«مَا يْغُرَّكْ تَحْفِيفِي، اِلْأَصْلْ فِيَّ رِيفِي»

The speaker warns that a groomed, carefully finished face should not be mistaken for refined character. Beneath the cosmetic care, the saying claims, the blunt temperament of a rural upbringing remains, a stereotype of country people it takes for granted. Tahfif, the plucking of facial hair, serves here as shorthand for tidiness and adornment of any kind.

In broader terms, the saying holds that an attractive surface is no proof of good hidden qualities, so judgments based on looks alone are unreliable. The two halves rhyme on the closing syllable -fi, pairing tahfifi, 'my plucking,' with rifi, 'countryman,' which sets surface against origin in a compact, memorable contrast.

Fits a teasing or self-mocking warning, voiced by someone whose polish might mislead others about their temperament. It can also be applied to a person whose fine appearance hides rough behavior. Because it rests on a stereotype of rural upbringing, it can come across as condescending.