وَرُقعة كُنا رَفَعناها

وَرُقعة كُنا رَفَعناها

نَشَرتها لَما طَويناها

نَشَرتها لَما طَويناها

And a chessboard we had put away—

you spread it out when we had folded it up.

طَمَعت يا أَحمَق في قَمرها

طَمَعت يا أَحمَق في قَمرها

لَو أَمكَن القَمر قَمرناها

لَو أَمكَن القَمر قَمرناها

You hoped, you fool, to win at it;

had winning been possible, we would have won.

فإِن أَقاموها فَما ذَنبنا

فإِن أَقاموها فَما ذَنبنا

كُنا عَلى ذاكَ نَفضناها

كُنا عَلى ذاكَ نَفضناها

So if they set it up, what fault is ours?

We had shaken it clear all the same.

وَاللَهُ لَو أَحضَرتُها زيريا

وَاللَهُ لَو أَحضَرتُها زيريا

ما ميز الفرزان وَالشاها

ما ميز الفرزان وَالشاها

By God, had I brought Ziri to it,

he would not have distinguished the vizier from the king.