I saw a Bedouin in the circle of jewelers in Basra, recounting his story: “Once, I lost my way in the desert and had no provisions left. I had resigned myself to death when suddenly I found a pouch full of pearls. I will never forget the joy and excitement I felt, thinking it was roasted wheat, and then the bitterness and despair when I realized it was pearls!”
"In the dry desert and shifting sands,
What difference does it make to the thirsty whether it is a pearl or a shell in his mouth?
A man without provisions who falls to the ground,
What use is gold or pottery on his belt?"
