72r

[rubric: Egipto]

¶ Enno richa cupiosa e piena
Fertile molto dilectosa e sana
Puoco vi piove ma da la gran vena
Conducon l'aqua molto da luntana
E rigan quel paese per tal mena
Essendo terra fructuosa e piana
Che l'abondantia e quivi cossa vera
E d'ogni tempo vi par primavera

[rubric: Chairo.]

¶ In su la riva del fiume si possa
La gran cita del chairo che contiene
Tanta di gente che mirabil cossa
Vedessi in ogni parte le vie piene
Per modo ch'a cercarla e faticosa
Tanto la calcha de chi va -e- vene
Il numero mi tacero per vergogna
Che'l vero serebbe tenuto mençogna

[rubric: Monte atalante.]

¶ E quivi finisse l'asia e sua mesura
Tra'l nillo e meço di dricto camino
Infino a la parte de la grande arsura
Che non e habitante ne vicino
Africa comincia la qual dura
Quanto tien piu tuto litto marino
Fino a lo strecto e poi quanto si puote
Corre l'occeano a le parte remote

[image, right margin at ¶ 3: Drawing of a mountain, tinted with a yellow wash. Amidst its peaks sit six fortified buildings of various sizes, each rendered in reddish-brown with a blue roof. Below, in alternating red and blue: (label: MONTE ATALANTE).]

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].

[rubric: Egipto]

¶ Enno richa cupiosa e piena
Fertile molto dilectosa e sana
Puoco vi piove ma da la gran vena
Conducon l'aqua molto da luntana
E rigan quel paese per tal mena
Essendo terra fructuosa e piana
Che l'abondantia e quivi cossa vera
E d'ogni tempo vi par primavera

[rubric: Chairo.]

¶ In su la riva del fiume si possa
La gran cita del chairo che contiene
Tanta di gente che mirabil cossa
Vedessi in ogni parte le vie piene
Per modo ch'a cercarla e faticosa
Tanto la calcha de chi va -e- vene
Il numero mi tacero per vergogna
Che'l vero serebbe tenuto mençogna

[rubric: Monte atalante.]

¶ E quivi finisse l'asia e sua mesura
Tra'l nillo e meço di dricto camino
Infino a la parte de la grande arsura
Che non e habitante ne vicino
Africa comincia la qual dura
Quanto tien piu tuto litto marino
Fino a lo strecto e poi quanto si puote
Corre l'occeano a le parte remote

[image, right margin at ¶ 3: Drawing of a mountain, tinted with a yellow wash. Amidst its peaks sit six fortified buildings of various sizes, each rendered in reddish-brown with a blue roof. Below, in alternating red and blue: (label: MONTE ATALANTE).]

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 expanse
divides the direct path
to the region of great heat^{2i.e. the Sahara}
where is neither inhabitant nor neighbor.
...and Africa begins and keeps going
all the way along the edge of the sea
to the Strait [of Gibraltar], and then as far as it goes
the ocean runs to the furthest regions [of the earth].