سَأَلتُ عَنِ الْجُنْدِ الرِّجَالِ

سَأَلتُ عَنِ الْجُنْدِ الرِّجَالِ

عَمِيدَ الْكِتَابَةِ مَا أَفْطَنَهْ

عَمِيدَ الْكِتَابَةِ مَا أَفْطَنَهْ

I asked about the men of the army

the head of the chancery—how shrewd he was!

فَقَالَ وَقَدْ صُفِّفُوا يَوْمَ عَرْضٍ

فَقَالَ وَقَدْ صُفِّفُوا يَوْمَ عَرْضٍ

بَيَادِقَ فِي سُفْرَة السَّلْطَنَهْ

بَيَادِقَ فِي سُفْرَة السَّلْطَنَهْ

Then he said, as they stood arrayed on a day of review:

“Pawns on the sultanate’s chessboard.”