وَلَقَد ذَكَرتُكِ بَعدَ يَأسٍ قاتِلٍ

وَلَقَد ذَكَرتُكِ بَعدَ يَأسٍ قاتِلٍ

في ضَحوَةٍ كَثُرَت بِها الأَنواءُ

في ضَحوَةٍ كَثُرَت بِها الأَنواءُ

And indeed I remembered you after deadly despair,

After despair's killing drought

And I remembered you after a fatal despair,

One midmorning when storms abounded.

At dawn, when clouds were plentiful,

In a forenoon wherein tempests abounded;

فَوَدِدتُ أَنّي غَرسَةٌ أَو زَهرَةٌ

فَوَدِدتُ أَنّي غَرسَةٌ أَو زَهرَةٌ

وَوَدِدتُ أَنَّكِ عاصِفٌ أَو ماءُ

وَوَدِدتُ أَنَّكِ عاصِفٌ أَو ماءُ

So I wished I were a sapling or a flower,

I wished that I were plant or flower

So I wished that I were a sapling or a flower,

And I wished you were a tempest or water.

And wished that you were storm or shower.

And I wished that you were a gale or the rain.