THE SONG
OF
CHESS
The Song of Chess is attributed to Abraham Ibn Ezra (1093–1167), who worked, as philosopher, poet, and mathematician, in Italy, France, and England. About one hundred and fifty of his sacred poems are known.
Line 21, "foot-soldier" is the pawn.
Line 35, "Elephant" is the bishop.
Line 40, "Horse" is the knight.
Line 44, "Wind" is the rook.
Although this poem bears evidence that the moves in chess have not changed, there are one or two variations of another kind worth noticing. The Indian chessmen have an Elephant to represent the Castle, or Rook, but it is clear that the author of this poem followed the Arabic designation, as he makes the Bishop the Elephant, or פיל, which the Arabs called "Al fil" (see Encycl. Brit. vol. 5, p. 599). It is remarkable that the word Rook, from the Indian "Roch," a "war-chariot," is generally written by Hebrew writers רוק but the author of this poem employs the word רוח. He may have used the word "wind" metaphorically as a war-chariot.
