-1-
Had I not visited Egypt,
I would not have been able to understand your beauty.
The Nile... your eyes,
And its banks... your lips,
And the palm trees... your hair,
And the pyramids...
The height of chastity upon your breast.
As for the pearls of your smile,
I found them dancing proudly
On the lips of the Egyptians.
Ah...
How beautiful you are, Daughter of Egypt!
-2-
Mount Muqattam bowed in reverence to your presence,
Its historic citadel lit its candles
above its towering walls,
in celebration of your arrival.
Its prison, filled with painful memories,
when your hands touched its cold stones,
disavowed the tyrannical rulers
throughout the ages.
You were the warmth it had never known.
You were the tenderness it lacked,
amidst the screams of prisoners
and the roars of executioners.
You were mercy
in a time when mercy was lost.
-3-
O daughter of Egypt...
A title I bestowed upon you to increase your pride,
and grant you the beauty of Cleopatra
and the love of Antony.
Ah, how wonderful Cairo is!
When she gave you safety,
When she embraced you,
And kissed your pure brow.
Only there did I feel my reward,
And that I had chosen the most beautiful woman on earth
To hear her say every morning:
I love you... Yes, I love you.
**
