للعَيْنِ مِنْ عِمّة البُنّيِّ مُعْتَبَرٌ

للعَيْنِ مِنْ عِمّة البُنّيِّ مُعْتَبَرٌ

إنْ لَفّها فوقَ قرْنٍ مَنْ يُخَفّيهِ

إنْ لَفّها فوقَ قرْنٍ مَنْ يُخَفّيهِ

The eye finds a lesson in al-Bunnī’s turban,

The eye has a lesson from the boon of sight

if he who hides a horn winds it over that horn.

If it's wrapped above a horn, who can hide it?

ما بيْنَ كفٍّ وإبهامٍ يمُرُّ بِها

ما بيْنَ كفٍّ وإبهامٍ يمُرُّ بِها

كأنّما هيَ مَصْرانٌ يُصَفّيهِ

كأنّما هيَ مَصْرانٌ يُصَفّيهِ

He draws it between palm and thumb,

What passes between palm and thumb

as though it were an intestine he is cleaning.

As if they were strainers filtering it