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Egypt

This land was—and is—rich, fruitful, and plenteous,
fertile, very pleasant, and healthy.
It seldom rains, but from the great source [the Nile]
its people draw water from far away
to irrigate the region.
In this way, since the ground is fruitful and flat,
there is true abundance here
and every season seems like spring.

Cairo

On the bank of the river sits
the great city of Cairo, which contains
so many people that it is a marvelous thing.
Everywhere you can see streets full of people,
so that it is exhausting to explore,
so great is the throng of those who come and go.
I will not say their number out of fear
that the truth should be considered a lie.

The Atlas Mountains

Asia ends there, and its border
lies halfway along the direct path
to the region of great heat,^{2The Sahara Desert.}
which has neither inhabitant nor neighbor.
Africa begins there and keeps going
all the way along the edge of the sea
to the Strait [of Gibraltar], and then the ocean runs
all the way to the furthest regions [of the earth].