Since the Roman times

River Rhine and Matilo are the evidence

The Siege of Leiden

The beauty of Laken

The steam that mint heat in Oude Singel

Proof that Leiden and its water is a miracle

Time flies with the water that keeps flowing

The events in the past now become history

The places now become monuments

That keeps standing as the soul of the city

Leiden has been transformed into a modern city

With flowers that make the city look like a palace

With canals that form its charm

The enigma is how to make beauty stay

The answer is we need to understand the flow

The flow about how to grow

Growing with the essence of the city

The water, water as almighty

That rippling together with science and humanity

As a fountain of merit

That makes the future bright


Leiden, 12 April 2024

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Illustration by Lieske van Oosten