1. O Abu Shadi, you were a gentle youth
Captive of the eye, with a free heart

2. Remember me, could I ever forget
The beauty of Alexandria, my friend

3. How, above its dewy coast
The heart hovers, fluttering

4. Love nurtured it from a beautiful shore
Light of spirit, polished and elegant

5. The sand so fair you'd think it agate
Studded with carnelian gems

6. I wander through it, overcome with reverence
As if circling the Ancient House

7. O sanctuary of gazelles, you lit up my soul
With a lantern of gentle beauty

8. The blind see you as forbidden fruit
Reminding them of the slave markets

9. If their blindness were lifted, they'd say
The immortal maidens bathe in nectar

10. I returned to the coasts after a month
Clearing my way back to the sailor

11. I found autumn had ravaged them
Wreaking havoc on the leafy vineyards

12. I returned terrified by dreams, complaining
As the waking stirred from their slumber