ولما بدا للعين ميزانُ شعركم

ولما بدا للعين ميزانُ شعركم

وأعجبها إذا ما رأت فيه من شين

وأعجبها إذا ما رأت فيه من شين

And when the meter of your verse appeared to the eye,

When the scale of your poetry appeared to my eyes

And amazed it when it saw a blemish therein,

And pleased them whenever they saw therein any defect

سألت فؤادي هل ترى خللا به

سألت فؤادي هل ترى خللا به

فقال لي الميزانُ يظهرُ بالعين

فقال لي الميزانُ يظهرُ بالعين

I asked my heart, “Do you see a flaw in it?”

I asked my heart: "Do you see any fault with it?"

It said to me, “The meter is revealed by the eye.”

It said to me: "The scale appears through the eyes."