More cunning than a wolf in a wine-growing region, and more cunning than a wolf in a thicket أَخْبَثُ مِنْ ذِئْبِ الْخَمَرِ، وَأَخْبَثُ مِنْ ذِئْبِ الغَضَى.

أَخْبَثُ مِنْ ذِئْبِ الْخَمَرِ، وَأَخْبَثُ مِنْ ذِئْبِ الغَضَى.
قال حمزة: العرب تسمي ضروباً من البهائم بضروب من المراعي تَنْسُبها إليها، فيقولون: أرنب الخلة، وضَبُّ السحا، وظبي الحلب، وتيس الربلة، وقنفذ برقة، وشيطان الحَمَاطة، وذلك كله على قدر طِباع الأمكنة والأغْذِية العاملة في طباع الحيوان، وفي أسجاع ابنة الخُسِّ: أخبثُ الذئابِ ذئب الغَضَى، وأخبث الأفاعي أفْعَى الجدب، وأسرع الظباء ظباء الحلب، وأشد الرجال الأعجف، وأجمل النساء الفَخْمة الأسيلة، وأقبح النساء الْجَهْمَة القفرة، وآكَلُ الدواب الرَّغُوث، وأطيب اللحم عوّذه، وأغْلَظُ المَوَاطئ الحَصَا على الصَّفَا، وشر المال ما لا يُزَكَّى ولا يُذَكى، وخير المال مُهْرَة مأمورة أو سكة مأبُورَة.
قال: وعلى هذا المجرى حكاية حكاها ابن الأعرابي عن العرب، زعَم أنه قيل للبكرية: ما شجرة أبيك؟ فقالت: العَرْفَجَة إذا قُدِحَت التهبت، وإذا خليت قصبت، وقيل للقيسية: ما شجرة أبيك؟ فقالت: الخلة، ذليقة الدرة، حديدة الجرة، وقيل للتميمية: ما شجرة أبيك؟ فقالت: الإسليح رغوة وصريح، وسَنَام إطريح، تُفيئه الريح، وقيل للأسدية: ما شجرة أبيك؟ فقالن: الشرشر، وطب حشر، وغلام أشر، حشر: أي وسخ، ووسخ الوَطْب من اللبن يدعى حشراً.
قلت: قوله "وطب حشر" كذا قرئ على حمزة بالحاء، وروى عنه والصواب جشر بالجيم، وكذا في التهذيب عن الأزهري، وفي الصحاح عن الجوهري: قال حمزة: [ص: 260]والسنام الإطريح: المرتفع، يقال: طَرَحَ القوم بناءهم، أي رفعوه وطَوَّلوه، والحلب: شجرة حلوة فلذلك ظباؤها أسرع، وأبطأ الظباء ظباء الحَمْضِ، لأن الحمض مالح.
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More cunning than a wolf in a wine-growing region, and more cunning than a wolf in a thicket.

Hamza said: The Arabs name certain types of animals after types of pastures to which they are related. They say: the rabbit of the thicket, the lizard of the desert, the gazelle of the desert, the ram of the desert, the hedgehog of the desert, and the devil of the desert. All of this is according to the nature of the places and the foods that affect the animal's temperament. In the rhymed prose of the daughter of Khuss: The most cunning of wolves is the wolf of the thicket, the most cunning of snakes is the viper of the desert, the swiftest of gazelles are the gazelles of the desert, the strongest of men is the lean one, the most beautiful of women is the elegant and graceful one, the ugliest of women is the gloomy and desolate one, the most voracious of animals is the flea, the tastiest meat is the one with aloes, the roughest foothold is the pebbles on the smooth rock, the worst wealth is that which is neither purified nor slaughtered, and the best wealth is a well-trained mare or a well-trained mare. Mabura.
He said: And on this same note, Ibn al-A'rabi related a story about the Arabs. He claimed that the Bakri woman was asked: "What is your father's tree?" She replied: "The *'arfaja* tree; when struck, it ignites, and when left unattended, it becomes brittle." The Qaysi woman was asked: "What is your father's tree?" She replied: "The *khalla* tree, with its sharp edges and strong, round jars." The Tamimi woman was asked: "What is your father's tree?" She replied: "The *islih* tree, with its foam and clear sap, and its hump is like a camel's hump, which the wind sways." The Asadi woman was asked: "What is your father's tree?" She replied: "The *sharshar* tree, and a *hashr* tree, and a *ghulam ashar* tree." *Hashr* means dirty, and the dirt from a *watb* (a type of milk container) is called *hashr*.

I said: His saying “and the hamza was raised” was read to Hamza with a “ha” and it was narrated from him, and the correct word is “jashar” with a “jim,” and likewise in Al-Tahdhib on the authority of Al-Azhari, and in Al-Sahah on the authority of Al-Jawhari: Hamza said: [p. 260] “The raised hump” is the elevated one. It is said: “The people raised their building,” meaning they raised it and lengthened it. “Al-Halab” is a sweet tree, so its gazelles are faster, and the slowest of the gazelles are the gazelles of the salt tree, because the salt tree is salty.
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المثل العربي «أَخْبَثُ مِنْ ذِئْبِ الغَضَى» أو «ذِئْبِ الخَمَر» يُضرب لمن بلغ الغاية في الخبث والمكر وسوء الطبع. وليس المقصود الذئب مطلقًا، بل ذئبًا نُسب إلى بيئة أو مرعى عُرف عند العرب بأنه يُكسب الحيوان شراسة وخبثًا أشد.
ولا يوجد مقابل إنجليزي يطابق الصورة نفسها، لكن أقرب الأمثال والتعبيرات في الثقافة الإنجليزية هي: As cunning as a fox.
«ماكر كالثعلب.»
وهو أشهر تشبيه بالمكر والخبث.
A snake in the grass.
«حية في العشب.»
يضرب للخبيث الذي يخفي شره وغدره.
As sly as a fox.
«داهية أو خبيث كالثعلب.»
The devil incarnate.
«شيطان متجسد.»
يقال للمفرط في الشر والخبث.
Meaner than a junkyard dog.
«أشرس وأخبث من كلب حراسة.»
تعبير عامي أمريكي عن شدة الخبث والعدوانية.
وأقرب مقابل من حيث بلوغ الغاية في الخبث والمكر هو:
A snake in the grass.
أما إذا أريد التأكيد على الخبث الفطري المتأصل، فيمكن أن يقابله:
As sly as a fox.
وكما جعل العرب ذئب الغضى رمزًا للخبث، جعلت الثقافة الإنجليزية الثعلب رمزًا للمكر والدهاء، والحية رمزًا للخبث والغدر.
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The Arabic proverb “More cunning than a wolf of the thicket” or “a wolf of the vineyard” is used to describe someone who has reached the pinnacle of cunning, deceit, and ill-temper. It doesn't refer to a wolf in general, but rather to a wolf associated with a specific environment or pasture known among Arabs to instill in animals greater ferocity and cunning.
There is no direct English equivalent, but some of the closest proverbs and expressions in English culture are:
As cunning as a fox.
“Cunning as a fox.”
This is the most common simile for cunning and deceit.
A snake in the grass.
“A snake in the grass.”
This is said of someone who is malicious and hides their evil and treachery.
As sly as a fox.
“A cunning or deceitful person like a fox.”
The devil incarnate.
“A devil incarnate.”
This is said of someone who is extremely evil and malicious.
Meaner than a junkyard dog.
"More vicious and cunning than a guard dog."
An American slang expression for extreme malice and aggression.
The closest equivalent, in terms of reaching the pinnacle of cunning and deceit, is
"A snake in the grass."
However, if one wants to emphasize an inherent, innate malice, one could use:
"As sly as a fox."
Just as the Arabs made the wolf a symbol of malice, English culture made the fox a symbol of cunning and shrewdness, and the snake a symbol of treachery and betrayal.