Baku, Azerbaijan

O, Baku,
Queen of the Caspian Sea, what wealth,
What money was spent, to embellish
Your buildings, your parks, your waterfront,
The palaces that were constructed, the colorful
Designs, beauty unsurpassed , an affluence
Beyond compare, prosperity seldom seen

Fount of flowing oil, gushing from the rocks,
Recovered from the sea, fortunes were made by
The Swedish family of Nobel fame, but others,
Mainly Russians, were most unfortunate, the
Workers paradise came into being, everything
Was lost, even their lives, for these Whites were

Unable to escape the wrath of the Reds, today,
Finally you’re free, your structures in old Baku
Are beautifully renovated, you are a bustling
Modern city, though totally Muslim, your women
Dress as scantily as in neighboring Christian countries,
With no covering on their hair, fortunate was I

To dine at a caravanserai, bargained for a carpet,
Samovar, went to see the Bakistan rock carvings,
Pictures from the dawn of homo sapiens, investigated
The fire temple of Atesh, fire being the impetus for
The first monotheistic religion, Zoorastrianism,
Founded in Persia, but had its true home here,

Where the eternal flame was kept continually going
By oil, black gold, from the depths of time it has
Sprung from the rocks, from this tiny speck on the map,
You were able to supply the oil needs of the vast
Soviet empire when you were forced to be part of it
Now you are a player on the world scene

I have read the poetry of Nazami from Ganca
The soul of your country he portrays
I loved wandering in the flowers, with the statue
Dedicated to him in the center of your city,
The blending of East and West surely begins here
Like Ali and Nino, a tale by Kurban Said