meaning in Kalileh and Demneh and show how  they are reproduced and transferred to the translators’ introductions. To this end, the author describes, analyzes and reviews the introduction sections of various translations of this book in relation to the main text of Kalileh and Demneh. The analysis reveales that, in addition or contrary to the main text, the introductions have tried to find a structural connection with the main text by repeating the traces of meaning of Kalileh and Demneh, and to contribute to its ever-lasting “wisdom”, so that each translation and its introduction has a different interpretation based on the discourse and the language conventions of each period. As a result, each introduction creates a new chain of signifiers, making the introductions an inseparable part of Kalileh and Demneh.