Kalila wa Dimna and Sefer ha-Mešalim: A Comparative Approach to the Translating and Writing of Jacob ben Eleazar

The translation of Oriental didactic and moral tales compilations was a frequent literary activity during the Middle Ages. In this talk, we will focus on one of them: The Hebrew version of Kalila wa Dimna by Jacob ben Eleazar and its relevance for the literary original works of this author.

Ben Eleazar`s translation of Kalila wa Dimna is, at the same time, a reworded work. It suppress and adds passages, along with biblical verses, frequent resources of Hispanic-Hebrew authors.

This translation will allow us to study the possible influence of Kalila wa Dimna in the writing of one of his original compositions: Sefer ha-Mešalim.

Written shortly before his death, around 1233, Sefer ha-Mešalim is composed of ten maqamat. They are independent stories written in rhymed prose with poetry, that include different genres and motifs: courtly love and desire, social criticism, philosophy and moral, chivalry stories, allegories,...

Generally, it is said that Sefer ha-Mešalim has not clear parallels of Oriental works such as Kalila wa Dimna itself, or Sendebar. However, as Schirmann and Peled have pointed out, these sources possibly helped him to create Sefer ha-Mešalim, covered by erotic, troubadour and parodic elements.

Therefore, this talk will focus in the possible indirect influence of Kalila wa Dimna in this work as could be read in the vision of a morality neither very high nor very severe, a life of excess, or the importance of astuteness. A research in progress whose aim is the study of both medieval translations and storytelling.