One of the earliest manuscripts including the Deventer Poem

I was looking in the gallica library and bumped into a manuscript of late 12th - early 13th cent., that among many irrelevant writings, had a poem about chess. After some search and comparisons, I've found out that it's a version of the Deventer Poem, mentioned by Murray in pp. 516-517, with some switches in the line order. But Murray doesn't mention this MS [???]. Comparing the possible date, with the ones of the used by Murray MSS, it could be the earliest written version of the poem, probably since the days of Bernard Itier [1163-1225], monk and librarian of the Abbey Saint-Martial of Limoges.

The Abbey Saint-Martial of Limoges was the basis of the medieval music school of Saint-Martial. The MS contains and other music texts and pieces, while on the the top of the poem's page, it's written "Si claram vocem semper vis hic habere..." [=If you want always to have a clear voice...].

It could be part of the curriculum of the music school.

The MS latin 3719, ff.91v-92r [31 lines // without title // red sq. left and right indicate the poem's start and end]

Lucie Doležalová mentions it also generally in The Charm of a List, p. 84. I couldn't find anything else on this, but surely there should be.

Nice!😁👍

Thanks.  I looked to see if I could find the text of this particular poem or better, a translation, but wasn't able to locate one.

For clarity, here is Murray's translation of the Deventer Poem:

Let those who wish to know the famous game of chess, attend to our lines. The game is played upon a square and chequered board (tabula). The magnates are placed on the first line, and the Pawns (pedes) on the second. The King (rex) and Queen (regina) are in the centre, the white King being on a red square, and the red King on a white square; each Queen (femina) is on a square of her own colour. Next is the Aufin (alphicus), then the Knight (miles), and at the end is the Rook (rochus). Eight Pawns are associated with the eight nobles. The enemy are arranged similarly, and the game is ready. The Pawn begins the battle, he advances slowly, cannot retreat, and takes aslant. When he reaches the end of the board he is given the Lady's (domina) move. The Rook takes far and near when there is no obstruction, but he has no power in an oblique direction. The Knight is a strong piece, and leaps aslant, leaving the centre, and he changes the colour of his square each move. The Aiifin lays snares in the three-ways, leaping diagonally. The Queen (regalis femina) has an oblique move and lays snares in the two-ways. The King regia maiestas) defends all the adjacent squares. He cannot be taken, but when attacked, 'Check' (scak) must be said. "When he has no flight-square, his whole side are vanquished.

Hi simaginfan!

Glad you did it batgirl!

As it concerned you, it must have the structure of the mentioned by Murray "B = MS. Bodleian, Oxford, 2067. 46, f. 66 ; of 15th c. (31 lines.)" [No found copy online]

The latin that Murray gives for the first 5 lines is:

"Si quia scacorum ludum uult scire decorum
Hoc carmen discat, si docte ludere gliscat.
Asser quadratus, uario colore notatus
Depictusque bene, fit campus litis amene.
Hic fit formosa sine sanguine pugna iocosa. "

The fifth line is now first. While on the now second seems to write "ludum scacorum fias" instead of "si quia scacorum ludum"... and other tiny differences.